Frey Honored With Kohl Initiative Scholarship
Cameron Frey graduates BHS with Kohl Scholarship. Photo courtesy of Chris Armstrong
Graduating senior Cameron Frey was recently awarded the Kohl Initiative Scholarship during Belleville High School’s Senior Awards Night. Receiving this scholarship is an honor and will help Cameron take her next steps along her educational journey.
Frey says, “Receiving this award has been a big honor for me – not only because the teachers are so kind to consider me, but it is also going to help me financially through college. It will help take a financial burden off of me and my family is very proud of me for receiving it!”
Frey became aware of the scholarship when she was nominated last fall. Her high school teachers helped make the process easy for her to apply and have time to construct the needed application for consideration. She felt the essay came naturally to her and that made it enjoyable to write.
Her teacher Melissa Knudson noted her abilities as a student at BHS over the last four years.
Knudson highlights, “Cameron is a student who shows passion and interest in many different areas outside of the classroom. Specifically, I’ve enjoyed watching her confidence and compassion grow through her experiences in theater, choir, FFA, as well as her term as Belleville Dairy Queen. I’m excited to see her expand her skills and pursue her passion in the fine arts at college!”
Cameron has been very active and engaged during her high school years. In her four years at Belleville High School, Frey has taken part in many extracurricular activities including: Spirit Club, FFA, DECA, Drama, Young Samaritans, Science Olympiad, and Environmental Club. She also served as the Belleville Dairy Queen during the 2022-2023 school year. Her enthusiasm during high school has extended beyond the classroom and on to mentor younger students in musical theater as well – a passion she will take with her to college.
Frey intends to use the Kohl Initiative Scholarship to attend Carthage College next fall. She chose Carthage for its friendly environment and its small size. She feels these two components will make the transition from high school easier and will allow her to make friends. She also knows Carthage is small enough to allow the opportunity for her to get to know her professors.
At Carthage, Cameron intends to pursue a BA in Musical Theater and a minor in Music. She will be concentrating on vocal performance within the minor. Frey decided musical theater was her passion while at Belleville High School. Cameron has been very active in theater during her high school career at BHS. Her sophomore year allowed Frey to grow in musical theater as she was cast in the lead in the musical “Little Women.”
Cameron says, “‘Little Women’ was my first musical and was the most challenging for me to be in the main role at such a young age.”
As for her vocal performance interests in music while at BHS, Frey’s favorite memories are from Vocal Jazz.
“My favorite pieces are from junior year Vocal Jazz because we got to work with amazing pieces and we won State for Solo & Ensemble.”
She is excited to take this experience with her to Carthage College as she begins in August and makes more musical memories along her journey. She has already made friends from visiting the school and through social media platforms Carthage has in place for incoming students to meet one another.
As Frey closes the door on her high school education and prepares to open the door at Carthage College for a new life adventure, she has some advice for students still making their way at Belleville High School.
Frey advises, “To succeed, it all depends on one’s level of curiosity because you can take your own path – there are many opportunities here at BHS to explore!”
Just as Frey made the most of her time exploring and finding her passion for music, she hopes the students making their way through Belleville’s secondary curriculum will push themselves to do the same. High school students can learn a lot from their peers and Frey has been a leader among her classmates. She hopes to make an impact for those who follow in her footsteps and encourages students to try lots of things during their high school years. Her active role in many clubs and organizations truly helped Frey stand out when it came to the Kohl Initiative Scholarship and helped her shine for all to see.
