The Renee Mahrt Memorial Scholarship Fund

This fund was started in August of 2005 by Cathy & Dan Mahrt in memory of the sudden passing of their late daughter Renee. The established purpose of the fund is to provide annual college scholarships to MHS Senior girls who participated in and demonstrated a commitment to either track or cross country during high school.

The Renee Mahrt Memorial Scholarship is annually awarded to a worthy Morton High School female student track or cross country participant pursuing a college education. The scholarship has been established to assist a deserving student who desires to pursue a college education.  Should girl’s track and cross country be discontinued at some time in the future, student(s) interested in fashion design and/or social work are to be considered for the scholarship.

Miss Mahrt enjoyed running, sewing and designing clothes, and looked forward to the return of her fiance, who was serving in Iraq at the time of her untimely death.  A 2004 graduate of Morton High School, she was a member of the cross country and track teams.  She also was a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Morton, where she belonged to the youth group and Catholic Heart Workcamp.

Renee was a 19-year-old Illinois State University junior, and was attending classes year-round in hopes of graduating early with a degree in fashion design.  On December 3, 2005, while on her way to visit a friend in Chicago, her car spun out of control in icy conditions and struck a disabled vehicle parked along the road.  She died of her injuries early the next Sunday morning, December 4, 2005.

Her parents, Dan & Cathy Mahrt, along with her sister Laura, established this scholarship in her memory.

Qualifications for this Scholarship:

• Must be a senior who will be attending college or a university.

• The female student must have participated in and demonstrated a commitment to track or cross country at MHS.

• She must have demonstrated the following attributes on and off the field: Positive attitude, Encourages others, Charitable, Free spririted, Dedicated runner, Hard working, Compassionate, Fun loving, Non-judgemental/Open-minded, Role model to underclassmen.

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

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:

2011 - katharina rains

2012 - macaela bennett

2013 -

2014 - brooke goodyear

2015 - erika gordon

2016 - chloe williams

2017 - alicia urban

2018 - hannah johnson

2019 - aspen gordon

2020 - olivia knight

2021 - katherine honegger

2022 - emma skinner 

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.