Pottawatomie Garden Club
A spirited, award-winning group serving the community of St. Charles, Illinois.
Meetings: 4th Monday of the month, March though October
2025 Scholarships
Erma Bogert on her 100th Birthday!
Thanks to the generous donation that the late Dixon Bogert made to the Pottawatomie Garden Club scholarship fund in honor of his mother Erma, the club is able to give two $3,500 scholarships to local students in 2024.
2022 Scholarship Winner
Joshua D'Avola
Attending: University of Illinois, majoring in Environmental Science.
2023 Scholarship Winners
Nickolae "Nick" Duncan (left) and Eleanor "Ellie" Clark (right).
Nickolae “Nick’” Duncan is a Homeschooled senior and is dual enrolled at Elgin Community College. He has a GPA of 3.88. Nick became a U of I Master Gardener in Fall 2019. He is also certified as a Kane County Certified Naturalist (KCCN). Last summer he served as a Tree Science Intern at Morton Arboretum. This fall Nick will be attending Iowa State University majoring in Forestry with an emphasis on Natural Resource Conservation and Restoration.
Eleanor “Ellie” Clark attends East St. Charles High School. A lifelong lover of gardening, she has graduated with a 4.86 (out of 4) GPA. In addition to having a green thumb and an impressive GPA, she has also competed in Cross County at the State level for East since her sophomore year.
This fall she will be attending Hillsdale College in Michigan, majoring in Biology
and Horticulture.
2024 Scholarship Winners
Eleanor "Ellie" Clark (left) and Jersey Chytla (right).
Eleanor Clark is a graduate of St. Charles East High School. Currently a freshman at Hillsdale College majoring in Biology. Her aspiration is to use her knowledge as a horticulturalist in creating beautiful gardens. While at East, Ellie finished 3rd at the cross country State Championship,. She now competes in cross country for her college.
Jersey Chytla is a graduate of St. Charles East and also competed in cross country for East. But his true love is speed skating. So he is off to the University of Calgary to train and skate. Jersey is majoring in Environmental Science.
Caroline Thavong
Saint Charles North senior. GPA 4.8
Headed to University of Wisconsin Madison. Admitted to the College of Letters & Sciences- Environmental Studies.
Volunteer with the STC Park District participating in 2024 Rusty Rodeo collecting invasive species in the Fox River.
Collected seedlings along the Fox for redistribution in the park district for an ecology project.
President of North’s Model United Nations
Member of the Youth Engagement in Philanthropy (YEP) with the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley. Participated in grant making which diversified her understanding of the environment and monetary restraints and allocation.
Long term goal: practice environmental law for the EPA
Marion Miller
2023 Graduate of STC East. GPA 5.0
Currently attending Western Illinois U. GPA 3.54/4.0
Major: Biology
Has taken courses in Plant Ecology, Fire Ecology, General Ecology, and Environmental Ecology.
Member of Western’s Forestry Club with current project of treating campus ash trees infected by the emerald ash borer
Volunteered with the Illinois Prairie Conservation doing prescribed burns of the Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge.
Participated in a prescribed burn of a private bird sanctuary to assist in removing the invasive Amur bush honeysuckle .
Holds an Illinois Pesticides license.
Long term goal: to contribute to research efforts that lead to better control and restoration strategies for affected plant ecosystems.
