Three area woman awarded P.E.O STAR Scholarships

Metro Wire Staff

Three local graduates have been awarded the P.E.O. STAR Scholarship.

Karah Kluck, a Pacelli grad, Kayliah Meronk, from Rosholt High School, and SPASH graduate Rachel Placeway, each received a $2,500 scholarship for the 2019-20 school year.

The scholarship is open to young women who are citizens of the United States or Canada and based on excellence in leadership, extracurricular activities, community service, academics and potential for success, according to a news release from P.E.O. STAR.

Kluck plans to pursue a career in communicative disorders and psychology. She graduated from Pacelli with a 4.2 GPA and “distinguished herself through her leadership in her school and community, extra-curricular activities, volunteer service, superior academic record, and unique potential for future success.”

Meronk plans to pursue a nursing career and will attend UW-Oshkosh in the fall. Kayliah achieved an unweighted GPA of 3.97 and a class ranking of 4 out of 27. She has demonstrated leadership through “numerous extracurricular, church and community activities,” the release said.

Placeway reached an “exceptional level of academic performance” which included numerous advanced classes and establishing the sport of Rugby while at SPASH. Her extracurricular activities included involvement in her church, youth mission trips and collaborating with young leaders across the state.
She plans to pursue a career in behavioral analysis and law enforcement.

The P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization) Sisterhood was founded January 21, 1869, at Iowa Wesleyan College. The international organization, which has almost 250,000 members across 6,000 chapters, promotes increased educational opportunities for women.