The following scholarships are available for the 2009–2010 academic year to newly admitted students. They will be awarded at the Family Day Scholarship and Awards Program in October 2009. There are both need-based and non-need-based awards available. Scholarship amounts are current best estimates. Availability and size may change due to fluctuations in endowments.
(1 award, $1,000) Candidates should be incoming freshmen for the Fall 2009 semester, and majoring in the College of Education, with a cumulative high school grade point average of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale. Students should have an ACT composite score of at least 25, or equivalent SAT scores. Preference will be given to students majoring in elementary education. This award will be applied to the recipient's tuition and fees.
This scholarship was established by Jean M. Borg, '50, in honor of the life and memory of her mother, Mary R. Borg. As described by Jean, Mary was an independent person who was proud of being a woman and of the work that women do. Born in 1901, Mary was an advocate for women's rights. She often served at the voting polls, and helped to encourage and register other women to vote. Mary was a high school graduate, which was not common for girls in her time. Following high school, she 'trained' as a nurse and worked at a hospital in Peoria. Later in her life her creativity came through in her music writing and artistic work as a seamstress. Even though she was wheelchair-bound, she continued to sew through the last 10-12 years of her life.
Despite not attending college, Mary recognized the value of education, specifically education for women. Thus she fervently encouraged Jean to go to Illinois State Normal University to become a teacher. Jean's education from ISNU paved the way for a lifetime of dedication to teaching and education.
Essay: Please describe your plans and desire to teach following graduation. Please limit your response to 250-500 words.
(1 award, $1,000) Candidates should be new freshmen entering the Fall of 2009, and majoring in the College of Education, with a high school GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. Students should have an ACT composite score of 25 or above, or equivalent SAT composite score. Candidates should have a strong interest in teaching, demonstrate leadership through involvement with extracurricular and/or community activities, demonstrate financial need, and submit three references from high school faculty. This award will be applied to the recipient's tuition and fees.
This scholarship was established by John Joseph Kennedy, who graduated from Englewood High School in Chicago in 1951, and began working in the purchasing department of a large corporation. In 1957 he enrolled at Illinois State University where, in 1961, he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Education, with an English-journalism major. During that time, he held various positions on the student newspaper, The Vidette, and became its editor prior to his graduation. He later continued post-graduate studies at the University of California-Berkeley and at San Francisco State University. In the San Francisco bay area Mr. Kennedy taught high school English, journalism, and social studies for a number of years. He later went into the real estate field where he became a State of California certified real estate appraiser. In establishing this scholarship, Mr. Kennedy wishes to express his gratitude to Illinois State University for the excellent education he received there. This learning experience brought him a lifetime of personal growth and enjoyment, and afforded many career opportunities.
In addition to the application, this scholarship requires the following:
The application is closed. Scholarship applications are accepted March 1-31 of each year.
Award recipients will be announced in May. Awardees will be notified by mail. An awards ceremony will take place in the Fall during Family Day Weekend.
Additional scholarships in the College of Education Scholarship Program are available: