SIC Hosts Scholarships Night

Southeastern Illinois College held its annual Scholarships Night April 25 with an Italian-style dinner catered by the Falcon Bistro in the Harry L. Crisp Student Center. Dr. Karen Weiss, Vice President of Academic Affairs opened the ceremony thanking those who donated funds to the SIC Foundation to make these scholarships possible.

1. Omari Jackson of Mt. Vernon was presented the Catherine Oldham Memorial Scholarship by Forensic Falcons coach Rachel Parish. Catherine Oldham was a member of SIC’s first national championship speech team in 1986. She represented genuine determination and leadership, and her attitude remains the benchmark for competitors. The award is occasionally given to a speech team member who shows the best qualities of leadership and team spirit. Jackson was also presented with the George T. Dennis Memorial Scholarship, which was created to honor those qualities that made Dennis a true renaissance man, as he embraced all aspects of the humanities.
2. Trey Murphy of Benton was awarded the Dennis Allen Speech Scholarship in honor of the SIC speech team’s founding fathers, George Dennis and Gary Allen. The award is given to a transferring team sophomore who excels academically, personally, and competitively.
3. The Warren and Noveta King-Priest Scholarship was awarded to two recipients this year: Sophia Dawe (left) and Ellie Rann, both of Harrisburg. It was presented by Jerry King, nephew of Warren and Noveta. Warren and Noveta King-Priest served as educators in Saline County for many years. They both had great appreciation of the value of education and believed that education was key to independence and productivity. Throughout their lives, they had many opportunities to assist students in achieving educational success. At the time of their deaths, this award was established by their daughter to support a student from Saline County pursuing a degree in education.
4. The Kathy King Memorial Scholarship was presented to Jaicee Burton of Hardin County by Jerry King in honor of his late wife, a 1971 SIC graduate. The scholarship goes to a nontraditional student, who in this case decided to go back to school to pursue her dream of being a nurse after starting a family. Burton also received the Delta Shrine Club Scholarship established in 1993 to assist a Hardin County resident who excels in academic performance.
5. The Sam Porter Outstanding Freshman Chemistry Award is named for a beloved member of the chemistry faculty at SIC from 1965 to 1990 who was also chair of the math and science division. The award was presented by math instructor Kim Martin to Morgan Snell of Geneseo. Snell is a biology major and softball player who is interested in the Forensic Investigations Program at University of Wisconsin in Plattville after SIC. Martin says she shows great leadership and teamwork skills and always has a great attitude. Snell was also awarded the Eva. O. Gersbacher Memorial Biology Award in honor of a member of SIC’s biology faculty from 1964 to 1973. The award is given to the highest academic performing student in the general or majors biology course, who also possesses the attributes of a responsible citizen and gives evidence of leadership.
6. The June Rice Malan Memorial Mathematics Award is granted to students with the highest performance in the Calculus sequence, in honor of a member of SIC’s faculty from 1961-63. Two awards were presented to pre-engineering students this year by math instructor Kim Martin. One recipient is Josh Farmer of Eldorado, now completing Calculus 3. Farmer plans to attend SIU as an electrical engineering major. Martin says he is a phenomenal student who enjoys learning higher mathematics.
7. Tyler Lester of Eldorado was also the recipient of the June Rice Malan Memorial Mathematics Award presented by math instructor Kim Martin. Lester, now completing Calculus 3, is an electrical engineering major. According to Martin, he is an outstanding student who masters the material quickly and is always willing to share his understanding with fellow students.
8. Abigail Rettinghaus of Carmi was awarded the Matthew J. Fry Memorial Scholarship in honor of the late Matt Fry, a 1984 graduate of SIC. This award has been given each year since 1988, and was presented by math instructor Kim Martin. Rettinghaus is also the recipient of the Harry W. Abell Memorial Scholarship which honors Dr. Harry Abell, SIC president from 1974-1994. It is awarded to a student who excels in leadership and academic performance, as well as community service. Rettinghaus has a passion for helping others and aspires to have a career as either a teacher or pediatric nurse. She is also involved in theatre and is a member of Theta Sigma Phi.
9. Patti Ferrell (center) presented the Jaylynn Ferrell Memorial Scholarship to two recipients this year: Hannah Craig of Stonefort (left) and Breeanna Shaw of Marion. Patti Ferrell created this scholarship to help future nurses in honor of her daughter, a 2011 SIC graduate of the nursing program, whose life was taken in the Leap Day Tornado of 2012. Shaw also received the Carla’s Wings of a Butterfly Scholarship, established in memory of a cherished SIC nursing instructor, to facilitate the education of deserving students who would like to pursue their goals and dreams in nursing. Shaw hopes to work in a local NICU or within pediatric hospice and eventually become a nursing instructor.
10. Sherry and Sonny Dotson presented the John B. Dotson Memorial Scholarship to two outstanding candidates in honor of Sonny’s father who was a biology teacher and coach at Harrisburg High School for many years and helped over 200 student athletes earn scholarships for college. The family wanted to continue that scholarship tradition starting in 2003 with this award. The 2023 award was presented to Ellie Rann (left center) and Sophie Williams, both of Harrisburg.
11. Megan Hale of Harrisburg is the recipient of the Michael Hillegas Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution Scholarship. Hale has a passion for caring for others with disabilities and plans to pursue a career as a special education teacher.
12. The Richard Edward Dunk, Jr. Scholarship was created by Angie Dunk in memory of her father, a lifelong coal miner and supervisor at Peabody Coal Company. He had an appreciation for the CTE careers and embodied some of the same values held by SIC such as integrity, fairness, and responsibility. It goes to an outstanding diesel or welding student going into their second year of the program and exhibiting academic excellence. Landon Hoh of Harrisburg received this award presented by Angie Dunk.
13. The Harrisburg Kiwanis Scholarship was awarded to three recipients this year by Mike Williams, Kiwanis member and former SIC adjunct instructor. It is awarded to members of the SIC Circle K (the collegiate version of Kiwanis) each year. This year’s recipients are (l-r) Kansas Larson of Eldorado, Bailey Warner of Harrisburg, and Bentley Linch of Harrisburg.
14. The Susanne Alexander Memorial Scholarship was presented by Dr. Karen Weiss to Destiny Childress of Harrisburg. This award was established by Alexander’s family to facilitate the education of deserving students who would like to pursue their goals and dreams in higher education. Childress is pursuing an Associate of Science degree and hopes to become a video game designer.
15. The Gladys & Raymond Carroll Memorial Scholarship was established by their family to facilitate the education of deserving students. Jaron Banks of Golconda was present to accept the award. He is pursuing a degree in the field of business and finance and hopes to one day open his own investment firm.
16. The John and Audrey Coyle Scholarship was established in 2014 in memory of his mother, Virginia Coyle, to help provide students with an opportunity to pursue their higher education dreams. Presented by Dr. Karen Weiss, this award was given to a student pursuing her passion in the healthcare industry and planning to complete her Associate Degree of Nursing at SIC – Kayce Stucker of Stonefort.
17. The Eugene & Callie Walden Morris Memorial Scholarship was established to facilitate the education of deserving students who would like to pursue their goals and dreams in the field of teaching. Rylee Pate of Harrisburg was presented with this award by Dr. Karen Weiss. Pate has a passion for teaching and plans to pursue a career as a drama teacher.
18. Lauren Hammond received the Dr. Warren Tuttle Memorial Scholarship from Dr. Karen Weiss. Dr. Warren Tuttle was a medical pioneer in Southern Illinois and a practitioner at Harrisburg Medical Center. As one of the founders of SIC, he worked hand-in-hand with Shirley Oshel to establish the nursing program. His daughter, Pam Pearson, and family honor his memory through this scholarship to a second-year nursing student. Hammond has a passion for the health care industry and will begin the Associate Degree Nursing program this fall.
19. The Judith Elaine Milligan-Baugher Scholarship honors an SIC graduate who earned her RN credentials while tending to a busy family and then worked night shifts providing care and comfort to terminally ill patients at Human Hospital in Orlando. The award goes to a nursing student, and this year’s recipient is Maycee Murphy. Murphy aims to become a nurse anesthetist after finishing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
20. The Sam Porter Outstanding Sophomore Chemistry Award was presented to Anthony Cortes-Sanchez of Harrisburg by SIC math instructor Kim Martin. Sanchez was also chosen to receive the Harold Bauman Memorial Scholarship, established in 2000 by Mrs. Marie Bauman to honor her husband who was a Social Science instructor at SIC from 1961-1971, and the C.R. Gardner Memorial Scholarship, which was established by the family of C.R. Gardner to help provide students with an opportunity to pursue their higher education dreams. Sanchez plans to study molecular and cellular biology at University of Illinois and then attend medical school.

Several other students also received scholarship awards, although they were not able to be present for the ceremony.

The General Federation of Women’s Clubs’ Illinois District 25 Eldorado Women’s Club Scholarship was established to assist a current Saline County Student. This year, the award goes to Tabatha Coker of Raleigh. She is passionate about helping others in need and is seeking a career in either special education or social work.

The Frank Schneider Memorial Scholarship was established in 2017 by Carole Schneider to help provide students with an opportunity to pursue their higher education dreams in a math or science major. The recipient chosen this year was Calista Conley of Hardin County. She has a passion for helping animals and plans to attend SIC and then transfer to obtain a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. Her dream is to open her own vet clinic and rescue center.

The recipient of the Faye Mitchell Memorial Scholarship, established in 1997 to assist students interested in pursuing a teaching or education-related degree is Madison Hall of Harrisburg, who also receives one of two Gladys & Raymond Carroll Memorial Scholarships. Hall is passionate about art and plans to become an elementary art teacher. She is also heavily involved in the SIC Theatre department.

Registration for summer and fall classes is currently open at SIC. The first 5-week summer classes begin May 22, the regular 8-week courses begin June 5, and the last 5-week summer classes begin June 26. Fall classes begin Aug. 14. Email advising@sic.edu to get started or visit sic.edu.

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