Laurel Bonn Wins Kate Bender Scholarship

Kate Bender was a genuine sweetheart who will always be remembered by those she worked with and helped in their professional careers. She was best known around the Huntington School District for the longtime role she played in the personnel office.

For many years, every teacher joining the faculty worked with Mrs. Bender during the hiring process and often later to secure their permanent state certification.

Mrs. Bender’s well-deserved retirement was cut short when she was felled by pancreatic cancer following an incredibly hard-fought and courageous battle against the terrible disease. She was known for a wicked sense of humor and she could deadpan with the best of them. She never lost her upbeat nature or smile, even in the midst of her health struggle, which was serious.

After Mrs. Bender passed away in December 2017, a scholarship was created in her memory. Her longtime co-workers initially helped fund the award. This year’s Kate Bender Memorial Scholarship Award was presented by her grandson, Aidan and her granddaughter, Kayleigh to graduating senior Laurel Bonn. The two grandchildren both became emotional while speaking about their beloved grandmother.

Kate Bender “truly epitomized perseverance, patience and positivity and is missed by many,” Kayleigh Bender told the crowd gathered in the high school auditorium for the senior scholarships and awards ceremony.

The award criteria requires the ultimate recipient to “demonstrate persistence and determination in overcoming or managing some sort of obstacle or challenge.”

Ms. Bonn overcame a serious knee injury that required surgery and the arduous physical therapy that followed. She returned to lead two separate Blue Devil varsity teams into the playoffs while garnering a list of impressive personal honors for herself.

An Advanced Placement Scholar with Distinction, Ms. Bonn was the Class of 2023’s valedictorian as well as starring on the Blue Devil field hockey and lacrosse teams. She will be attending the University of Georgia and majoring in biology as she begins to prepare for a career as a dentist.

This is little doubt that Kate Bender would have been a fan of Ms. Bonn, who has been a fierce competitor on the playing field while simultaneously achieving excellence in the classroom. They both possessed unique personalities and thought Huntington and the people who comprise the district are simply the best.