Daniel Masters of Dunlap awarded a University of Illinois Springfield scholarship

Daniel Masters, a resident of Dunlap and business administration and management major at the University of Illinois Springfield, has been awarded the Joe Wilkins Veterans Scholarship for the 2017-2018 academic year.

Masters said his leadership skills led him to a degree in management.

“I have always been a natural leader and I really enjoy working with others, motivating and empowering them,” he said.

Currently Masters uses those leadership skills as a Staff Sergeant in the United States Air Force where he works full-time as a military technician, all while attending classes full-time at UIS.

His drive to succeed propelled him to the top of the class as an honor graduate during basic training and as a Schoolhouse Leader during tech school.

“From there I continued to actively pursue leadership roles where I could positively impact the other airman and people around me,” said Masters.

Masters plans to commission as a United States Air Force Officer upon graduation.

“UIS has had a tremendous impact on my leadership skills as well as my life,” he said. “The ideas learned in class have led me to initiate programs and improvements in my unit.”

Masters said his education and eventual degree will honor both his mother, who was tragically killed by an impaired driver in 2015, as well as his father.

“My pursuit of education honors my mother’s career and efforts as a school teacher while my service honors my father’s commitment to the military,” he said.

The Joe Wilkins Veterans Scholarship was established to honor Dr. Joseph Wilkins, whose life was changed because of a scholarship he received as a student. Wilkins went on to a distinguished career as a decorated U.S. Air Force Captain, and UIS professor emeritus.

To qualify for the Joe Wilkins Veterans Scholarship, students must be in good academic standing and have served in the United States military.

For more information on scholarships, contact the UIS Office of Financial Assistance at 217/206-6724 or finaid@uis.edu.

For a full list of scholarship opportunities visit www.uis.edu/financialaid/scholarships/. The deadline to apply for institutional scholarships is February 15, 2018.

If you are interested in creating a scholarship, please contact the UIS Office of Advancement at 217/206-6058 or giftinfo@uis.edu.