These two Oshkosh West students have earned Herb Kohl Educational Foundation awards. Here’s what to know about their accomplishments.

From Staff Reports
·3 min read

OSHKOSH - Two Oshkosh West High School seniors have been named 2023 Herb Kohl Educational Foundation Award recipients.

Ava Berdelman and Hannah Chung were named 2023 Herb Kohl Student Excellence Scholarship recipients for their academic excellence and leadership, the Oshkosh Area School District said in a news release.

The students are among 190 graduating seniors across Wisconsin who will receive a $10,000 scholarship from the foundation.

“We are incredibly proud of these remarkable students,” said Dr. Bryan Davis, OASD superintendent in a news release. “This award is a testament to their hard work and commitment to excellence. As a district, we are grateful to be able to provide students with a supportive learning environment that challenges them to reach their full potential.”

Here’s what to know about the recipients.

Ava Berdelman, a valedictorian and gold medal-winning Twirling Corps member who plans to double-major in biochemistry and Spanish

Ava Berdelman
Ava Berdelman

Ava Berdelman is a senior at Oshkosh West High School and will graduate as one of the valedictorians of the class of 2023 this spring.

Berdelman plans to double-major in biochemistry and Spanish and will attend either the University of Wisconsin-Madison or New York University in the fall.

At Oshkosh West, Berdelman has been a member of Global Academy, where she received her certificate of global competence.

She has also been involved in the Oshkosh Twirl Team, tennis, O’Neil National Honor Society, Student Council, Spanish Club and Rotary Club, where she served as vice president.

She has prioritized giving back to her community and has volunteered at the Day by Day Warming Shelter, Father Carr’s Place 2B, and the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh.

Since the age of 3, Berdelman has spent countless hours studying baton twirling and dance at Julie’s Touch of Silver Dance Studio.

As a member of the Twirling Corps, she has competed at the state, national, and international levels, and won a gold medal in Norway as a member of Team USA.

Hannah Chung, a valedictorian and FIRST Robotics Competition World Championship Dean’s List Finalist Award recipient

Hannah Chung
Hannah Chung

Hannah Chung is a senior valedictorian at Oshkosh West High School graduating in 2023.

Admitted to Princeton, MIT, Stanford, UPenn, Johns Hopkins, Dartmouth, Rice University and Notre Dame, she plans to study environmental engineering at her final school of choice.

Chung is the recipient of the 2022 FIRST Robotics Competition World Championship Dean’s List Finalist Award, the team lead of 2826 Wave Robotics, co-founder and co-president of the environmental organization The Green Alarm, editor-in-chief of the Oshkosh West Index, concertmaster of the Oshkosh West symphony orchestra, captain of the Oshkosh West Girls Varsity Tennis Team, and president of Rotary Club.

She is the developer of the Earth4Us project to separate and transport student food waste to the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh biodigesting facilities for composting and methane-extraction generating green energy — a project she created after taking Harvard University’s Sustainable Development and Design of Renewable Energy Projects courses and studying Marine Science and Sustainability abroad in the Spanish Island of Mallorca.

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This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: Oshkosh West High School seniors Berdelman, Chung Herb Kohl recipients