As the school year comes closer to an end, Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) has proudly announced its selection of winners for the 2026-2027 Chancellor’s Scholarship. This is one of the biggest scholarships any student can apply for, with a full ride provided to students at a total value of $103,000. This covers tuition, on-campus housing, and all meals for the duration of all four years, providing recipients with an exceptional on and off-campus experience. It is truly a testament to their remarkable academics and hard work over the years.
This year, the Chancellor’s Scholarship was awarded to thirty students from the Southern Illinois area. Last year, thirty-four of these scholarships were awarded, and eighteen came from schools in the Southern Illinois region.
Herrin High School is proud to announce Nolan Gentile as the recipient of the scholarship. Nolan is a very deserving student for this award, as he is ranked second in the Class of 2026.
In a heartwarming and surprising recognition, Chancellor Austin A. Lane, along with others, personally arrived at HHS to surprise Nolan. With bright smiles and multiple congratulations, they made the moment for Nolan memorable.
Nolan showed great gratitude and thankfulness for being selected. He was very surprised and was filled with tears of joy after he saw his family there supporting him. Nolan expressed his excitement by saying, “I was so surprised and extremely grateful. I am glad all of my hard work has paid off.” He even added, “I wouldn’t change a thing, I like where I’m at, and I wouldn’t give it up for anything.”
Nolan is planning to major in civil engineering, and he is excited to start his career. He chose SIU Carbondale because it is a very good school, and he is close enough to home to be surrounded by his family members.
Nolan is proud and thankful for having a very good support system. He wants to shout out his parents, Maddie Martin, Parker Coop, Jack Parrish, Joe Youngblood, Preston Fletcher, Mason King and other friends for supporting him and pushing him on the way. He also gave great appreciation to Charles Schloemann for being “awesome” and always being there. This group of friends is always by Nolan’s side in advanced classes and outside of school, making sure he is being pushed to be the best he can.
For any younger students who want to experience this memorable moment, it takes a lot of work and dedication. Nolan set his bar high ever since High School began, and his advice to younger students is to relax. “Putting too much pressure on yourself is not a good thing. It’s important to get money from scholarships, but it is also important to go through high school and live in the moment. I had a lot of fun in High School while being where I am now,” Nolan said.
From the Herrin Tiger Tattler staff, we are so proud of Nolan and can’t wait to see where his hard work and dedication take him in the future.
