SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Lincoln High School is honoring the memory of an English teacher who died during the May derecho in Sioux Falls nearly one year ago. The ‘ALL the Words’ scholarship available to Lincoln seniors reflects Annie Lanning’s passion for words. This new scholarship is carrying on Lanning’s legacy of helping students find success in high school, and beyond.

The late Annie Lanning in a way, is still watching over the students who enter the Patriot Post classroom.

“I still have like her stuff she donated or that she used, and the kids see her face, every single day, and that’s the way I want it,” Patriot Post teacher Tiffany Svennes said.

Tiffany Svennes, along with Lanning started the Patriot Post back in the fall of 2021, as a way for Lincoln students to get caught up with their studies during the pandemic.

“Because we had COVID and we had students that were gone for large periods of time, it wasn’t necessarily fair for every student to be gone for 10-15 days from school, jump right back into their 6-hours of schooling,” Lincoln High School Principal Laura Raeder said.

Around 100 Lincoln students took part in the Post program during its first year. This year, they’re on pace to double that number.

“So every student in the classroom is doing something different. They’re on their own track to either recover credits or take an online class with our help,” Svennes said.

Now Lincoln is honoring the memory of Lanning by offering a $500 scholarship to a Patriot Post senior. It’s called the Annie Lanning “ALL the Words” Scholarship.

“ALL the Words, if you start with the word ALL, those are Annie’s initials and so isn’t that just a beautiful, yeah, it’s just beautiful,” Raeder said.

Lanning’s death during last year’s derecho left a void within the Lincoln family, especially among her students. Now, a scholarship in her name, is another way for Lincoln students to remember the teacher who cared so much about them.

Lincoln seniors seeking the scholarship also have to write a composition as part of the application.