The Unit Five Education Association annually awards multiple $1,000 scholarships to current Unit 5 high school seniors, including students pursuing a career in education, the child of a UFEA member, and a student in need of financial assistance who plans to continue their education at a 4-year college, 2-year college, trade school, or in the military.
Phyllis Rosenbaum Scholarships
The Phyllis Rosenbaum Scholarship is awarded to two high school seniors — one at Normal Community and one at Normal West — who will pursue a career in education.
The 2026 Phyllis Rosenbaum Scholarship winners are Kellyn Kramer from Normal Community and Ella Sommer from Normal West.
Kellyn plans to attend the University of Missouri with a focus on elementary education. When asked why she wants to become an educator, Kellyn responded “I want to be the reason children want to come to school everyday.”
Normal Community journalism teacher Brad Bovenkerk appreciates how Kellyn’s personality is matched by her actions. “She is a rare mix of maturity, humility, and humor — she is steady without being stiff, and warm without being naive” stated Bovenkirk.
Her actions further this spirit as she has already worked to mentor younger students, adapt instructions, and pursue direct classroom experience through an education internship.
Ella plans to attend college and eventually become a school speech pathologist. She has a long family history of educators and has already begun to continue the tradition by participating in the Intro to Education course at NCWHS where she was able to observe many different teaching positions. She credits Dr. Beirbaum for making an impact on her decision to become a teacher. His encouragement to push her outside of her comfort zone and his passion for teaching are traits that Ella values greatly. Normal West choir director Sara Williams stated that Ella “possesses the personal qualities and professional conduct to be an outstanding leader…She is at the top of students that I have had the privilege to teach.”
UFEA Scholarship
The UFEA Scholarship is awarded to the child of a UFEA member who is a high school senior. The 2026 UFEA Scholarship winner is Samuel Wehmeyer from Normal Community.
Sam plans to attend Illinois State University and major in Engineering. He has been accepted into the Honors program at ISU and is looking forward to becoming an engineer who designs and builds solutions that make a positive impact on his community. Normal Community business teacher Jason Drengwitz describes Sam as humble, kind, and driven. “Sam is a leader by example….he never makes excuses and consistently finds a way to complete tasks thoroughly and at a high standard, regardless of the challenge.”
The Impact Scholarship
The Impact Scholarship is awarded to a Unit 5 senior from either Unit 5 high school, who plans to continue their education after high school at a 2 or 4 year college, in the military or at trade school. The 2026 Impact Scholarship winner is Naomi Getachew from Normal West.
Naomi is a first generation Ethiopian-American. She plans on attending college at Northeastern University and eventually finding a career centered around cloud computing and security. Normal West physics teacher Jade Griffin shared that Naomi is a student who embraces challenges and seeks growth. Naomi is highly involved with her school, participating in academic clubs such as National English Honor Society (president) and leading the girls varsity tennis as a team captain. Griffin further shared that Naomi sets high goals for herself and then is self-motivated to work toward the attainment of these goals.
About the UFEA Torchbearer Fund
UFEA has historically provided a number of scholarships to students graduating from Unit 5 schools. In 2024, UFEA’s Representative Council launched the UFEA Torchbearer Fund, an endowment which will continue to provide student scholarships and member grants. Learn more about the Fund.
About UFEA Scholarships
Applications for UFEA Scholarship are available each spring. Eligible students are encouraged to apply, and applications are scored on a rubric. The UFEA Torchbearer Fund Committee, led by the Torchbearer Fund Chair, scores the applications and determines the recipients.
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