GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A local non-profit organization is teaming up with “Jeopardy!” champion Ben Chan to present college scholarships to high school seniors in Northeast Wisconsin.
CollegeReady is awarding more than $485,000 in scholarships to approximately 180 students from 18 high schools in Brown and Door counties. About half of that total was given out Wednesday at the nonprofit’s annual scholarship award ceremony, known as the “Lamp of Knowledge Celebration.”
Chan, a native of Green Bay who works as a philosophy professor at St. Norbert College, offered the keynote address at Wednesday’s event, held at the Meyer Theatre in Green Bay. A nine-time “Jeopardy!” champion, Chan placed second among a field of 27 former champions in the game show’s Tournament of Champions earlier this year.
“We are proud to celebrate these deserving students and look forward to a keynote address from our speaker, ‘Jeopardy!’ champion Ben Chan,” said Brent Roubal, executive director of CollegeReady.
“Ben’s success on Jeopardy! is inspiring, and serves as a powerful example for our college-bound students: That with hard work, you can do anything you put your mind to.”
CollegeReady, previously known as Scholarships, Inc., is a non-profit organization that provides scholarship money and academic resources to college-bound youth in Northeast Wisconsin. It has awarded more than $13.9 million in scholarship money to about 7,000 students since 1962.
“When we ask our students, they tell us about 1/3rd of them wouldn’t actually be able to go to post-secondary college without our assistance and without our help through the scholarships we’re able to provide them, so the scholarships that we’re awarding do have a huge impact and make a big difference in their ability to be able to attend college,” said Roubal.
On Wednesday, CollegeReady also recognized its 2024 graduates of the NEW Scholars program, which supports Green Bay-area students in grades 6-12 working to become the first person in their family to earn a college degree. The newest group of sixth graders joining NEW Scholars were also introduced at the event.
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