Leanna Churchill of Williamsville awarded a University of Illinois Springfield scholarship

Leanna Churchill, a resident of Williamsville, and communication major at the University of Illinois Springfield, has been awarded the Dara Drew Memorial Scholarship for the 2018-2019 academic year.

Churchill, a transfer student, said she became interested in sports communications as a student at Williamsville High School.

“I asked the athletic director if I could take pictures of the school’s sporting events to share on the athletic department’s Twitter and Instagram accounts,” said Churchill. “That provided me with a unique opportunity to get into the field and start networking with people in the local communication and journalism industry.”

Churchill is currently working as in intern at Channel1450.com in Springfield.

“I hope to one day share the stories that help to inspire others and report on events that will be remembered for a lifetime, especially in sports,” she said.

The Dara Drew Memorial Scholarship was established to honor the life of a former member of the Saga Communications (Capital Radio) Group. The scholarship is awarded to a UIS student pursuing a major in communication or marketing.

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, 2019.

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