Miles Davis Jazz Scholarship Recipient Rachel Ware Noted for Choral Success and Academic Achievement

ALTON - The Miles Davis Jazz Committee honored Rachel Ware as a successful student with a passion for music.

Ware, who recently graduated from Alton High School with a 4.622 GPA, was known at AHS for her hard work and commitment to the school’s choral program. She noted the role that music played in her success, and she expressed her thanks for the teachers and mentors who have instilled in her a love for singing.

“Music is so much more to me than just a hobby,” Ware said. “I have been singing since I could talk…I was so passionate about singing, especially in a choral setting.”

Ware explained that she grew up watching her mother participate in the church choirs and worship team at the family’s church. By age 9, Ware could harmonize and sing melodies of her own, which encouraged her to join choir as a middle schooler and lead worship at church.

Throughout middle school, Ware’s love for singing grew as she participated in honor choir, acapella choir and jazz choir. She began attending choral festivals and eventually started piano lessons.

At AHS, her choir participation only intensified as she worked her way up to the Alton High Chamber Singers, where she served as a section leader for two years. Ware eventually became president of the high school’s choir program and went on to be named to the All-State Honors Choir.

While Ware has an impressive choral background, her academic and extracurricular success goes beyond music. She was also a member of the National Honor Society, which has high expectations for grades and community service hours, as well as Mu Alpha Theta, a mathematics honor society that also prioritizes academic excellence. She participated in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes organization throughout high school.

Ware is thankful for the many teachers who have helped her find success, but her teachers also recognize her for her hard work and academic achievements. Matt Sautman, her English teacher, noted that Ware succeeded in “the most rigorous classes” offered by the English department while consistently producing “some of the strongest writing in her class.”

“Rachel is an incredibly studious person, who utilizes impeccable time management skills to navigate our busy work schedule along with maintaining active involvement in multiple organizations,” Sautman added. “That drive to succeed combined with Rachel’s willingness to learn from criticism will help her thrive in college as she works to make her dreams into a reality.”

The Miles Davis Jazz Committee awarded Ware a $500 scholarship, which she plans to utilize as a full-time student starting in the Fall 2024 semester. Ware will study mathematics/actuarial science at an Illinois university.

Congratulations to Rachel Ware!

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