UPDATED 5/12/21 AT 11:40 A.M.

The Peoria Unified School District’s graduating class of 2021 acquired over $72 million in scholarships to post-secondary institutions, making this a record year for scholarship recipients. This amount includes scholarships for vocational schools, in-state and out-of-state merit-based recognitions, private donor and athletic scholarships. Liberty High School celebrates a record year with their graduates securing close to $16 million in scholarship monies.

Below is a breakdown of the Peoria Unified high school scholarship amounts:

• Cactus - $4,476,417
• Centennial -$15,036,471
• Ironwood - $15,027,934
• Liberty – $15,946,414
• Peoria Flex Academy - $500
• Peoria High – $6,528,536
• Raymond S. Kellis - $5,936,988
• Sunrise Mountain - $9,918,668

Total - $72,871,928

Top 1% of Cactus' graduating class:

• Strider Johnston
• Eilona Webrand
• Makayla Von Burg

Two Cybersecurity students received a full-ride to Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. One of those students, Robert Anderson, was one of only 100 cadets selected from 891 AFJROTC units worldwide that was invited to the 2021 AJFROTC Cyber Academy. He is one of two cadets in Arizona selected for this opportunity. 

Top 1% of Centennial's graduating class:

• Michael Whalen
• Cade Rogers
• Duy Nguyen
• Hussein El Ghandour

All four of these seniors indicated they will be attending Arizona State University. 

Additionally, five seniors were accepted at prestigious and/or Ivy League colleges, such as:

• Caiden Miles - Yale, Airforce Academy, Columbia
• Daxon Lindholm - West Point Military Academy
• Rashon Adams - Georgetown
• Oscar Abundis - University of Jamestown
• Ned Kennedy - University of Jamestown

Top 1% of Ironwoodl's graduating class:

• Madison Harr
• Karina Isayev
• Gabriel Martineau
• James Wright

Interesting facts about ironwood's seniors:

• Gabriel Martineau got a perfect ACT score. 
• One graduate will be attending Vassar College
• Another graduate will be going to University College in Dublin, Ireland

Top 1% of Liberty's graduating class:

• Alexis Young
• Sylvia Lopez
• Trista Ramirez
• Maressa Kennedy
• Jacob Ayars
• Melanie Benoit

Interesting facts about Liberty's seniors:

Alexis Younng

• Peoria Education Foundation Community Service Scholarship
• University of Arizona Wildcat Distinction Scholarship
• Arizona State University President's Scholarship
• Peoria Education Foundation Project Unify Scholarship
• Elks Lodge Student of the Month Scholarship
• Elks Lodge Most Valuable Student Scholarship

Sylvia Lopez

• Arizona State University President's Scholarship
• Flinn Scholarship Award
• Sun City Elks Lodge Student of the Month Scholarship
• Sun City Elks Lodge Most Valuable Student Scholarship

Trista Ramirez

• Northern Arizona University Presidents' Scholarship
• University of Arizona National Hispanic Scholar
• Elks Lodge Student of the Month Scholarship

Maressa Kennedy

• University of Arizona Wildcat Distinction Scholarship
• Northern Arizona University President's Scholarship
• Elks Lodge Student of the Month Scholarship

Jacob Ayars

• University of Arizona National Hispanic Scholar
• Elks Lodge Student of the Month Scholarship

Melanie Benoit

• Arizona State University President's Scholarship
• University of Arizona Wildcat Distinction Scholarship
• University of Arizona Dean's Exemplary Award
• University of Utah President's Scholarship
• Elks Lodge Student of the Month Scholarship

John Shinske

• University of Arizona Wildcat Distinction Scholarship
• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Presidential Scholarship
• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University NROTC Scholarship

Top 1% of Peoria's graduating class:

• Suzanne Bigelow
• Mehrail Lawendy
• Jonathan Lim

Interesting facts about Peoria High's seniors:

Suzanne Bigelow

She will be playing volleyball at St. Peters College in New Jersey. She was also accepted and awarded a scholarshp at the University of Arizona. Suzanne has also been a part of Student Council and an Honors and AP student throughout high school. She was also a Rotary Student of the Month and Student of the Year for MESA (Math, Engineering, Science Achievement). She heled lead Peoria High School to regain the state title in MESA this year. 

Mehrail Lawendy

She has come to the United States from Egypt and has been part of the AVID and MET Professional Academy. She is an honors and AP student and was accepted at Arizona State University and the University of Arizona. She will be attending the University of Arizona on a full-ride scholasrship. She was also awarded a Peoria Education Foundation scholarship and a MESA scholarship.

Jonathan Lim

He earned a 32 on the ACT and has always planned to attend Arizona State University and received a full-ride scholarshp to study Engineering. He started a Reading Club at Peoria High as a sophomore. 

Top 1% of Raymond S. Kellis' graduating class:

• Brielle Cohen
• Alexa Ramirez Aldama
• Matthew  Wasko
• Emma Williams

Interesting facts about Raymond S. Kellis' seniors:

• Tara Peterson is going to Vassar College with a full tuition paid worth more than $80,000.

Top 1% of Sunrise Mountain's graduating class:

• Radu Iosifescu
• Ashley Livingston
• Alyssa Bonbaci
• Linda Lu