Two Frankfort Teens Receive Full Tuition College Scholarships

FRANKFORT, IL — Two Frankfort teens have both been awarded full tuition college scholarships by the Posse Foundation after several rounds of interviews. Brandon Hudson, a senior at Lincoln-Way East, received a scholarship to Trinity College in Connecticut; and Trenton Lyke, a senior at Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, received a scholarship to Cornell University.

Trenton's mom, Betheny, said the two have been friends since they were two years old, attended District 157-C schools together, and despite going to different high schools, they have maintained their friendship and pushed each other to excel.

Both Brandon and Trenton are members of a local robotics team; Trenton is team captain and Brandon is lead designer, Betheny said. The team has qualified for state competition each year the two have been on the team, and also qualified for the national competition last year. The two also helped create a robotics team for the Grande Prairie Library in Hazel Crest and mentor the Colin Powell Middle School robotics team in Country Club Hills.

Brandon also started the first robotics team at Lincoln-Way East last year, while Trenton started a computer science peer tutoring program at his high school.

Both Brandon and Trenton are members of the Skyline Metropolitan Chicago Chapter of Top Teens of America, Inc., which is a community service based teen leadership program. They were both nominated for the Posse Foundation scholarship by the Skyline Metropolitan Chicago Chapter of Top Ladies of Distinction.

The Posse Foundation has a Chicago chapter, which provides 10 scholarships annually.

"Over the last three months [Brandon and Trenton] endured three rounds of multiple-hour intense interviews, occurring in individual and group settings," Betheny said. The two teens were notified last week that they had received scholarships.

"This is a huge accomplishment for two childhood friends to go through such a rigorous process to defy the odds and both receive this outstanding scholarship and opportunity," Betheny said.