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The Madeira Schools Foundation (MSF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness and securing resources that enhance the education of students in the Madeira City School District. This volunteer organization comprised of parents, alumni and members of the Madeira community has worked to provide excellent opportunities, facilities, technology, and experiences to Madeira students for over 40 years.

The Foundation’s Distinguished Awards program honors and recognizes alumni, citizens and staff members who have made significant contributions to society, become respectable leaders, and are known as positive role models. This year's recipients were recognized at the their annual luncheon on May 8, 20265. Awards were presented to Distinguished Staff: Mary Ann McPherson, Distinguished Alumni Award: Alison (Dewitt) Huber, and Distinguished Friend: Steve Soper. In addition to being honored at the luncheon, an engraved nameplate for each honoree is permanently affixed to the Distinguished Award Plaque in the main hallway at Madeira High School, and an engraved commemorative paving brick is also placed in the “Walk of Fame” entrance to Romano Court.

MSF also donates upwards of $20,000 annually in scholarships with monies raised by the annual auction, a golf outing, and other events to graduating seniors and alumni to continue their education. This year’s scholarship recipients were also honored at the annual luncheon and most were able to meet their donor’s families. This year’s recipients are Adam Harms (AAA Future Pathways Scholar), Wade Wischer (Achieve Your Potential Scholar), Luke Feldmeyer (Adrick Family Scholar), Rylee Donovan & Dustin Opichka (Billie & Tim Yeomans Scholars), Jacob Ballman (Bob Westermeyer Scholar), Margot Block and Grace Kellett (Chris Flanagan Scholars), Blake Torggler (Entrepreneur of the Year), Shane Spencer (Firestone Kenwood Scholar), George Aziz, Marissa Jordan, Grace Kellett, Isabella Sammut, Madeline Zoeckler (John D. Rahe Scholars), Dustin Opichka (Matthew Simpson Art Scholar), Marissa Jordan (Nina Bechtel Knox Scholar), Molly Flanagan (Patrick Wood Scholar), Tanya Gupta (Russell-Emery Scholar), Vivian Momper ’25 (Ruth Slagle Crawford Alumni Scholar), Harrison Woolwine (Santoro Entrepreneurship Scholar), George Aziz (Steven M. Kramer Scholar), Kane Temar (Vincent Englert Scholar), and Brody Hilgeman (Wayne Smith Scholar).
 

Left photo: MSF Scholarship recipients pictured l to r: Row 1: Brody Hilgeman, Kane Temar, Molly Flanagan, Isabella Sammut, Grace Kellett, George Aziz. Row 2: Margot Block, Tanya Gupta, Madeline Zoeckler, Marissa Jordan, Rylee Donovan, Adam Harms. Row 3: Luke Feldmeyer, Dustin Opichka, Harrison Woolwine, Shane Spencer, Blake Torggler, Wade Wischer. Not pictured: Jacob Ballman, Vivian Momper

Right photo: MSF Distinguished Award Recipients pictured l to r: Alison (Dewitt) Huber, Mary Ann McPherson, and Ian Soper representing his father Steve Soper.

Since 2018, every member of each Madeira High School (MHS) graduating class who attends a college, university, career training program, or enters the military receives a monetary scholarship - originally $250 and now $325. This monetary scholarship is known as the Made in Madeira Scholarship.

The Made in Madeira scholarships were made possible by a generous donation from the estate of Homer O. Amos.  A WW II Veteran and long-time Madeira resident and business owner, Mr. Amos was proud of his sons and their graduation from Madeira High School in the early 1970’s. As Madeira’s local TV repairman and laundromat owner, Mr. Amos’ shop on Camargo Road served Madeira and the surrounding area for many, many years. Mr. Amos was also an avid investor, successful in managing and growing his assets but who in many ways lived a simple and modest life. He passed away in 2016 at the age of 90, and as part of his final wishes had his estate shared with Madeira High School graduates. Mr. Amos’ generous gift of $750,000 provided the foundation of the Made In Madeira Scholarship which will be built on for years to come.

“I know of no other public high school in the State of Ohio who is able to offer this kind of an opportunity to each and every one of their graduates,” Madeira Superintendent Kenji Matsudo stated. The scholarship funds have continued to grow as donations have been made in memory of family, friends, alumni, and former teachers by individuals or entire classes in amounts ranging from $10 to $2,500 to again another recent estate gift.  Long-time former Treasurer and friend of Madeira Barb Brewer estate left a generous gift of nearly $50,000 to the Made in Madeira Scholarship fund. Often graduates will donate parts of their scholarships back to the school in an effort to ‘pay it forward.’

This May the current graduating class received word of their scholarships, along with a Made in Madeira t-shirt. At their Senior Awards Night, Superintendent Matsudo shared the history behind the awards with the students and the lesson they instill. “I hope that this generous Made in Madeira Scholarship given to you by a Madeira community member you never knew sparks an even greater sense of purpose for who you are and who you can become as you leave Madeira High School,” Matsudo stated. “Being Made in Madeira is not just about what you say, it’s about what you do.  Being Made in Madeira is not about how you start, it’s how you finish. It’s not only about who you are but who you can become. Being Made in Madeira is not about getting, it’s about giving. And if things aren’t quite perfect or you’ve hit a roadblock or a bump along life’s journey ….. being Made in Madeira means that it’s never too late to change your path or course of direction because above all else, being Made in Madeira means that you never, ever give up.”

At its annual Academic Signing Day on May 5, Madeira High School (MHS) announced the 52 members of its Class of 2026 who have been named Top Seniors - students who will graduate with a 4.0 or above GPA.

The MHS Class of 2026 Top Seniors and their future plans are:

George Aziz (Purdue University), Silas Baird (Ohio State University), Jacob Ballman (University of Cincinnati), Joseph Bishop (Miami University), Keene Buckner (Ohio State University), Brooke Burnet (University of South Carolina), Matteo Caggioni (Notre Dame), Madeline Cecil (University of South Carolina), Cora Chalfie (University of California (UCLA), Evan Cissell (Harvard University), Makayla Davenport (University of Cincinnati), Natasha Davis (University of Cincinnati), Owen Donovan (University of Alabama), Luke Feldmeyer (University of Cincinnati), Pasquale Galioto (University of Cincinnati), Charles Gaugh (Eastern Michigan University), Tanya Gupta (Miami University), Adam Harms (University of Virginia), Dylan Harris (University of Cincinnati), Simon Hemmerick (University of Cincinnati), Jacob Hoffman (Villanova University), Marissa Jordan (University Of Alabama), Grace Kellett (Ohio State University), Annabelle Larson (Taylor University), Matthew Lauterbach (Ohio State University), Robert Lewis (Ohio State University), Peter Mattson (Belmont University), Luke Miller (University of Cincinnati), Ella Muhlen (Ohio University), Pablo Ramirez-Laverde (Ohio State University), Anica Rane (United States Military Academy - West Point), Benjamin Reed (University of Georgia), Fiona Ritchie (University of Dayton), Andrew Roy (Ohio University), Luke Ruehlman (Miami University), Isabella Sammut (Loyola University – Chicago), Annalyse Shields (Ohio State University), Emily Shinn (University of Southern California), Scarlett Shonk (West Virginia University), Shane Spencer (University of Maryland), Alexander Telesz (Ohio University) Troy (Kane) Temar (University of Alabama), Blake Torggler (Ohio State University), Michael Vallis    (OSU or Canadian School), Braeden Wallace (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Benjamin Wetzel (Ohio State University), Matthew Wetzel (University of Cincinnati), Gus White (Ohio State University), Wade Wischer (University of Cincinnati), Harrison Woolwine (University of Alabama), Gavin Zieverink (University of Cincinnati), and Madeline Zoeckler (Miami University).