Alton High Senior Earns Rotary Club Student Honor

ALTON - Heaven Everage, a senior at Alton High School, has been named one of two Alton–Godfrey Rotary Club’s February Students of the Month, an honor recognizing her academic work, leadership, and community service in the Alton area.

Everage and Jessica Eales, a Marquette Catholic senior, are the February Alton-Godfrey students who were selected.

Everage said she is “truly honored and grateful” for the recognition.

First and foremost, she gives thanks to "God, who is the head of her life, acknowledging that without Him she would not be where she is today."

She also expressed appreciation to her parents, teachers, and mentors for their support.

At Alton High School, Everage has taken 19 dual credits, Advanced Placement, and honors courses, earning a 4.39 GPA. She said the coursework helped her build “time management, discipline, and perseverance” to prepare for college.

In April, she will be awarded the Silver Medallion of Excellence for graduating in the top 8% of her class.

Everage has also held several leadership roles at the school. As a Link Crew Leader, she helps freshmen transition into high school through orientation, social events, and academic follow-ups. She is a member of the Athleadership Academy in Character Education, and as Varsity Cheer Captain, she aims to “lead by example, encourage unity, and represent her school with pride.”

In student media, Everage began as a Tatler assistant copy editor and now serves as sports editor for the school newspaper and websites, The Redbird Word and The Daily Bird, writing one to two sports stories each month. She has also written news stories since the news editor graduated early. In that role, she has highlighted Black organizations including Minority Excellence and Upward Bound and recently wrote a story on what Black History Month means to students across the school.

Everage also serves as her advisory class representative, attending student council meetings and reporting back information and voting opportunities, including prom decisions and spirit weeks.

Outside the classroom, she participates in Upward Bound, including its annual six-week summer session, and is a member of the Spanish Club. After taking Spanish for four years, she plans to graduate with the Seal of Biliteracy or Commendation of Biliteracy.

In the Alton community, Everage has participated in plays with 3 Purple Coats Productions since age 8, where she acts and serves as a leader of the youth dance ensemble. She is president of the National Council of Negro Women, a community service organization she has been part of since seventh grade. The group’s motto, “Enter to learn, depart to serve,” is one she said she will carry with her.

Through the organization, she has volunteered in service projects including the A Precious Organization Sickle Cell Walk; tutoring students at YWCA Southwestern Illinois Child Enrichment while teaching about Martin Luther King Jr. Day; assisting with James H. Killion movie nights; organizing and supporting the Alton Community Easter Egg Event; helping supervise children at the Webster Foundation Event; assisting with the Fourth Ward community picnic and Back to School events; and serving lunch at First Presbyterian Church’s Saturday Café.

Through the National Honor Society, she has completed additional service hours, including working at elementary school family nights, giving tours to incoming freshmen, ringing bells for the Salvation Army, and making candy brittle for Team Honduras, a mission group that raises funds to provide fluoride treatments to children while spreading the gospel.

Everage said community service is “a significant part of who” she is, adding that helping others allows her to “think beyond herself, recognize the needs of others, and serve with compassion.”

She plans to attend North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina, where she will major in nursing. She said she aspires to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and become a registered nurse.

Everage said she would like to again thank the Alton–Godfrey Rotary Club “for this incredible honor and for recognizing her achievements, leadership, and commitment to service.”

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