FORRESTON – The Mary Louise Floski Memorial Scholarship for Education was awarded to senior Alaina Miller at Forreston High School honors night. The scholarship was given in memory of long-time Mt. Morris resident Mary Floski, who served for many years as an English teacher at Leaf River Middle School.

In awarding the $1,000 scholarship, Mary’s son, Doug Floski noted: “When my mom decided to go to college on the heels of the Great Depression, she was one of just a handful of women in the state to receive a small scholarship to attend teachers’ college at Eastern Illinois University. The scholarship paid for part of her tuition and she paid for the rest of her expenses by working on campus. Mom often said that she would not have been able to fulfill her dream of becoming a teacher without that scholarship.”

The scholarship selection committee found that Miller best epitomized Mary’s dedication and hard work to become an educator: Miller is ranked sixth in her graduating class with a GPA of 4.06; she is a member of National Honor Society, just as Mary was. She spent her high school years as an athlete, a volunteer and a leader.

Just as Mary served her community as a reading mentor and active volunteer, Miller spent much of her high school career in service – to NHS, student council and volunteering for youth sports during summers. She also took dual credit and advance placement classes, and worked in the district’s teacher assistant program.

“If you knew my mom, you know she never stopped moving, working, volunteering – she was always sharing her gifts,” Floski said. “She was a natural-born teacher and we saw that in Alaina’s application. The breadth of Alaina’s activities – but always with a focus on education and on young people – really spoke to us.”

Miller plans to attend Illinois State University in the fall and double major in special education and elementary education.