Jacksonville Promise awards scholarships to 20 IC students
Twenty IC students were among 35 local students to receive Jacksonville Promise scholarships during a ceremony Tuesday at MacMurray College’s Putnam-Springer Center.
The anticipated impact of the organization on the local community includes increased academic performance in primary grades, college enrollment and college retention, as well as decreased truancy and juvenile crime.
The 2018 award recipients received scholarships of up to $2,500 to cover tuition and fees for the upcoming academic year. This marks the third year of the Jacksonville Promise program.
Jacksonville Promise is a locally established scholarship meant to promote the educational opportunities available in Jacksonville and make them more accessible for students with roots in the community, said Dr. Charles Sheaff, president of Jacksonville Promise.
“The anticipated impact of the organization on the local community includes increased academic performance in primary grades, college enrollment and college retention, as well as decreased truancy and juvenile crime,” Sheaff said. “The objective of the program is the economic growth of our community, the support of our local students, and the support of our colleges.”
Scholarships were awarded Tuesday to 20 Illinois College students, 14 Lincoln Land Community College students and one MacMurray College student.
In 2016, Jacksonville Promise awarded 17 scholarships; 19 scholarships were presented last year.
“This year’s dramatic increase in scholarships was due to increased community awareness and the major efforts of high school counselors to direct students to this opportunity,” said Lynne Sheaff, a member of the Jacksonville Promise board of directors.
In Jacksonville Promise’s first year, 2016, the organization raised $40,000. Last year, it raised $60,000, and this year, $80,000.
“The increase in contributions is largely due to grants from the Tracy Family Foundation and the Findley Family Foundation,” Lynne Sheaff said. “Thanks to these foundations, every dollar contributed by the general public goes toward scholarships.”
The 2018 recipients are Ellie Abell, Alex Anderson, Nicholas Bauer, Anna Bezler, Kaleb Birdsell, Andrew Blue, Hunter Chumley, Ashton Jane Cook, Jacie Coultas, Delani Dillard, Ethan Elmore, Megan Evans, Haley Haarmann, Sydney Hembrough, Allyson Huffman, Breanne Kaufmann, Erica Lay, Joshua Lewis, Mallory Martin, Tyler Maul, Brennan Moore, Brooks Moore, Elysia Moore, Ragen Myers, Jonah Pattie, William Peak, Alaina Plowman, Kourtney Pollitt, Ryley Savage, Chase Tomhave, Jaiden Valentine, Ethan Welch, Klay Wood, Chloe Woods and Billie Grace Wooldridge.