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Austin Area Foundation has announced the opening of two scholarships developed for Austin High School graduates.

The Carl and Stella Ruzek Scholarship Fund was established in 2005, by sons Michael, David, and Daniel to honor and recognize their parents’ belief in the importance of education. The Austin Area Foundation took over the administration of this scholarship in 2022.

The “Austin Area Foundation Scholarship for Education Majors” was established in 2021 to encourage and support students desirous of a career in education and honor the careers and dedicated service to the cause of public education as represented by three outstanding educators and administrators: David Krenz, Don Fox, and Dick Lees.

Catherine Haslag, AAF scholarship committee chair and board member, is excited about the addition of the Carl and Stella Ruzek Scholarship.

“I was able to attend college because a local philanthropist established a scholarship for graduates from the high school I attended,” Haslag said. “These two scholarships will help students afford higher education and reach their career goals and are an investment in the future of Austin and AHS graduates.”

Students who are graduates of Austin High School and are currently enrolled in a four-year college or university are eligible for consideration. Any graduate of Austin High School can apply for the scholarships, regardless of the year of graduation. Additional qualifications for the scholarships apply. One award of $1,000 will be provided to one student for each scholarship.

Scholarship applications are open until 11:59 p.m. on March 31. The evaluation committee will review applications in April. Scholarship recipients will be contacted by May 15, 2023. To apply, go to the Austin Area Foundation website and click the scholarship application link at the top of the page.