Top of the Morning, May 12, 2026

May 12-Congratulations to the first class of Hickory Point Bank Merit Scholars from Champaign-Urbana.

The high school seniors were honored Monday night at Hickory Point's downtown Champaign headquarters, where family, friends and mayors saluted the high achievers in the after-hours setup inside the bank.

For seven years, Hickory Point has been celebrating merit scholars in the Decatur area. Monday's inaugural C-U ceremony - emceed by our Brian Barnhart - was a hit with all involved. "We hope to do this for years and years to come," Hickory Point Director of Client Experience Karla Miller said.

Students from Academy High, Centennial, Champaign Central, Judah Christian, St. Thomas More and Urbana were chosen based on criteria including class rank and SAT/ACT scores. The application process included essays, too.

Each of the 21 students received $100 from Hickory Point. The overall winner as determined by a bank selection committee received $5,000, with first runner-up getting $2,500, second runner-up $1,500 and third runner-up $1,000.

Meet the award-winners

Academy High: Maegan Frye, Breanna Patten

Centennial: Riti Bhosale, Nia Bolton, Tam Do, Laila Tawfick

Champaign Central: Reese Baumann, Sachin Bhalerao, Andrés Bross, Rahul Chekuri

Judah Christian: Jackson Dalbey, Mackenzie Jackson, Dominic Mortenson, Michael Oshimokun

St. Thomas More: Kaitlynn Ballard, Philip Lee, Hadassah Mayombo, Elaina Schmitz

Urbana: Elianna Lee, John Lee, Lourdes Reynolds

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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 9:58 AM.