AMBOY – Toward the end of every school year Amboy High School students have Honors Night, which is dedicated to showcasing everything their hard work benefited as they receive scholarships, awards, certificates, tassels, and other recognition.

The 2025 Honors Night on Thursday, May 22 saw over $650,000 in scholarship funds be awarded to Amboy students.

There wasn’t a frown in the AHS gymnasium as everyone was proud of themselves, their students, their children, their family, and their friends.

Kenley Wilson was named The First National Bank of Amboy’s Student of the Year, which along with the title, comes with a $5,000 scholarship. To become the student of the year, students had to apply with a submitted essay. Wilson is the 42^nd Amboy student to earn the reward.

Wilson’s name was called by many presenters as she earned the William & Betty Kidd Memorial Scholarship, Daughters of the American Revolution Scholarship, Amboy Lions Club Scholarship, Red Cross Scholarship and Amboy FFA Alumni Scholarship.

She was also acknowledged as an Illinois State Scholar, Academic All-Conference Award, AHS Student Council member and officer, State FFA degree recipient, a member of the AHS FFA Parliamentary Procedure Team which finished second at state, The First National Bank Student of the Month for November, a gold Presidential Award, a dual credit student, gold tassel honor student with a grade point average between 3.0-4.0 and graduating Summa Cum Laude with a 3.9 GPA or higher.

FNB Students of the Month: The FNB in Amboy Students of the Month included Alainie Wittenauer for September, Tyrah Vaessen for October, Wilson in November, Quinton Leffelman for December, Addison Pertell took the title in January and Natalie Pratt in February

Tyler Huggins was honored in March, April was Carson Barlow, and Brooklyn Strub ended the school year with the honor in May. For the 42^nd year, First National Bank in Amboy awarded students of the month with a scholarship, this year each monthly award winner received $500.

Alumnus of the Year: Dale Eller.

Knights of Columbus Scholarships: Brysen Full, Haleigh Stenzel and Vaessen.

Shirley Rolf WACC Scholarship: Madison Althaus, Alexis Davis, Alexa McKendry, Jadyn Whelchel.

Shirley Rolf Memorial Scholarship: Pertell and Vaessen.

William & Betty Kidd WACC/Sauk Community College Scholarship: Grace Althaus, Madison Althaus, Kiera Karlson, Ellie McLaughlin, Samantha Nauman, Alyvia Whelchel, Jadyn Whelchel, Brittlyn Whitman.

William & Betty Kidd Memorial Scholarship: Barlow, Dominic Fonderoli, Full, Emersyn Noble, Pertell, Vaessen, Wittenauer.

Sylvan & Virginia Leffelman Scholarship: Full, Caden Hummel, Leffelman.

The Carol and Ted Schoch Memorial Scholarship: Pratt.

Sublette Toy Show Amboy FFA Scholarship: Pratt.

Sublette Toy Show Dean Stephenitch Scholarship: Tyler Higgins.

Lee County Democrats Scholarship: Stenzel.

Donald Schamberger Memorial Scholarship: Ava Cline, Alena Shaw.

Jason Bonnell Memorial Scholarship: Full.

Daughters of the American Revolution: Wilson.

Amboy Education Association Scholarship: Pratt and Strub.

Amboy High School Band Boosters Choir Scholarship: Strub.

Amboy High School Band Boosters Band Scholarship: Gloria Parker.

Ron & Jake Metzen Memorial Scholarships: Pertell and Grace Royer (general), and Full (agriculture).

Dukes Family Scholarship: Vaessen.

Lee County Soil and Water Conservation District Scholarship: Full.

The Travi Educational Scholarship: Vaessen and Wittenauer.

Lions Club Scholarships: Pertell, Royer, Stenzel, Wilson, Wittenauer.

Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce Agribusiness Scholarship: Full.

Jack Zentz Foundational Scholarship: Barlow.

The Depot Days Car Show Scholarship: Leffelman, Dillon Merriman.

Illinois State Scholars: Pertell, Hunter Rasmussen, Royer, Wilson, Wittenauer.

Illinois Principal Association Award: Pertell and Vaessen.

Academic All-Conference Awards: Tinley Whitney, Pertell, Gage Mumm, McLaughlin, Jose Lopez, Liliann Leffelman, Morgan Kreiser, Henry Klein, Kiera Karlson, Madison Althaus, Grace Althaus, Vaessen, Logan Ketchum, Henry Nichols, Ty Florschuetz, Anna Carlson, Sydney Whelchel, Leighton Gulley, Peyton Payne, Landon Carter, Noble, Whitman, Quinton Leffelman, Merriman, Barlow, Gabrielle Miller, Nauman, McKendry, Aubrey Wells, Joel Billhorn, Tanner Welch, Stenzel, Caleb Shugars.

Amboy News Award, Male & Female Athletes of the Year: Quinton Leffelman and Tyrah Vaessen.

Red Cross Scholarship: Royer, Emily Sachs Stenzel, Wilson, Wittenauer.

Student Council Awards: Membership – Vanessa Alleven, Saydee Benavidez, Cline, Full, Huggins, Quinton Leffelman, Parker, Pertell, Royer, Sachs, Stenzel, Strub, Wilson, Wittenauer. Officers – Full, Royer, Stenzel, Wilson, Wittenauer.

State FFA Proficiency Results: Jarrett Althaus, Full, Pratt.

State FFA Degree Recipients: Grace Althaus, Jarrett Althaus, Carlson, Huggins, Wilson.

The Amboy FFA Alumni Scholarship: Full and Wilson.

Section 2 FFA Officers for 2025-26: Grace Althaus and Jake Dinges.

Parliamentary Procedure Team (second in state): Grace Althaus, Chase Huggins, Tyler Huggins, Ketchum, Pratt, Wilson.

Pathway Endorsement Awards: Nursing – Alexis Cheever. Education – Rasmussen and Strub.

WACC Student of the Month: Vaessen, Wittenauer, McLaughlin, Strub, Karlson, Pertell.

WACC Student of the Year for Allied Health: Vaessen.

Presidential Awards (gold): Jarrett Althaus, Cordia Asencio, Barlow, Billhorn, Cline, Fonderoli, Full, Atticus Goff, Quinton Leffelman, Merriman, Adrian Mimini, Noble, Petell, Rasmussen, Royer, Shugars, Stenzel, Strub, Vaessen, Karaen Welch, Wilson, Wittenauer.

Presidential Awards (silver): Nathaniel Cordero, Barbara Grotti, Cierra Kessel.

Perfect Attendance: Carter, Gulley, Kilah Helm, Liam Ketchum, Chase Rasmussen, Bradley Schmidt, Shugars.

Dual Credit: Vanessa Alleven, Jarrett Althaus, Asencio, Barlow, Benevidez, Billhorn, Cheever, Cline, Michael Farrar, Full, Hummel, Eddie Jones, Kessel, Mimini, Novle, Parker, Devyn Pasley, Pertell, Pratt, Hunter Rasmussen, Sierra Rhodes, Royer, Andrew Scott, Alena Shaw, Shugars, Stenzel, Strub, Vaessen, Wilson, Wittenauer.

Honor Students Gold Tassels (3.0-4.0 GPA): Alleven, Jarrett Althaus, Favian Arteaga, Asencio, Barlow, Benavidez, Billhorn, Emma Chandler, Cheever, Brody Christoffersen, Cline, Kabe Daniels, Trent Ellis, Fonderoli, Full, Goff, Tyler Huggins, Hummel, Eddie Jones, Kessel, Quinton Leffelman, Joshua McKendry, Merriman, Mimini, Noble, Parker, Pasley, Pertell, Pratt, Hunter Rasmussen, Rhodes, Royer, Sachs, Shaw, Shugars, Stenzel, Strub, Vaessen, Welch, Wilson, Wittenauer, Caleb Yanos.

Cum Laude (3.5-3.69): Jarrett Althaus, Barlow, Billhorn, Fonderoli, Full, Goff, Mimini, Shugars, Stenzel.

Magna Cum Laude (3.7-3.89): Asencio, Cline, Quinton Leffelman, Merriman, Noble, Hunter Rasmussen, Strub, Welch.

Summa Cum Laude (3.9-plus): Pertell, Royer, Vaessen, Wilson, Wittenauer.