Berka awarded Alworth Memorial scholarship

Hard work and dedication to her schoolwork paid off for Sylvia Berka as she was awarded a prestigious Alworth Memorial scholarship. Photo courtesy of Sylvia Berka

Cook County I.S.D. 166 graduating senior Sylvia Berka was one of 72 graduating Northland seniors to be selected to receive the prestigious Marshall H. and Nellie Alworth Memorial scholarship.

Selected from among 204 applicants, recipients will each receive $20,000, distributed over eight semesters, beginning with the 2021-2022 school year.

Students picked for this award live in the Minnesota counties of Aitkin, Beltrami, Carlton, Cass, Cook, Crow Wing, Lake, Itasca, Koochiching and St Louis and all are pursuing bachelor’s degrees related to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

“For more than 70 years, the Alworth Memorial Fund has been proud to assist young people dedicated to making a difference in STEM-related fields,” said Executive Director Patty Salo Downs, Alworth Memorial Fund. “We’re thrilled that this year’s impressive group of scholarship recipients will be furthering their education at post-secondary institutions across the United States.”

Since 1949, the Alworth Memorial Fund has distributed more than $53 million among over 5,300 motivated young people. The Fund is available to students in 60 high schools, plus those who are homeschooled, in the 10 northern Minnesota counties listed above. Additional information about the Marshall H. and Nellie Alworth Memorial Fund is at www.AlworthScholarship.org.