(L to R in the front row are Strohmeier, Aiello, Schwegel, Wright, Gernon; 2nd row, Good Citizen Chair, Terri Hilgendorf.)

ALTON - The Ninian Edwards Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) has a long-standing tradition of selections of top high school seniors with the Good Citizen Awards.

Get The Latest News!

Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.

For the past sixty-nine years, the Ninian Edwards Chapter has presented high school seniors with this honor.

High schools select the students based upon:

Involvement in extracurricular activities.

Contributions to the community.

Preparations for further education, and demonstration of the good citizen qualities of dependability, honesty, leadership, and patriotism.

To participate, students have to submit a portfolio including:

A grade transcript.

Two letters of recommendation.

A description of how he/she manifests the qualities of a good citizen.

An essay, completed in a 2-hour timeframe.

Here are the awardees:

Kaylyn M. Aiello, Civic Memorial HS.

Article continues after sponsor message

Elizabeth Gernon, East Alton-Wood River HS.

Luke Schwegel, Marquette Catholic HS.

McKinzie Wright, Mississippi Valley Christian School.

Thomas Strohmeier, Roxana HS.

In addition, Thomas Strohmeier will receive a $100 gift card for having the best essay. Thomas also won the District VI Competition and will be honored at the Illinois DAR State Convention.

(Pictured L to R: Stumpe, Crank, Holbrook, Presenter Paula Mattix-Wand, Davis, Goodman, Wright.

Juniors Selected For Honor

The Ninian Edwards Chapter also acknowledges local junior high school students with the DAR Youth Citizenship Award. The students are selected by their high schools based upon exemplifying the qualities of honor, service, courage, leadership, and patriotism.

This year's selections are:

Hannah Stumpe, Alton HS

Olivia Goodman, Civic Memorial HS

Launa Crank, East Alton-Wood River HS

Dre Davis, Marquette Catholic HS

Peyton Wright, Mississippi Valley Christian School

Troy Holbrook, Roxana HS

Prefer RiverBender on Google
Copyright 2026 Riverbender.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

 

More like this:

Edwardsville FFA Earns Silver Chapter Honors at Illinois Convention
2 days ago
Former Basketball Coach Sentenced to 90 Months in Prison for Sending Sexually Explicit Photos to Students
May 6, 2026
LC Students Earn National Honors at FLA National Leadership Conference
Yesterday
Liberty Middle School Administrators, Edwardsville Police, Investigate Social Media Post and Related Rumors
May 12, 2026
Jerseyville DAR Honors 2026 Good Citizen Winners From Local Schools
Mar 23, 2026