KAI Scholarship Winners
The Scholarships
Since 2012, the Kaneland Arts Initiative has been awarding the Theresa Funke Memorial Fine Arts Scholarship to Kaneland High School students who intend to major in a Fine Art discipline in college. The scholarship is named after one of the founders of the Kaneland Community Fine Arts Festival, Theresa Funke. The creation and teaching of art were the focus of Theresa Funke throughout her life. Growing up in Evansville, Indiana, art quickly became a passion for her in her pre-teen and teenage years where she received several awards in city wide shows. She developed these skills in her college, St. Mary's College, and post-graduate studies, American University.
While she pursued other professional interests in adulthood, she continued to paint, draw and explore art. In her mid 40's, Theresa returned full time to art by obtaining a teaching degree from Northern Illinois University. As a NIU student, Theresa observed Bonnie Whildin's art class at Kaneland. Theresa found her first job at Lincolnway High School, but after two years, a full time elementary art position opened up at an elementary school in Kaneland, working in the same room alongside Bonnie Whildin. During the student teaching observation, Bonnie had explained the idea of a Fine Arts Festival. She wanted to bring professional artists to rural Kaneland for her families and students to learn about being an artist. Theresa loved the idea and plans began to propose the idea to Superintendent of Schools, Dr. McCormick. When the two new grade schools were built in Elburn and Sugar Grove, Bonnie and Theresa were assigned to each school respectively and together, they held the first festival in Kaneland in 1998.
Theresa loved teaching art to all her students from grade school to high school. At whatever age her students were, she explored with the students how to create art following tried and true principles. In order to foster other creative pursuits, Theresa studied and taught photography, jewelry and ceramics. As a result of her focus on personal instruction in the classroom setting, many of her students received local and national awards. Theresa continued to teach until her untimely death at the age of 59 in 2011. By awarding this scholarship, KAI continues to honor Theresa and her passion for students and the Arts.
In 2018, KAI created the Diane McFarlin Artfully Passionate Scholarship to Kaneland High School students who are not intending to major in a Fine Art discipline in college but who was an active participant in the Fine Arts opportunities offered at Kaneland High School. Diane McFarlin has served the Kaneland District in several different capacities since 1990. She began by directing annual student productions. From there, she taught theatre classes, served as the Instructional Coordinator of the Kaneland KAP (Kaneland Advantage) Program and most recently served as Assistant Principal of Kaneland High School until her retirement in June of 2017. Diane also served on numerous committees throughout her career, most notably the committee to convince the Kaneland District and Community of the need for an auditorium in which the talented students of the Kaneland District could perform. Diane currently serves as the Artistic Director for the award-winning Kaneland Arts Initiative. In this capacity, she assists in creating and choosing the artistic programs and opportunities that the Kaneland Arts Initiative offers within the district and for the Kaneland community and beyond. She has directed the provocative, thoughtful, and moving winter theatre productions in Kaneland’s versatile Black Box Theatre along with more than half of the summer theatre productions in Kaneland’s premiere performance space, the Kaneland Auditorium.
What makes Diane’s legacy so important and indelible to those whom she comes in contact with is her ever-present passion for the Arts. Those who have had the wonderful opportunity to work with Diane notice immediately that she dedicates herself to assist each individual in finding and succeeding in their passion. She continues as she always has to participate in Artistic endeavors, whether as an actor on stage, a director, a singer, or an audience member. The essence of Diane is that she is truly artfully passionate for what she does. She is a shining example of “working hard and loving your work.” To celebrate Diane’s dedication to the Arts, specifically for Kaneland and the Kaneland Arts Initiative, the Board of Directors of the Kaneland Arts Initiative voted to create the Diane McFarlin Artfully Passionate Scholarship for those who will carry the value of the Arts and their passion for them with them into their future lives and successes.
Our scholarship winners are chosen by a panel of professional artists, musicians, actors, and dancers outside of the school district, who deliberate over the applications and select the winners.
As usual, our pool of applicants were outstanding and our panel were delighted by each of them.
We are thrilled to announce the students who will each receive a $750 award for the KAI Scholarships.
Artist Teia Brandl will be attending the Savannah College of Art and Design to pursue a degree in 2D animation.
Musician McKale Leach will be attending the university of Iowa to pursue a degree in Business Management.
Both students will honored for their awards at 7pm on May 20th at the Kaneland High School Senior Honors Night.
