A U.S. senator is giving away thousands of dollars to Wisconsin's brightest scholars. For the 12th straight year, the Herb Kohl Scholarship Foundation is awarding $1,000 to 100 teachers and 200 high school seniors. The democratic senator says education is the most important part of his life.
"If we're going to continue to function as the greatest democracy in the world," Sen. Herb Kohl (D) Wisconsin said, "the foundation is having outstanding people that take their place to contribute. In order to do that, they have to have wonderful educations."
The Herb Kohl Foundation doesn't only honor students, but teachers who show a real ability to inspire their students.
"This is probably the biggest award I've ever gotten in my life," Joanne Powell, a guidance counselor at St. Matthew's Middle school in Wausau said. "It tops off my career and says I'm doing something right."
The award selection process begins at local high schools. From there, the candidates go on to regional panels and then to statewide committees. To date, the foundation has awarded more than four million dollars to Wisconsin's students, teachers and schools.
