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Dennis Stark '59 (left) established a new scholarship in honor of Lee Short (right),
a former director of admissions at |
New Scholarships Recognized at Benefactor’s Dinner
September 23, 2010
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Sixteen new scholarships were announced on Wednesday at Illinois Wesleyan University’s Scholarship Benefactors and Awards Recipients Dinner. The scholarships are part of Transforming Lives: The Campaign for Illinois Wesleyan.
The event, held in the Young Main Lounge and Joslin Atrium on Illinois Wesleyan’s campus, gave students a chance to meet those who impact their lives by giving to scholarship funds. More than 90 percent of all students at Illinois Wesleyan receive some form of financial assistance from the University, which spent $26 million last year on financial support for students. Every six out of 10 students at Illinois Wesleyan receive funds on the basis of financial need – meaning they could not attend the University without the assistance. Scholarships created by alumni and friends meet part of the needed funds for those students.
The campaign has a goal of an additional $30 million to place toward Endowments for Students, which will increase the number and amount of grants and scholarships awarded to promising and deserving young scholars.
At the dinner, University President Richard F. Wilson thanked the benefactors who established scholarships, calling their contributions a “transformation.” He said, “That is our theme as an institution. Lives transformed. Possibilities embraced. Goals redefined. That’s what happens on this campus.” Wilson said he was excited at the opportunity of supporters and students to meet. “This great occasion is of mutual benefit on both sides of the table,” he said.
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Helen Goldsworthy Campbell (right) was able to meet senior Michael Browning, who is the recipient of the scholarship she established. |
Michael Browning, a senior political science major, said he appreciated the chance to meet the creator of his scholarship, Helen Goldsworthy Campbell. Browning is the recipient of the Boyd F. Goldsworthy Scholarship, named in honor of Goldsworthy Campbell’s husband. “Receiving this scholarship has inspired me,” said Browning, who plans to go to law school, following in the footsteps of Boyd Goldsworthy, who was a prominent attorney in the Peoria area. “I hope to make a difference in people’s lives the same way Mr. Goldsworthy did with such integrity.” Browning sat next to Goldsworthy Campbell, who spoke with the student of his goals, and talked about her experiences with Illinois Wesleyan. “Working with the University has been one of the greatest experience of my life,” said Goldsworthy Campbell, who is an emeritus trustee of the University, and helped to raise funds for IWU’s Evelyn Chapel.
The dinner recognized the 16 new scholarships created over the past year, honoring those present such as Herschel and Harriet Cline, who established The Dr. Herschel M. Cline ’53 & Harriet A. Cline ’55 Scholarship. “It is so wonderful for us to have a chance to give back to the University,” said Harriet Cline, who lives in Champaign with her husband. “We love being on campus and seeing all the changes. I would hardly recognize it from when I was here, but it is all so lovely.”
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Herschel and Harriet Cline (far left and center) with the inaugural recipient of their new scholarship, junior Travis Bates. |
Also returning to campus for the dinner was Dennis Stark, a 1959 graduate, who created a scholarship in honor of former Illinois Wesleyan Director of Admissions Lee Short. “There were several people like Lee who encouraged me, and gave me direction,” said Stark, who went on to Harvard Business School and is currently the vice president of a bank in Rhode Island. Short, who worked for 30 years at the University, held the roles of director of admissions, financial aid, registrar, and alumni and public relations – occasionally all at once. “It’s all very unexpected,” said Short of the scholarship in his honor. “When I think of the University, I think of the people who I influenced and who influenced me.”
Other scholarships recognized at the dinner include:
- The Donna Hartweg, Ph.D., RN Endowed Student Leadership Award, which honors Hartweg, the former director of the Illinois Wesleyan School of Nursing who retired last year.
- The Joel Hapke ’78 Scholarship Fund, established by the family of Hapke, who died suddenly last year. The Hapke family, who reside in Pekin, Ill., attended the dinner.
- The Betty L. Ritchie-Birrer ’47 Student Scholarship from Springfield resident Ritchie-Birrer.
- The AmerenIP Scholarship
- The William H. Archer, Jr. ’62, MM ’67 Memorial Music Scholarship
- The Lillian Aubuchon ’41 Scholarship for Music Majors
- The Class of 2010 Scholarship
- The Sharon Whitmore Cornwell ’63 Memorial Scholarship Fund
- The Virginia L. Geudtner ’53 Scholarship
- The John Justus Harris Scholarship
- The Lewis Family Scholarship
- The R. John’59 and Karen Teller Scholarship Fund
- The Myung Julie Kim Zamora ’58 Scholarship
Contact: Rachel Hatch, (309) 556-3960