Maura Kluthe graduated from Gillespie High School in 2011, earning a $500 Henry Marcacci Memorial Scholarship from The Partnership for Educational Excellence.
Maura graduated from Gillespie High School (GHS) in 2011. She then attended Blackburn College in Carlinville where she majored in biology and minored in environmental science. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in 2015.
“Blackburn College fit me well. It’s a smaller college, and everybody knew one another and helped each other,” she recalls. “You had a close relationship working with your professors. They helped us decide on post-college options and prepared us for those choices.”
She says she plans to continue her education with graduate school, but has no immediate plans.
After Blackburn, Maura took a job at Washington University in St. Louis where she works in the fields of neurology and immunology/pathology as they relate to Alzheimer’s Disease. She is dedicated to helping find and support cures for diseases.
In her leisure time Maura enjoys cooking, reading, bicycling, camping, hiking – “anything outdoors” that relates to nature, the environment, and animals.
Regarding her scholarship, Maura says, “I worked in the ‘Work Program’ at Blackburn, which taught me the responsibilities of holding a job. I learned many different jobs, and earned part of my tuition. That made me feel like I participated in paying for college.” But The Partnership scholarship was “very generous,” she says. “It helped me obtain my degree. I am so thankful for it.”
Maura is the daughter of Steve and Judy Kluthe of Gillespie.