Kaily Brown of Carpentersville awarded an $8,000 scholarship from the University of Illinois Springfield

Kaily Brown of Carpentersville, a senior at Dundee Crown High School, has been admitted to the University of Illinois Springfield for Fall Semester 2021 and awarded an $8,000 Lincoln Merit Scholarship for tuition over four years. She plans to major in social work at UIS.

The scholarship is awarded based on high school GPA and can be renewed for a total of four years if the student maintains college GPA requirements.

At Dundee Crown, she is a cheerleader and a member of the Youth Leadership Academy, Sister to Sister Leadership Conference, AVID, choir and Boys and Girls Club.

“UIS cares about their students personally,” she said. “I just got a good family vibe when I visited.”

Following graduation from UIS, she plans to work as a Department of Children and Family Services case worker.

All undergraduate first year students are automatically eligible for Lincoln Merit Scholarships. These scholarships are automatically applied upon admission and are based solely on high school GPA. In order to receive $8,000 over four years, the student must have an unweighted GPA of 3.20-3.39. UIS is not requiring students to submit ACT/SAT scores for the 2021-22 academic year.

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 uis.edu/financialaid/scholarships/. 

Students may apply for admission to UIS at uis.edu/apply. Contact the UIS Office of Admission at admissions@uis.edu or 217-206-4847 with questions.

Kaytlan Brown of Waverly receives a $16,000 scholarship from the University of Illinois Springfield

Kaytlan Brown of Waverly, a senior at Waverly High School, has been admitted to the University of Illinois Springfield for fall semester 2019 and awarded a $16,000 Lincoln Merit Scholarship for tuition over four years.

The scholarship is awarded based on GPA and ACT/SAT scores and can be renewed for a total of four years if the student maintains college GPA requirements.

Brown plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in social work and hopes to work in the field upon her graduation.

At Waverly High School, she is involved as a member of the student council, National Honor Society, Jared’s Keepers and plays softball.

Brown said she specifically chose UIS because of the successful social work program.

All incoming UIS freshmen are eligible to apply for Lincoln Merit Scholarships. The amount awarded is based upon the incoming student’s ACT or SAT score. To receive $16,000 over four years, students must earn a 21 to a 23 on their ACT or a minimum of 1060 SAT and hold a minimum high school GPA of 4.0 or above.

For more information on scholarships, contact the UIS Office of Financial Assistance at 217/206-6724 or email finaid@uis.edu. For a full list of scholarship opportunities, visit www.uis.edu/financialaid/scholarships/.

Mariah Rodriguez of Joliet awarded a University of Illinois Springfield scholarship

Mariah Rodriguez, a resident of Joliet and social work major at the University of Illinois Springfield, has been awarded the Manny Velasco Scholarship for the 2017-2018 academic year.

 Rodriguez said participating in mission trips while she was in high school ignited her passion for helping others and led her to seek a degree in social work.

“Knowing I was helping other people gave me an amazing feeling that I wanted to feel for the rest of my life,” she said.

Rodriguez said her intended degree in social work and minor in psychology will put her on a path for working directly with children, whether it’s in a hospital or foster care setting.

On campus, she continued her community service as a member of Christian Student Fellowship, where she is active in mission trips. This school year alone, she will travel to Indianapolis, Indiana, Houston, Texas and Haiti for community service. She is active in Leadership for Life and is also a member of the UIS Women’s Soccer Team, which she calls her second family.

“UIS has been an amazing experience and I can’t wait for the next few years,” she said.

The Manny Velasco Scholarship was established to honor the former UIS tennis coach. Velasco coached the Prairie Stars Tennis Team for 33 years before his retirement.

To qualify for the Manny Velasco Scholarship, student athletes must be in good academic standing with the University and have a demonstrated financial need.

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.

Hannah Markey of Carthage awarded a University of Illinois Springfield scholarship

Hannah Markey, a resident of Carthage and social work major at the University of Illinois Springfield, has been awarded the Horace Mann Companies Endowed Scholarship for the 2017-2018 academic year.

Markey said she has always had a strong desire to help people.

“My natural gifts encourage me to use them in my future career as a social worker,” she said.

Markey came to UIS from John Wood Community College, where she was active in the Student Government Association, Student Life, TRIO support services, Phi Theta Kappa honor society and Campus Crusade.

At UIS, she has continued her campus involvement with the Catholic Student Organization, Christian Student Fellowship and Social Work Club.

Markey plans to pursue a master’s degree after graduation, and would like to work with the geriatric population in a nursing home or assisted living facility.

She is on track to graduate in December 2017.

The Horace Mann Companies Endowed Scholarship is awarded to students with financial need in the College of Education and Human Services.

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.

Ellie Held of Morrisonville awarded a University of Illinois Springfield scholarship

Ellie Held, a resident of Morrisonville and social work major at the University of Illinois Springfield, has been awarded the Edith B. Terril Scholarship for the 2017-2018 academic year.

Held transferred to UIS from Lincoln Land Community College, where she was, and still is a lifetime member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.

She said she loves working with children and originally wanted to be a teacher, but found that social work was a better fit for her.

“I have a passion for helping others,” said Held. “I want to make a difference in people’s lives.” Held said she chose UIS because it was the perfect sized school for her.

“My favorite thing is how close knit it feels,” she said. “I love that the professors can work with us one-on-one.”

Held said she is on track to graduate in 2018 and is excited to join her sister in the ranks of UIS alumni.

The Edith B. Terril Scholarship was established by Joe Terril, a UIS alumni and business owner, in honor of his mother.

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.

Lorinda Guariglia of Chillicothe awarded a University of Illinois Springfield scholarship

Lorinda Guariglia, a resident of Chillicothe and social work major at the University of Illinois Springfield, has been awarded the Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship for the 2017-2018 academic year. 

Guariglia, a wife and mother of three, said that her experience while growing up and her innate gift of lending a listening ear and genuinely wanting to help others is what led her to pursue a career in social work.

“I am sensitive to the problems other people face and eagerly look for ways to help connect them with appropriate contacts or resources,” she said.

Guariglia also said that being a non-traditional student has had its challenges, but many opportunities as well, especially during her commute to Springfield a few times a week. “I enjoy the commute as it provides valuable time reflecting on my studies, quietness and discussing class material with a fellow classmate who rides with me,” said Guariglia.

Guariglia said she is looking forward to her field work this year with the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) in Peoria.

To qualify for the Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship, full-time students must be members of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society. Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA to be eligible for the scholarship renewal.

Guariglia was honored to be selected for the Phi Theta Kappa scholarship each semester for the past two years.

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.