PLANO, Ill. — Twelve Plano High School seniors have been named 2026 Illinois State Scholars, an elite designation representing the top tier of students across the state.
They include Tyler Burris, Kayla Griesmann, Abbey Polomachak, Dylan Saunders, Jonathan Bustos, Kol Griffin, Brayden Rauter, Annabelle Solis, Shane Downs, Adam Kee, Taylor Riederer, and Grace Tercs.
The students were recognized during Monday’s Board of Education meeting. To qualify, students must rank in the top 10% of their graduating class and score in the top 10% of all Illinois students on the ACT or SAT taken during their junior year.
“In order to be an Illinois State Scholar, students all across the state of Illinois have to be recognized as not only tops in their graduating class, but also in the top 10% across the state,” a district official said during the presentation. “It is quite an honor, quite a recognition.”
The students will be honored again during the Senior Awards Night, where they will receive stoles and cords to wear during graduation.
“I’m super excited that this year we had 12 Illinois State Scholars,” the presenter added. “This opens up some doors to potentially apply for some scholarships that are in the [ISAC] portal.”