Awards & Scholarships

The senior chosen for the Blue and White Scholarship must have good academic standing, be of good character, represent the high school in a positive manner, and be involved in school and community activities. Initial funding for this award was donated by the Cougar Tale.

This Foundation-run award is given to a graduating senior in memory of those loved ones who have requested donations be made to the Education Foundation during the prior academic year. Memorial dollars are aggregated to provide this annual award, giving the donor(s) and the Foundation an opportunity to publicly honor the individual(s), with recognition during that year’s annual KAHS Awards Ceremony. Criteria may vary based on input from the KASD Ed Foundation Board of Directors, but will generally include at a minimum that the recipient must have good academic standing, be of good character, and represent the high school in a positive manner.

The Oscar and Marion Stein Scholarship is presented to a senior who has worked to his/her fullest potential during their senior year. Mr. Stein was an outstanding teacher and coach during the 1930’s and 1940’s.

The Roland S. Rhode scholarship is awarded to a senior of superior academic achievement who will enter a college or university and major in a biology-related field. Due to the generosity of the estate of Roland Rhode, a KAHS graduate and longtime Kutztown businessman, the KASD Education Foundation is able to award this scholarship.

The Sharon E. Reeves Memorial Scholarship Award is presented to a student who has the highest grade point average and will major in the areas related to therapeutic recreation, gerontology, occupational recreation, or music. This award is presented by the family to honor the memory of their daughter, Sharon, a former Kutztown student.

The Sean M. Halpin, Esquire, Memorial Scholarship recipient, in addition to meeting academic guidelines, must be involved in the high school music department and enter a two-year or four-year college or university. This award was established by Sean’s parents, honoring his life and accomplishments.

The Timothy M. Breidegam Scholarship recipient must do well in school, be of good moral character, and enter a two-year or four-year college or vocational/technical school. Consideration is also given to extra-curricular activities and community service. This scholarship is sponsored by Helen and DeLight Breidegam in honor of their son’s memory.

The Charles Z. Angstadt Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a student who has the highest average in Honors Physics and is accepted to a four-year college, in honor of Mr. Angstadt, an outstanding KAHS physics teacher.

The Marilyn Hawkins Rothermel Award is presented by her family to an outstanding vocalist in the senior class.

The KAHS Alumni Association annually provides scholarships to top students in the areas of German, Spanish, and extracurricular participation.

The Ruth Grim Leestma Scholarship is given annually to a senior who has an excellent grade point average and who is selfless in volunteer endeavors, in honor of a former Fifth Grade teacher who dedicated her life to community service and random acts of kindness.

The Schumaker Family Community Service Award recognizes the outstanding community service efforts of a graduating senior who has adopted a continuous habit of service, and who has committed him or herself to a lifetime of service. The award was created by Clarence J. “Shuey” Schumaker, KAHS class of 1954, in honor of his family.

The Graceful World Award is given annually to a graduating senior who has demonstrated a positive and selfless attitude, and who has made significant contributions to the improvement of the KAHS experience.

The Anna Warmkessel Memorial award is presented to a senior who loves to read for pleasure, in honor of Mrs. Warmkessel, who read voraciously throughout her 94 years.

This Sally Breidegam-Miksiewicz Music Award was initially funded by a concert presented by the KAHS Pop Group of the 70’s and 80’s, The 28 Large, and the Breidegam family, in memory of Sally, KAHS class of 1980 and former CEO, East Penn manufacturing.

The Lynn Silan Engineering & Technology award is presented to a graduating senior who will continue their education pursuing a career in any field of science, mathematics, technology or engineering. The recipient is chosen based on problem-solving skills, initiative, and having a thirst for knowledge in their chosen field of study.

This award is presented to Kutztown’s Senior Class Valedictorian, in honor of Coach John and Laila Silan, both KAHS teachers dedicated to motivating students to strive for excellence in all aspects of their lives.

The John and Laila Silan Salutatorian Award is given to the Class Salutatorian for his/her exceptional academic achievements.

The Randall Miller Baseball Award is given to an outstanding player on the KAHS team.

The KATA scholarship is presented to a student who will pursue a career in the field of education. This renewable award is given through the generosity of the professional staff within the Kutztown Area School District.

Mr. and Mrs. George and Anna Grauer, both retired KASD teachers, were committed to the field of education. This award is given to a graduating senior who will continue their education and pursue a career in education.

Given in honor of Howard Dietrich, a long time educator in the Business Department at KAHS. This award is presented to a student who will continue education in the field of business administration, finance, human resources, or decision/management sciences.

This award, in honor of John Kander, half of the Broadway musical team Kander and Ebb, is presented to a graduating senior who will pursue a career in theater, dramatic arts, voice performance, comedy, or dance.

This award, in honor of John Kander, half of the Broadway musical team Kander and Ebb, is presented to a graduating senior who will pursue a career in music composition, song writing, music instrumental excellence, or music education.

This award was created to honor Maryanne Hartline in recognition of her accomplishments as a field hockey player at Kutztown Area High School. The award is given to a senior field hockey player who plans to continue her education at a two or four year college or university.

This award was created to honor a student who is an active volunteer involved in an emergency service within the Kutztown Area School District or who is pursuing a career in the same field. This award, alternatively, may be given to the son or daughter of an active firefighter or emergency medical provider within the Kutztown Area School District.

The Ziegler Family Endowment scholarship is given to a graduating KAHS senior with a grade-point average of 85% or higher, who will pursue an undergraduate degree at an accredited college or university in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) discipline.

The Social Studies Scholar Award was initiated by a gift from John Siegfried, a 1963 KAHS graduate who dedicated his career to the study, teaching, and application of economics. The recipient of this award must have demonstrated a commitment to learning, a passion for social studies, and be considering a future in a social studies-related field.

To commemorate their leadership and pay tribute to Dr. Brenda Winkler, the late DeLight Breidegam, and Attorney Robert Grim, the three founders of the Kutztown Area School District Education Foundation, we created the Founders Award. This award will be given annually to a graduating senior in honor and memory of the group’s founding members. The award recipient will be someone who embodies the characteristics of thoughtfulness, initiative, and leadership that we associate with our three founders.

The Gregory J. Kuhn Family Foundation was created in 2021 as a 501c3 with the mission of providing scholarships, educational tools, and other resources to schools and their students throughout the Lehigh Valley and Berks regions. Since Mr. Kuhn himself is an entrepreneur, the family foundation created this entrepreneurial scholarship to recognize and reward a student in the senior class at Kutztown Area High School who has entrepreneurial spirit, and a plan to include entrepreneurship into their future.

The Lions Club of Kutztown provided a generous $25,000 endowment to fund their annual scholarship for Kutztown Area High School graduating seniors. Each year, a Kutztown Area High School graduating senior will receive a $1000 award to be payable to Kutztown University. The recipient must be in the top one-third of the graduating class, exhibit involvement in community and/or school service activities and have received acceptance into Kutztown University.

The Erma S. Angstadt Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in 2025 to honor the memory of this former Kutztown Area School District English Teacher.  The award will be given annually to a student who plans to continue their education in the broad field of English and Communications, or is an outstanding Language Arts student who will pursue higher education beyond high school.