J.L. Wade Foundation announces 2026/2027 school year scholarship recipients

Wade Foundation supports wildlife conservation, bird habitat initiatives, and educational programs that advance environmental stewardship. The Foundation’s scholarship program represents J.L. Wade’s belief that a person ought to pay attention to the natural world, not just pass through it. J.L. understood that land, water, wildlife, agriculture, and the outdoors are part of a good life and worth protecting for generations.
This year the Foundation has awarded $25,000.00 in scholarships to six students whose education and goals reflect J.L.’s respect for nature, wildlife, agriculture, conservation and the outdoors. The Foundation is proud to announce the 2026/2027 scholarship recipients. The recipients of the $5,000.00 scholarship are: Claire R. Kearns of Pike County Illinois, who will be attending Southern Illinois University of Carbondale, with a major in Zoology and Wildlife Biology; Hannah J. Klaas of Calhoun County, Illinois, who will be attending Southeast Missouri State University or Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, with a major in Zoology; Emma R. Moss of Pike County Illinois, who is currently attending John Wood Community College, majoring in Agriculture Transfer and Wildlife and Natural Recourses; Maxwell G. Bonnett, of Pike County, Illinois, who will be attending John Wood Community College, with a major in Animal Science.
The recipients of the $2,500.00 scholarship are: Graydon D. Henson, of Hancock County Illinois, who will be attending John Wood Community College, with a major in Agriculture Business Management and Crop Science; and Campbell E. Lindsay, of Lincoln County, Missouri, who will be attending the University of Missouri Colombia, with a major in Business Administration and Environmental Law. These students were all selected for their academic effort, personal direction, and connection with the Foundation’s mission. The Foundation wishes each recipient continued success as they carry forward respect for the land, wildlife, and the communities that shaped them.
The Foundation accepts scholarship applications from high school students residing in the
Illinois counties of Pike, Calhoun, Scott, Greene, Hancock, and Adams, and the Missouri counties of Marion, Ralls, Pike, and Lincoln, with an emphasis on those students pursuing degrees to promote the study of nature and the preservation of the environment and supporting studies related to nature. If you would like to apply for the 2027/2028 scholarship program, reach out to your high school guidance counselor for more information. Applications will be made available no later than January 31, 2027.