The awardees are Dawson Berglund of Hamilton, Montana; Chloe Ellison of Saint Charles, Missouri; Jaila Kimbro of Memphis, Tennessee; Gentry Perkins of Atlanta, Missouri; and Madeline York of Troy, Illinois.

“These students exemplify the spirit of Southeast. Their ‘will to do’ has helped them accomplish great things in their schools and communities, and we look forward to their success and contributions at Southeast,” said Southeast President Dr. Carlos Vargas

The students participated in an interview process for the prestigious scholarship. The $10,000 award covers $7,000 in tuition and fees and $3,000 for residence hall fees for those living on campus their first year. Students who meet the scholarship renewal criteria may increase their award annually, bringing the total scholarship value to $43,000.

“It’s always impressive to interview so many outstanding high school students,” said Lenell Hahn, Southeast director of Admissions. “We meet so many students with so much to offer and hear about their leadership, involvement, service and their academic successes. All the unique qualities they are bringing to campus will add so much to our Southeast community.”

The President’s Scholarship recipients will be freshman at Southeast when the fall 2023 semester begins this August. The recipients are:

 Dawson Berglund 

Berglund is a senior at Hamilton High School in Hamilton, Montana. There, he participates in Key Club, National Honor Society, Envirothon, MAPS Media Institute, SPURS Club and many more extracurriculars. He also serves as president of the Student Council. He runs cross country and plays tennis along with participating in the school theatre productions. On top of his activities at school, Berglund has also spent the last few years working as a volunteer intern at the Ravalli County Museum, where he puts his love of history to work. He’s taking that passion for history into his college career, where he plans on pursuing a bachelor’s degree in historic preservation at Southeast. Berglund is the son of John and Rhonda Berglund.

Chloe Ellison   

Ellison is a senior at Francis Howell North High School in Saint Charles, Missouri. Ellison is an active member in National Honor Society, plays soccer and does a number of other extra curriculars. She is also the editor-in-chief for the school newspaper, helping Francis Howell North Media win a number of awards over the last few years. Ellison’s passion lies with aviation and she obtained her student pilot certificate early in her senior year. She’s a junior member with Women in Aviation and has racked up several flying hours. Her plan is to continue her education in aviation at Southeast with the professional pilot program and wants to help train other young people to get their own private pilot’s license. Ellison’s parents are Matt and Lindsay Ellison. 

 Jaila Kimbro

Kimbro is from Memphis, Tennessee. She is a senior at East High School, where she’s served as the Student Government president for the last two years. She’s also a student ambassador, a member of the REACH Memphis organization, Youth Mental Health Project and Bridge Builders. She participated in the Joy McDaniel Academy of Dance and is a part of the East High varsity soccer and tennis teams. She plans to continue to be very involved in college, pursuing a degree in engineering with a minor in public policy. She also wants to continue to dance and plans to make it a large part of her college experience. Kimbro is hoping after graduating, she will be able to continue on to law school. Kimbro is the daughter of Jeffrey and Arnita Kimbro.

Gentry Perkins  

Perkins is a senior at Atlanta C-3 High School in Atlanta, Missouri. Perkins will be graduating in May with her high school diploma and with an Associates of Arts from Moberly Area Community College at the same time. Perkins participated in a number of activities in her time in high school, including Future Career and Community Leaders of America, Student Council, National Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America, Science Club and several sports. Her plan is to pursue a bachelor’s degree in political science, finishing in just two years, and work towards an accelerated Master of Public Administration. Her hopes are to work in politics after graduation, planning on pursuing a position with a state legislator. Perkins is the daughter of William and Julie Perkins.

  Madeline York

York is a senior at Triad High School in Troy, Illinois. York participated in National Honor Society, Spanish Club, Math Team and more while in high school. She also racked up a number of accolades in her musical endeavors, participating in several honor bands and ensembles. Both York’s parents attended Southeast and were active members on campus. The Emily York Admissions Achievement Award was named after her mother, who passed away from Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease in 2013. This life event pushed York to study the disease on her own and helped her find interest in epidemiology. She plans on majoring in biochemistry and continuing her education to become an epidemiologist or a medical researcher. She is the daughter of D.J. and Emily York.