SIU Carbondale Chancellor Austin Lane with some of the recipients of the Chancellor's Scholarship.

Chancellor’s Scholars recipients from Murphysboro High School (from left) Bryson Canaley, Madison Stanton and Alayna Pyatt celebrate the news of their awards with SIU System President Dan Mahony and SIU Carbondale Chancellor Austin Lane. (Photo by Russell Bailey)

February 04, 2025

SIU Carbondale awards full-ride Chancellor’s Scholarships to 35 high achieving students

by Pete Rosenbery

CARBONDALE, Ill. – Thirty-five high achieving high school seniors are receiving Southern Illinois University Carbondale 2025 Chancellor’s Scholarships, which cover tuition, mandatory fees, on-campus housing and food for four years.

Chancellor Austin A. Lane and other university officials paid surprise visits over two days to present the scholarships and congratulate 32 students from 20 high schools in the Southern Illinois and Metro East regions Monday and today (Feb. 3-4). The remaining scholarship recipients learned of their awards during a Zoom session at 4:30 p.m. today.

“Chancellor’s Scholars imagine bold goals and then work to make them a reality, even when it defies the odds,” Lane said. “I am excited to personally congratulate these Salukis on receiving Southern’s highest honor for freshmen.”

Lane presented scholarships to students in Carbondale, Carterville, Du Quoin, Herrin, Marion, Murphysboro, Nashville, Pinckneyville and Red Bud. Other scholarship recipients in Southern Illinois received surprise visits from university officials and Brown Dawg.

More than 600 high school students competed in the selection process. Winning students demonstrate high academic achievement, have a strong record of leadership in their communities and participate in numerous extracurricular activities.

The award is renewable for three years, contingent upon the students maintaining a 3.0 or higher GPA.

Students from Southern Illinois who received Chancellor’s Scholarships include:

  • Alto Pass: Garrett Basler, Cobden High School.
  • Anna: Brooklynn Eastman, Anna-Jonesboro Community High School.
  • Ashley: Quentin Pedtke, Nashville Community High School.
  • Buncombe: Brinley Corbit, Anna-Jonesboro Community High School.
  • Carbondale: Emerson Adjei, Carbondale Community High School.
  • Carbondale: Calla Cheatwood, Carbondale Community High School.
  • Carbondale: Lara Oues, Carbondale Community High School.
  • Carterville: Myra Anderson, Carterville High School.
  • Carterville: Mercedes Levesque, Carterville High School.
  • Carterville: Emma Rogers, Carterville High School.
  • Du Quoin: Mackenzie Edwards, Du Quoin High School.
  • Du Quoin: Jessie Rudloff, Du Quoin High School.
  • Harrisburg: Owen Rann, Harrisburg High School.
  • Herrin: Ellary Blakey, Herrin High School.
  • Hoyleton: Carly Kasten, Nashville Community High School.
  • Johnston City: Katelynn Turner, Johnston City High School.
  • Karnak: Ethyn Bradley, Vienna High School.
  • Makanda: Elle Banz, Carbondale Community High School.
  • Marion: Addison Hunziker, Marion High School.
  • Marion: Skye Mausey, Marion High School.
  • Metropolis: Krish Patel, Massac County High School.
  • Murphysboro: Bryson Canaley, Murphysboro High School.
  • Murphysboro: Alayna Pyatt, Murphysboro High School.
  • Murphysboro: Madison Stanton, Murphysboro High School.
  • Pinckneyville: Zoey Conway, Pinckneyville Community High School.
  • Red Bud: Blake Henry, Red Bud Community High School.

Other students to earn Chancellor’s Scholarships include:

ILLINOIS

  • Belleville: Noah Peters, Belleville East High School.
  • Belleville: Isaac Ramirez, Cahokia High School.
  • Belleville: Theo Rickert, Belleville Township High School West.
  • Chicago: Taniah Matheny, Perspectives Charter Schools-Calumet High School of Technology.
  • East St. Louis: Kenneth Taylor, East St. Louis Senior High School.
  • Homewood: Micaiah Abramczyk, Homewood-Flossmoor Community High School.
  • O’Fallon: Jack Toennies, O’Fallon Township High School.

MISSOURI

  • St. Louis: Sophia Levinson, Affton High School.

TEXAS

  • Glenn Heights: Jaiden Block, DeSoto High School.

SIU Carbondale offers various scholarships to high school seniors and transfer students. For more information on the university’s scholarships and financial aid, contact Amber Rivers, associate director of scholarships in the Financial Aid Office, at scholarships@siu.edu or 618-453-4628.