Blackhawk Technical College: Foundation awards top performer scholarships

Contact: Gary Kohn (608) 757-7769 or cell (608) 436-9578, gkohn@blackhawk.edu

JANESVILLE, WI – In an effort to recognize and reward high achieving students, the Blackhawk Technical College Foundation is awarding for the first time two Top Performer scholarships for the summer or fall semesters of 2015.

The first recipients of these new scholarships are Nursing student Bradley Cartwright and Staci El Amin, who is enrolled in the Early Childhood Education program. Both students will receive $1,500 scholarships, the largest scholarship amount awarded by the Foundation.

Cartwright, who is from Janesville, and El Amin, who is from Beloit, each scored 146 points out of a possible 150 during the Foundation’s recent scholarship application review process.

Scholarship applications are scored on a 1 to 50 scale by three Foundation reviewers, who take into consideration previous academic performance, financial need, scholarship essays and the students’ letters of recommendation.

“During our scholarship consultations, the Foundation’s board members were impressed by the number of worthy candidates who had applied for scholarships and felt it important to recognize a student or students who scored the highest on our qualification scale,’’ said Elizabeth Horvath, BTC’s Director of Advancement and Community Relations.

“Bradley and Staci are not just outstanding students but fine people who give back to our district communities. The Foundation is proud to recognize their efforts both in and out of the classroom.’’

Cartwright works full time as a Certified Nursing Assistant in crisis stabilization services for Rock County while attending Blackhawk. Once he receives his nursing degree, Cartwright wants to continue his career working with the mentally ill.

El Amin, the mother of two, is looking to build on her Blackhawk education by eventually studying child psychology and becoming a child psychologist. In addition to holding a full time job, El Amin volunteers with the children’s ministry at her church.

The Blackhawk Technical College Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that receives, holds and disburses funds for the betterment of the College and its students. More than 3,200 students have received scholarships since 1978. The BTC Foundation expects to award more than 100 student scholarships for the upcoming school year.

BOUT BLACKHAWK TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Blackhawk Technical College is part of the Wisconsin Technical College System. BTC has five campus locations in Monroe, Milton, Beloit and Janesville, WI offering more than 50 programs including two-year associate degrees, one- and two-year technical diplomas and short-term technical diplomas. In addition, BTC is a major provider of customized training and technical assistance for the Rock and Green County business community. More than half of all adults living in Wisconsin have accessed the technical colleges for education and training during the last decade.