Cascade High School senior receives P.E.O. STAR Scholarship

LEAVENWORTH — Caroline Menna, a senior at Cascade High School, has been awarded a $2,500 STAR Scholarship from the Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.) Sisterhood. The scholarship, which recognizes outstanding high school women preparing to enter postsecondary education, was awarded to Menna following her nomination by P.E.O. Chapter JF of Leavenworth.

The STAR Scholarship is a merit-based award given to young women in their final year of high school who demonstrate excellence in leadership, academics, extracurricular involvement, and community service. It was established in 2009 and supports recipients attending accredited institutions in the U.S. or Canada.

Menna, who will attend Dartmouth College in the fall as a recruited member of its ski team, is the valedictorian of the CHS Class of 2025. She is also a 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholar finalist, a National Merit Scholar, and an AP Scholar with Distinction and Honors. As Editor-in-Chief of the CHS Publications Group, she received the American Scholastic Press Association’s National Investigative Journalism Article of the Year award. She also contributes as an intern reporter for The Leavenworth Echo.

Beyond academics, Menna has been active in multiple extracurricular pursuits. She led the school’s Knowledge Bowl team to state podium finishes throughout her tenure and was a two-time League Runner of the Year in cross-country. She is an eight-time Junior Nationals All-American in cross-country skiing, a four-year member of the CHS Select Choir, a former class president, and a past president of the CHS Sustainability Club.

P.E.O. Chapter JF, which has served the Leavenworth community since 2004, is part of a larger nonprofit organization committed to advancing women’s education. Founded in 1869, the P.E.O. Sisterhood has awarded more than $432 million in scholarships, grants, awards, and loans to over 125,000 women. The group also owns and supports Cottey College, a women’s college in Nevada, Missouri.

The Sisterhood includes nearly 5,500 chapters across the United States and Canada and has brought together more than half a million women dedicated to educational support and empowerment.

More information about the P.E.O. STAR Scholarship and other educational programs can be found at peointernational.org. Local inquiries can be directed to peoleavenworth@nwi.net.

Editor’s note: Caroline Menna is currently serving as an intern for Ward Media.