2003 Scholarship Recipients

This past May, Kids In Need was again fortunate to be able to award ten $2500 scholarships to deserving DuPage area high school seniors. However, this year the KIN scholarships were provided by new sponsors, Doris and Jay Christopher of Hinsdale. Warren Gnau KIN, Founder said, "I was disappointed when I learned that the scholarship grant money that sponsored our first 20 students had been cut from the DuPage County budget. But after mentioning that to Doris and Jay, they quickly volunteered to be the new scholarship sponsors."

The scholarships were presented to the students at an informal picnic-style dinner at the Kids In Need temporary care facility in Addison. Doris and Jay had the opportunity to meet and speak with each of the students at this event. Doris later said, "Jay and I know how important it is to continue your education, and it made us very happy to see how much the students appreciated the scholarships." "It's really nice to be able to shake hands with the people you are helping," Jay said.

Warren and Barbara Gnau have known the Christopher's since high school. Doris was the founder of The Pampered Chef, and they have been very successful in the businesses they own; plus they like to get involved and help out charitable organizations. Warren said, "I had a feeling that Jay and Doris would be the right fit with our kids, and I'm thrilled to see that they think so too. I was watching their faces light up as they met and talked to the kids."

"We are very happy that the Doris and Jay have made it possible for KIN to continue to provide scholarships to the kids that really need our help," Barbara Gnau was heard to say. The kids enjoyed the opportunity to meet the people that were helping make it possible for them to attend college. KIN hopes that Jay and Doris continue to be part of this worthwhile program for many years to come.

Key Ingredients

In October 2001, Kids in Need implemented the KIN Mentor Program. Almost two years later the KIN mentors have turned out to be the key ingredients that have made this scholarship program so successful and so very different from all the other scholarship programs. Besides providing helpful guidance and advice, this year the mentors actually helped by reviewing applications. "Since they get so involved with knowing their students, I asked them if they would like to help with the application process," Warren said. And help they did. The mentors had more than 40 applications to review. They evaluated the students based on the KIN scholarship criteria and then made their recommendations. They finally had an opportunity to meet the students when the scholarships were awarded at the Kids In Need house.

More than 35 guests attended the reception and dinner at the Lee Daniels House in Addison. The students had a chance to introduce themselves and provide information about where they will be going to school in the fall and in what they plan to major. The mentors then introduced themselves and gave some very interesting information about their families, their professions, and their experiences with helping put their own kids through college. It's really great that the mentors actually get the chance to meet their protégés face-to-face and establish a comfortable relationship with them before they leave for college," Don Katz the mentor program creator stated. The KIN Mentors are wonderful, caring people who have worked with kids in their professional and personal lives and now offer their expertise to KIN. Ann Robinson, Al Unger, Joanne Reilly, Diane Lindstrurn, and Chuck Miller are truly the key ingredients that make receiving a KIN scholarship so valuable.

2003 Scholarship Recipients

Jennifer Faulkner, Lombard, Glenbard East HS
Ernesto Magana, Westmont, Montini HS
Karrie Pece, Darien Hinsdale South HS
Amarita Vavilikolanu, Elmhurst, York HS
Elisabeth Lupole, Lisle, Lisle HS
Stacee Wending, Wheaton, Wheaton North HS
Maliha Baggia, Carol Stream, Glenbard West HS
Lauren Cooney, Naperville, Benet HS
Alberto Nolazco, Elmhurst, York HS
Oana Ghibilic, Hinsdale, Hinsdale Central HS