Annika Eng, a 2021 graduate of Smithfield High School, was selected to receive a $2,500 STAR Scholarship from the P.E.O. Sisterhood. She was recommended by P.E.O. Chapter I of Hampton.

Eng is the salutatorian of the SHS Class of 2021. She also attended the Governor’s School for the Arts, where she studied jazz piano. Eng was a member of the National Honor Society, the Beta Club, founded the Social Justice Club and was an Ignition Mentor. She served on the Superintendent’s Advisory Board Committee, was student representative on the Smithfield Town Council, interned on the Norfolk City Council and served as a Senate Page for Sen. Mark Warner.

Eng is a member of Benn’s United Methodist Church, where she plays in the Praise Band. She is the daughter of Fred and Julie Eng.

The P.E.O. STAR Scholarship was established in 2009 to provide scholarships for exceptional high school senior women to attend an accredited postsecondary educational institution in the U.S. or Canada in the next academic year. The competitive STAR Scholarship is for women who exhibit excellence in leadership, academics, extracurricular activities, community service and potential for future success. P.E.O. has awarded $14.9 million in STAR Scholarships since 2009.

P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization) has been celebrating women helping women reach for the stars for more than 150 years. Since its inception in 1869, 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. To learn more about P.E.O. and its philanthropies, visit peointernational.org.