Madison Krum, an 11-year member of the Cottonwood 4-H Club in Morrison, Illinois, has been awarded the Whiteside County 4-H Support Fund Award of Merit scholarship. This prestigious $500 scholarship is presented annually to active 4-H members graduating from high school or continuing their post-secondary education. Madison's dedication to 4-H, demonstrated through her leadership roles, community service projects, and project achievements, earned her this recognition.

Throughout her 4-H journey, Madison has excelled in various project areas including public speaking, leadership, cooking, visual arts, scrapbooking, floriculture, and veterinary science. Her commitment to community service is evident through her involvement in nine projects over the past year alone, ranging from supporting local food pantries to teaching archery skills to children.

Madison's academic achievements at Morrison High School, where she has maintained a 4.0 GPA or higher, complement her extracurricular involvement in musical theatre, band, choir, student council, National Honor Society, and student-led initiatives focused on mental health support and suicide prevention.

Looking ahead, Madison plans to attend Sauk Valley Community College for two years before transferring to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to pursue a bachelor's degree in mathematics, with aspirations of becoming a quantitative analyst.

Madison is the daughter of Christina and Mark Krum of Morrison. What makes this achievement even more special is the heartfelt presentation of the award by Gordon Kelm, a dedicated 50-year 4-H volunteer. Madison's dedication, hard work, and commitment to both academics and community service truly shine through, and we couldn't be prouder!