Three high school seniors in Benton and Franklin counties will learn this month that they’ve each been awarded a $2,500 scholarship that honors a League member who worked tirelessly to promote democracy, teach civics and introduce young people to voting. 

The Marilyn Perkins Scholarship honors a woman who served as local League president and as member of the state League board. Perkins moderated many candidate forums and was deeply involved in other League efforts. She died in 2021. 

Scholarship committee co-chairs Judy Golberg and Peggy Gregory said criteria for the Perkins scholarship were designed to enable a diverse population of students to be considered.  

Grades are less important than students’ desire to further their education, Goldberg said. Winners may use the funds to attend trade school or pursue other avenues of higher learning.  

Previous years’ winners, Golberg said, “have been quite ambitious, involved in the communities and are doing well in their lives.”  

She added, “Our winners have come from small farming communities as well as our larger school districts.” 

Applicants submit 500-word essays on a theme selected each year by the scholarship committee. Themes have included voting in local elections and how to encourage one’s peers to vote.  This year’s theme is whether the Electoral College serves the country well or should be abolished.  

When the scholarship was founded in 2022, two winners received $1,000.  Perkins’ husband, John Perkins, made an initial donation to support the program for five years. Additional donations have continued to come in from League members and others in the community.