Renee Mahrt Memorial Scholarship

The Renee M. Mahrt Memorial Scholarship

Renee Mahrt...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.

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

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 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.

Legacy and stability. Endowed gifts provide a gift that lasts forever. Your gift is invested over time.  Earnings from the fund are used to provide annual scholarships.  Scholarships made from the Renee M. Mahrt Memorial Scholarship Fund will continue beyond our lifetimes. The fund will grow as future donors, with a concern for excellence in education, add to it, thus providing increasingly larger scholarships well into the future.

2012 Winner - Macaela Bennett

Macaela Bennett with Renee Mahrt's parents, Cathy & Dave Mahrt.The winner of the 2012 Renee Mahrt Memorial Scholarship is Macaela Bennett.  The following was written by Macaela's Cross Country coach, Joel Zehr:

Macaela Bennett has been one of the most influential runners I have had come through the Morton High School cross country program.  Throughout her four seasons as a varsity member of the team, she has made a large impact on her teammates and coaches as well. Her dedication to running and ability to motivate her teammates has played a large role in the success of the girls cross country team in recent years.  Macaela was also chosen by her teammates as one of two captains for the 2011 cross country season.  As captain, Macaela helped lead the girls’ team to the sectional meet, placing higher than any girls team that has come before them.  Macaela’s passion for running has been evident in all she has done for the team in her four seasons and will be modeled by younger runners for years to come.

Macaela is tentatively planning to attend Arizona State University in the Fall.