Published on December 22, 2025 9:31 am
Last Updated on December 22, 2025 9:33 am
Effingham High School is pleased to announce that twenty students from the EHS graduating class of 2026 have been designated as Illinois State Scholars by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) based on their exceptional academic achievement.
“ISAC proudly congratulates this year’s Illinois State Scholars for their commitment to excellence,” said ISAC Executive Director Eric Zarnikow. “Their dedication will continue to benefit them in college and beyond. We also extend our sincere appreciation to the families, educators, and communities who support and guide these students every day.”
The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), the state’s college access and financial aid agency, presents this annual recognition of academic achievement to exceptional Illinois high school students who rank in the top ten percent of graduates from Illinois high schools. This year, nearly 19,200 honorees join the other outstanding students who have been honored since the designation was first introduced in 1958.
*Note that the Illinois State Scholar Program designates honorees based on the year they would begin any postsecondary education, not based on the year they graduate from high school.
THE FOLLOWING EHS STUDENTS WERE NAMED 2026-27* ILLINOIS STATE SCHOLARS:
Landon Beck
Hannah Buckman
Max Buzzard
Samuel Collins
Sydney Cunningham
Derek Doedtman
Abby Feldhake
Maximus Greenwood
Caleb Holmes
Maggie Jenkins
Isabella Jones
Keegan McCoy
Emma Newlin
Christina Nguyen
Berkley Pullen
Collin Rodewald
Hollann Thoele
Hayden Wendling
Reese Wendling
Averie Wolfe
