Kara Kolany: Inaugural Recipient of The Copenhagen Schoolhouse Scholarship

Submitted by the Naper Settlement

Kara Kolany, a teen volunteer building interpreter at , is the first recipient of The Copenhagen Schoolhouse Scholarship, established by Naperville residents Eve and Tom Hushek.

Naper Settlement’s teen volunteers undergo many hours of training in history, customer service and emergency procedures. To reward those teen volunteers who exemplify the best in customer service and dedication to Naper Settlement, the Husheks established an annual $500 award to be used for college expenses during the freshman year of college directly after graduating from high school.

 The scholarship is available to high school seniors who have volunteered at Naper Settlement for at least two years, during their sophomore and junior years, specifically as a volunteer costumed building interpreter. Applicants must have demonstrated the customer service expectations specified by Naper Settlement.

Kara, a senior, who has volunteered at Naper Settlement since she was in seventh grade, said, "I am very honored to receive this award. It has been enjoyable volunteering at Naper Settlement. It offered me the opportunity to meet people from around the world and share with them my love of history." 

In her scholarship essay, she wrote, “I wanted to be an interpreter because I loved to volunteer and I loved history. Since then, I have transformed these interests into my goals for the rest of my life.” She plans to attend a college that combines her love of archeology, music and sports and also has a strong community relationship.

Eve Hushek, who was a Museum Educator for 11 years, worked with many teen volunteers who were excited about their role in making history come alive. Tom Hushek is a longtime volunteer, perhaps best known for his witty one-liners as Mordecai Graves during All Hallows Eve.

“Just as students in the 19th century worked hard to get an education – ‘walking to school uphill both ways, in the snow, regardless of the season’ - our teen volunteers have worked hard to provide our visitors with an education about Naperville's past,” Eve said. “I know that the scholarship winners will continue to excel long after their departure from Naper Settlement. To have their experience at Naper Settlement be even a small part of their success is reward enough for us.”