By Jeff Wilson

From an early age, Peyton Bayless has seen the impact SIU can have on local families and students.

“Both of my parents went to SIU,” said Bayless, a Benton Consolidated High School graduate. “My mom came back to school when I was little, so I came with her and grew up around campus.”

Studying elementary education, he plans to graduate in the Fall of 2025 and begin his career as an elementary school teacher. He also hopes to stay in Southern Illinois after graduation.

“I have had a great experience at SIU,” Bayless said. “All my teachers are really support. My classmates have been really great.”

Scholarships have played a significant role in his journey. He has received the Leo J. Brown Teacher Education Scholarship, Melinda and Pete LaBarre Elementary Education Scholarships, and the Roye R. and Floralee Q. Bryant Education Scholarship.

“Taking all the necessary steps to apply for the scholarships was a long process, but it was definitely worth it,” Bayless said. “They have helped me be able to get the experience that I need.”

Teaching candidates in the School of Education spend their entire final semester as student-teachers, which requires full days in local classrooms. Students aren’t paid for this work, and many require extra financial support.

“That last semester is five days a week of student teaching. The only time you can work a paid job is at night, and that’s after a full day of working in a classroom,” he said. “Scholarships show that people really care. They’ve been in my shoes, so they know the financial burden that exists. They know how much it takes, and they’re helping future teachers.”

Being an SIU student a Southern Illinois resident, the impact of his scholarships means a little extra to Bayless.

“If you’re lucky enough to receive a scholarship, it can change your life,” he said. “Someday I’ll look back at the great things that came from my experiences, and I really hope I can give back and offer those experiences to others.”

By Jeff Wilson

Tristen Jelley’s path from Mount Vernon Township High School to an SIU law degree wasn’t a smooth one.

“I was involved in two different car accidents, at no fault of my own, within a period of 18 months. Both resulted in traumatic brain injuries,” she said. “Unfortunately, these are lifelong injuries that I can never fully recover from, but I have recovered better than expected.”

With assistance from scholarships, such as the Charles D. and Fairy B. Neal Scholarship, Jelley has been able to pursue his goal of becoming a personal injury attorney.

“Being a scholarship recipient allows me to focus on my studies and not have to worry about seeking employment to pay for my tuition and necessary expenses,” she said.

Upon graduation, she hopes to remain in Southern Illinois.

“I want to help those in similar situations because I know what it is like to be in those same shoes at no fault of your own,” she said. “I am forever grateful that this goal of mine wasn’t cut short and that I am one step closer to becoming an attorney every day.”

By Jeff Wilson

Teachers inspire future teachers, and such is the case for Tayler Threet.

A graduate of Pope County High School, Threet is studying secondary English education in SIU’s School of Education.

“I had amazing teachers in high school that were there for me as more than just as teacher,” she said. “I knew I wanted to be that kind of teacher for other students.”

Threet was accepted to many colleges around the country, but she wanted to stay close to home, so she chose SIU. She has received scholarship support, including the Bettye and Gene Lauderdale Scholarship.

“I am paying for college all on my own,” she said. “Any help I received has really helped. I’m so grateful for people that donate.”

While studying at SIU, Threet’s mother passed away. The support she has received from her professors – particularly Dr. Joe Shapiro and Dr. Anne Chandler – has strengthened her resolve to become a caring educator.

“Those two professors were really there for me,” said Threet, a Vienna native. “I don’t know that I could have gotten through that without them.”

Both the financial and moral support she has received at SIU has driven her closer to her goals.

“I’m grateful for people like that,” she said. “If I had the means, I would want to help others.”

Coffman-Crothers endowment will focus on complex trauma training

By Jeff Wilson

When Dr. Marti Crothers decided to see a therapist in the 1980s, she had no idea the impact it would have on her life.

Living in Southern Illinois and working as a counselor, it was difficult to find someone she didn’t already know. That’s why she chose someone new to the area, Dr. Janet Coffman.

Now, decades later, Dr. Crothers has made a gift of more than $1 million to honor Dr. Coffman and the treatment she provided. Her planned gift will establish the Coffman-Crothers Training Institute for Trauma and Psychological Health Endowment Fund.

“This training institute is in honor of Dr. Coffman. It is in recognition of her commitment and dedication to the treatment of victims, including myself, of complex trauma,” Dr. Crothers said. “Her skill, care, and compassion gave me the courage to become a survivor and to live a worthwhile life. This institute reflects my gratitude to her. It is dedicated to Dr. Coffman for all the lives she touched and saved.”

The institute will be in the SIU Clinical Center and will train students, faculty, and staff in psychology and counseling and community professionals in intensive treatment methods to assist clients suffering from complex trauma and dissociation. Complex trauma describes children’s exposure to multiple traumatic events and the long-term effects of these events, usually tied to abuse or profound neglect.

Dr. Coffman is the retired director of the Counseling and Psychological Services at SIU. Dr. Crothers is the former assistant coordinator of Literacy Connection at John A. Logan College. She was also a senior lecturer in counselor education and supervision.

Dr. Crothers originally came to Southern Illinois after growing up in Wisconsin and Kentucky. As a lover of the outdoors and an avid fox hunter, the natural beauty and horse-riding opportunities appealed to her. Coming to SIU in 1969, she studied recreation and worked under Dr. Bill Freeberg, one of the co-founders of the Special Olympics. She earned her bachelor’s degree in 1973 and a master’s in educational psychology in 1978. Later, she returned to SIU to earn her Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision in 1998.

“Dr. Coffman showed me that I had something to offer,” she said. “Many of the things I learned from her, especially as it pertains to self-care, I was able to pass on to my students.”

By establishing the Coffman Crothers Endowment, Dr. Crothers will train professionals to provide comprehensive treatment of people who are dealing with complex trauma as adults. She will be actively involved with the training institute for as long as possible, especially in the initial stages.

“There are adults out there everywhere in need of assistance,” she said. “I wish I had $10 million to give. I want this to be something the whole region can access.”

To support this or similar causes at SIU, visit siuf.org.

By Jeff Wilson

Growing up in the small Randolph County town of Walsh, SIU was the only reasonable college option for Ron Smith.

“It was where you could get the most bang for your buck,” he said. “SIU was so good to me and changed my life and made it better than it would have been.”

Since graduating in 1964 with a degree in marketing and a master’s in business administration in 1966, Smith has stayed engaged with his alma mater, including donating close to $170,000 over the last 20 years. Now, he’s taken his support a step further, making a gift of stock worth $500,000 to endow the Ronald L. Smith Endowed Chair in Marketing at the College of Business and Analytics.

Endowed chairs help attract and retain high-level faculty members by making the position more attractive and keeping salaries competitive with other institutions.

“I’m doing this to help the students of SIU,” Smith said. “I want to make the program stronger and provide better opportunities and better training for the students. We want to attract big names and incentivize them to stay.”

Before making his major gift to endow the chair in COBA, much of Smith’s philanthropy has been directed toward Saluki Athletics. Despite living in California, he has maintained season tickets to Saluki Football games and supported the Blackout Cancer fundraiser.

Smith has fond memories of his time at SIU, noting that he attended the university during the Delyte Morris era and the time of College of Business Dean Henry J. Rhen, for which the COBA building is named. Smith was also classmates with another of SIU’s most prolific benefactors, F. Lynn McPheeters.

“Dr. Morris was wonderful to listen to, and I was lucky to be there during his era,” Smith said. “The university had lots of programs that were geared toward students with limited financial resources. I was fortunate enough to make good enough grades that my professors thought I was a good candidate for graduate school.”

After graduation, he joined the Peace Corps and spent 30 months in Colombia. He worked with farmers and fishermen, teaching them how to make the most of their assets. He credits his education from SIU with giving him the expertise to share with those people and give them a vested interest in the business side of their industry.

Smith, a first-generation student whose niece now attends SIU as a fourth-generation student, said his continued support of the university shows the impact alumni can have even when they’re not able to get to campus as often as they may like.

“Is there a way you can help build up the university?” Smith said. “Even if you’re in California, like me, you can help folks in Southern Illinois.”

For more information about supporting the university, visit siuf.org.