The Dante Alighieri Society of Pueblo is pleased to announce the winners of the annual scholarship awards. High school seniors receive $1000 scholarships and CSU-Pueblo students receive monetary awards to assist with a study abroad program in Italy. Due to COVID-19 the 40th Annual Scholarship Awards Presentation at the Pueblo Country Club on May 3, 2020, was cancelled.

Lexus Dauenhauer is a senior at South High School. In addition to completing four years of Italian, Lexus is a member of National Honor Society, Italian Club, Italian Honor Society, and DECA. She represented South as a cheerleader for four years and received a sports letter for her efforts. In her application, Lexus writes, “The Dante Alighieri Scholarship would be incredibly meaningful to me because I take pride in being an Italian American. Learning the Italian language and obtaining a broad overview of the Italian culture has given me a stronger sense of my Italian heritage.”.

Katie Madic, a senior at South High School, serves as Head Girl of Girls’ Cabinet. She has been a member of the Pepperette Dance Team for four years and served as choreographer for three years. In addition to Italian Honor Society, Katie is a member of National Honor Society, Newman Club and Environmental Club. She participates in concurrent enrollment at Colorado State University-Pueblo. Katie writes, “This scholarship would mean I could focus more on my education and be one step closer to receiving my degree in speech pathology as well as furthering my education in Italian.”

Mollie Schloss is a senior at Central High School who serves as editor of the yearbook while being involved in Student Council, Italian Club, and Girls’ Cabinet. She also enjoys performing in drama department productions. Mollie founded and leads a club that is unique to Central High School—Branch Out—a club whose mission is to make sure every student feels like they are someone at Central High School. Mollie writes, “As a student who is interested in pursuing Italian during college, this scholarship would allow me to pursue a passion of mine further.

Brianna Reyes is a student at Colorado State University-Pueblo. She hopes to study abroad in Italy next year. Brianna is majoring in Business Management with minors in Italian and Honors. Brianna writes, “Studying abroad in Italy is something I’ve always dreamed of doing, it is almost surreal that I have the opportunity to pursue it. There are no words to describe how blessed I feel, and I know taking on this journey will enable me to enhance my future career goals and skills. I believe this trip will cultivate my learning, as well as introduce me to international business opportunities. I am thrilled to expand not only my educational outlook on things, but also to discover new cultures. To embark on this journey is like nothing I’ve ever known before, I am very thankful to be a recipient of the Dante Alighieri Scholarship.”.