Kelli S. Hendryx Memorial Scholarship Fund

This scholarship fund was started in March of 2015 by Jeff Hendryx (Kelli's husband), and his daughters, Holly and Chelsie, after Kelli's passing. The fund is intended to provide an annual scholarships to Morton High School Seniors pursuing a degree in either Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, or Elementary Education.

Kelli Hendryx was a very outgoing, generous, and kind woman who had a passion for life.  She spent many years dedicating her life to education.  She taught for 14 years before moving to Illinois.  Kelli had a masters in special education and elementary education.  She always had a special place in her heart for her students.  Kelli was admired by many.  While raising both of her daughters, she loved attending their many extra curriculums and volunteering at their schools and activities.  

Unexpectedly, in December 2010, Kelli suffered from a ruptured brain aneurysm.  She survived surgery to repair the aneurysm but the severity of the bleed created many complications.  Over the course of the next 4 years, Kelli received countless surgeries to try to repair the damage that had been done.  Unfortunately, the surgeries also had negative effects on her, leaving her partially paralyzed from the waist down.  

Due to Kelli’s active lifestyle, before this condition, she had a hard time accepting her immobility, but never lost sight of her dream of being able to walk again.  That’s when Kelli immersed herself into physical therapy in hopes of reaching her goal one day of being able to walk again.  After several years and many tireless hours of dedication from her and a team of physical therapists Kelli stood up between two parallel bars and took her first steps again.

Sadly, in January 2015, Kelli passed away, leaving a huge hole where her vibrant personality once was. Kelli was extremely thankful for all the hard work the therapists and their assistants spent on her.   This is why, the Hendryx family wanted to help an aspiring therapist and/or teacher with this scholarship in Kelli’s honor.

Qualifications for this Scholarship:

• Must be a senior at Morton High School who has demonstrated academic success by having achieved a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5.

• Must be enrolled in an accredited, degree-granting college or university (minimum of 12 credit hours) for the following academic year, with intentions of pursuing a degree in Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, or Elementary Education.

• Has demonstrated the following attributes: Positive attitude, Encourages others, Charitable, Hard working, Compassionate, High moral character, Role model to underclassmen.

• Preference will be given to students who have been involved in school activities and/or have volunteered in various ways both at school, and in the community.

• Must include an essay of 500 words or less addressing the following: "Why I want to pursue a career in Physical Therapy (or Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, or Elementary Education)", and "Reasons why this career is important to me..."

• Financial need may be considered but is not the primary consideration in the selection process.

• Contact the MHS Counseling office for information on this and other MHS scholarships.

HOW TO APPLY:

Morton High School students who feel they may qualify for this scholarship can pick up an application in the Morton High School counseling office beginning in mid-February each year. Applications must be filled out and submitted to the counseling office in mid-March. You may inquire in the counseling office for specific pickup dates and deadlines each year.

Past scholarship recipients:

2016 - jacob brewer

2017 - none

2018 - rebecca thrasher and katie majors

2019 - coreena witzig

2020 - rachel saunders

2021 - maggie sullivan and mustafa bakirdan

2022 - ilyse knepp and jillian cordoba

If you would like to make a tax deductible donation to this endowment fund, please click the button below for online donations.  Or, you can mail a check to 135 S First Avenue, Morton, IL 61550.