At the end of her senior year at Hamilton High School in Chandler, Madhumitha Thumati was selected to receive a $2,500 STAR Scholarship from the P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization) International Sisterhood to support her college education. She was recommended by P.E.O. Chapter DD, which was organized in Sun Lakes in 1987.

Madhu has just started her classes at Barrett, the honors college at Arizona State University. Barrett is a diverse community of high-achieving students within ASU offering the resources of a world-class research university and is ranked the best honors college in the nation. Her studies are concentrated in engineering, computer programming, and robotics. Chapter DD is proud of her accomplishments so far and knows her light will shine well into the future.

The P.E.O. STAR Scholarship was established in 2009 to provide funding for exceptional high school senior women who exhibit excellence in leadership, academics, extracurricular activities, community service, and potential for future success. Out of many thousands of applications submitted, only 900 awards were made this year.

P.E.O. has been helping women for more than 150 years. It started in 1869 from a special bond between seven friends in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, and is now one of the oldest women’s organizations in North America, with more than a half a million members in the United States and Canada and close to 6,000 chapters.

From its inception, through April of 2021, the nonprofit organization has helped more than 116,000 women pursue educational goals by providing over $383 million in grants, scholarships, awards, and loans. The Sisterhood also owns and supports Cottey College in Nevada, Mo., ranked as the number one Best Regional College in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report in September of 2022.

Through membership, the P.E.O. Sisterhood brings together women who are passionate about helping other women advance through education, as well as providing a framework of support and community for all members. To learn more about P.E.O. and its powerful educational philanthropies and to see stories of women who have benefited from the programs, visit peointernational.org. You can also join us at facebook.com/peointernational, @PEOInternational on Instagram, and @PEOSisterhood on X (formerly known as Twitter). For Sun Lakes Chapter DD information, contact Louise Jones at 915-373-7420.