•May 8, 2024•

Four high-school seniors, one each from the IMUA member municipalities of Bethany, Oglesby, Springfield and Waterloo, have been chosen as finalists in the Illinois Municipal Utilities Association’s (IMUA) 2024 IMUA Scholarship Program essay competition. This year’s winners are Cannon Bernstein of Bethany, a senior at Okaw Valley High School; Aiden Anderson of Oglesby, a senior at LaSalle-Peru Township High School; Isaac Crumrine of Springfield, a senior at Riverton High School; and Katelyn Davis of Waterloo, a senior at Waterloo High School.   Essays written by this year’s four winners were chosen from entries submitted by eligible high-school seniors statewide. Each winner will receive a framed award certificate and $1,000 award check from IMUA, both of which will be presented to each finalist at an upcoming and yet-to-be determined meeting of their respective city council or village board.  This year’s competition featured a choice between five energy-related questions: the advantages and benefits of public power; electric grid security/cybersecurity; electric vehicles (EVs); nuclear fusion and small modular reactors; and, water conservation, water protection and water management. Cannon Bernstein is the son of Letitia Bernstein of Bethany, Bernstein is a member of the National Honor Society, the NHS High Honor Roll and his school’s Golf and Scholastic Bowl teams. He plans to attend Lake Land Community College in Mattoon this fall.