Common Roots Initiative, a not-for-profit group of Proviso East High School alumni, gathered June 7 to award their second round of scholarships: one to a PEHS teacher and one to a student.
At the Villa Nova restaurant in Villa Park, aviation and AP physics teacher Edward Beidas received the $1,000 teacher grant. He told the group he will use the money to fund a workshop at Lewis University School of Aviation for 20 PEHS students. Students at the workshops practice on flight simulators and practice building wings for aircraft.
“The scholarship will further enhance our relationship with Lewis University and our aviation program,” Beidas said. “The job market is huge for aviation sectors,” he added.
CRI also awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Maywood student Antony Greenhow who graduated from PEHS this year. Greenhow will major in psychology at Southern Illinois University.
CRI was founded by Proviso East graduate Soumya Rao, a Bolingbrook resident, and several other Proviso graduates. They have awarded $3,000 in the past year.
