Gale Scholars Class of 2030 inducted at Galesburg High School — meet the 11 new scholars

By: Jay Redfern
May 8, 2026
Featured, Local News

The Gale Scholars Class of 2030 group photo at Galesburg High School — The Gale Scholars Class of 2030. Front row, left to right: Jasmine Lawrence, Eva Harris, Addilyn Simpson, Nada Baamou. Back row, left to right: Addisyn Leiby, Christopher Lubandi, Wyatt Greene, Mya Gamble, Delanie Casperson, Dvite Lelo. Not pictured: Keelie Thomas. (Photo courtesy Knox College)

Eleven Galesburg students were inducted into the George Washington Gale Scholars Class of 2030 on Tuesday, May 5, during a ceremony in the Galesburg Jr./Sr. High School Little Theater.

The new Gale Scholars are: Nada Baamou, Delanie Casperson, Mya Gamble, Wyatt Greene, Eva Harris, Jasmine Lawrence, Addisyn Leiby, Dvite Lelo, Christopher Lubandi, Addilyn Simpson, and Keelie Thomas.

The class enters the program with a cumulative GPA of 3.54.

Gale Scholars Director Steve Cheesman said the induction ceremony was a fitting welcome for the new class.

“The Induction Ceremony was a wonderful way to welcome these students into the program and reinforce their achievements and the opportunities that await them,” Cheesman said. “These students enter the program with a cumulative GPA of 3.54 and possess many talents and tremendous character.”

The Gale Scholars program, established in 1996, is a partnership between Knox College, Carl Sandburg College, and Galesburg CUSD 205. Students take classes determined by college entrance requirements and must maintain a minimum 2.5 grade point average. They are also required to participate in at least two school-sponsored activities each year.

After successfully completing the program in high school, students receive tuition-waiver scholarships for completing associate and bachelor’s degree programs at Carl Sandburg College and Knox College.

Cheesman thanked Galesburg Junior High School Family Engagement Specialist DeVone Eurales and Carl Sandburg College Gale Scholars Representative Dr. Stephen Descalzo for their work in the selection process.