Dot Foods, one of the area's largest employers, announced the winners of its annual scholarship program. The Dot Scholarship Program is only available to children of current Dot Foods or Dot Transportation, Inc. (DTI) employees. The recipients are eligible to receive up to a $1,000 scholarship each academic year. Two of the four recipients are local residents.
Tanner Sorrill, son of David and Kelly Sorrill, is a resident of Fowler, Illinois. He will graduate Liberty High School next spring and plans to study engineering at the University of Missouri - Columbia in the fall of 2013. His father, David, is a customer delivery specialist at the Dot Foods facility in Mt. Sterling, Illinois.
Ashley Hibbert, daughter of Doug and Lori Hibbert, is a resident of Camp Point, Illinois. Ashley recently graduated from Camp Point Central High School and plans to attend John Wood Community College in Quincy, Illinois to earn an associate degree in English before transferring to a four-year college to earn a bachelor's degree in graphic design. Her father, Doug, is in warehouse operations support at the Dot Foods facility in Mt. Sterling, Illinois.
The Dot Scholarship Program was put in place several years ago to provide monetary support to students pursuing education beyond high school. "At Dot, we value on-going education and make it a priority to reward academic accomplishments," said Joe Tracy, President of Dot Foods. "We look at it as an opportunity to help educate the future leaders of tomorrow and give back to the communities we serve."
Every spring up to two scholarships are awarded from Illinois (Joliet & Mt. Sterling) and up to two scholarships are awarded from other Dot facilities. The Dot Scholarship application process is open to students in their senior year of high school who are children of current Dot/DTI employees.
These are renewable scholarships, but students must maintain a minimum GPA, full-time student status, and other requirements to remain eligible for renewal. The scholarship award is $1,000 per academic year ($500 per semester; up to $2,000 total for a 2-year college program; up to a $4,000 for a 4-year college/undergraduate degree.)