Meet SIU Scholarship Recipient – Drewnard Woods

Drewnard J. Woods SIU Scholarship Recipient - Nosotti and Snyder International Business Scholarship Recipient
Drewnard J. Woods received the Nosotti and Snyder International Business Scholarship in the SIU College of Business. Woods is a sophomore from Chicago, Illinois, specializing in business management.

Why did you choose SIU? I’m very outdoorsy and enjoy going on adventures with my friends. After doing research online, and after my school visit, I knew that southern Illinois would have a lot of these things to offer.

How did you feel when you received notification that you received the scholarship? I felt very excited. Going to school and working two jobs to try to make ends meet can be very frustrating at times, and that extra money helped out in a big way.

What does the scholarship mean to you and how has it enabled you to pursue your goals? What this scholarship meant to me was to keep on pushing through even when times get hard. I have desire and passion for the career I plan to take on, and with that I know I can succeed.

What inspired you to choose your area of study? My family owns a few businesses. Growing up and watching my father handle them all motivated me to be just like him, if not better.

What achievement in your life are you most proud of? My proudest achievement was having the courage to enlist in the United States Air Force and serving our great country!

Do you have a message you would like shared with your donor? I am honored to be the recipient of the Nosotti and Snyder International Business Scholarship. Thanks to your generous support, I am the first in my family to attend college.

Hear more from scholarship donors and recipients from our SIU Academic Scholarship Brunch in this video.

Challenging Alumni to Make a Difference

kevin dorsey southern illinois university school of medicine

By Rebecca Renshaw

If you talk to Dr. Kevin Dorsey for more than a few minutes, you’ll recognize that his life passion is reflected within the mission of SIU School of Medicine, which he led for 14 years. That mission is “to assist the people of central and southern Illinois in meeting their health care needs through education, patient care, research and service to the community.”

Dorsey, who has been with the school since the early 1970s, says it was founded to improve the health of central and southern Illinois residents.

“We recruit and admit students from those regions, educate them and hope that, after they complete their training, they will return back to central or southern Illinois because the people in those areas need physicians,” he says.

Dorsey’s other commitment is to total community health.

“I’m pretty passionate about community health and service,” he says. “It’s just not enough to create physicians to go back to our Illinois communities. We must get out into the community to improve poverty and education and housing. Social determinants of health are critically important.”

He says the new generation of doctors will make a difference.

“Our students are great,” he says. “They are more committed to social justice, they have a strong conscience and they want to do good in the world. We need to enable their success, which is why I decided to initiate the SIU School of Medicine ‘Alumni Class Challenge.’ ”

As his parting act as dean and provost of the School of Medicine, Dorsey issued an SIU School of Medicine “Alumni Class Challenge” in 2015. He challenged each class to collectively raise at least $25,000 to endow a scholarship in honor of their class. Matching grant funds totaling $500,000 would be available to double the gifts or pledges received by Dec. 31, 2015.

The result was a resounding success. Most notably, gifts in honor of Dorsey’s leadership established the J. Kevin Dorsey Endowed Scholarship. This is the School of Medicine’s largest endowed scholarship fund, and it will assist several students each year for generations to come.

The need for the scholarships might be a surprise to some, but not to Dorsey.

“One thing you must understand about our students is that, coming from central and southern Illinois, they are in the lower parental income brackets,” he says. “However, medical students across the nation tend to be from the top 20 percent in parental income.

“When you look at the average indebtedness of an SIU School of Medicine graduate, he or she comes out with an average accrual of roughly $180,000 in debt. That figure is significantly higher compared to other medical schools that can offer huge scholarships to students. The Alumni Class Challenge will help more students with more scholarships to assist them in their medical studies.”

Dorsey came to SIU School of Medicine as one of its founding faculty members, arriving with a Ph.D. in biochemistry and teaching the first two classes in the school’s history. Dorsey then became a student in the third class and obtained an M.D. degree from SIU. He completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in rheumatology at the University of Iowa before returning to southern Illinois to practice rheumatology.

“While I had obtained a Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin and a postdoctoral fellowship in cell biology at Johns Hopkins a few years before, I recognized that a career in bench research just wasn’t going to do it for me,” he says. “I wanted to directly and immediately make a difference in people’s lives.”

As the end of his tenure as dean and provost in December 2015, more than 2,600 medical students had graduated from the School of Medicine.

The school offers an M.D., a master’s degree and doctoral degree in various biomedical sciences, including a master’s degree for physician assistant students, as well as advanced training in clinical specialties (17 residencies and 13 fellowships). There also is a small number of SIU students each year who pursue combined degree programs in law and medicine, or in medicine and public health.

When asked what he wants his legacy to be, his answer is simple: “I tried to fulfill the mission.”

Reflecting on his parting gift as dean and how others could contribute, Dorsey says, “Whatever anyone can contribute – whether it is time, talent or resources – all of it is valuable and important.”

Hard Work Pays Off

Dave Baer - SIU Scholarship Donor

By Rebecca Renshaw

Thomas Edison once quipped, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Fortunately for SIU, 1971 alumnus Dave Baer never missed an opportunity to work.

In fact, he started early. Whether he was cutting other people’s grass or shining shoes, Baer closely followed his mother’s advice as she instilled a work ethic in him that few others could emulate.

Baer’s strong work ethic enabled him to come to SIU in the mid-1960s fully equipped to pay his own way. Upon leaving the military, he arrived on campus not certain which direction he wanted his career to take. He recalls walking by a building with a huge banner strung across the front welcoming students to learn more about what is now known as the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Curious, he stepped inside and met the dean, who helped pave the way for his entrance into the brand-new program.

“It was a great fit,” Baer says. “I already had many friends who were in law enforcement – and, coming fresh out of the military, it just felt comfortable.”

While at SIU, Baer met the love of his life, Cheryl, at the university’s bowling alley. Together, they shared more than 37 years of marriage – and also an abiding connection to the university that brought them together.

As one of the first graduates from SIU’s Administration of Justice program, Baer went on to a fulfilling 37-year career with Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, as its chief of police. His memorable achievements include working with the FBI to provide valuable information on a 9/11 attack collaborator who was later sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.

Perhaps Baer’s most notable achievement was his work with several state legislators to help get a law passed for private Illinois universities to create their own police departments, making Bradley the first private Illinois university to do so. Baer also served as a president of the Illinois Campus Law Enforcement Administrators and as the secretary for the Peoria County Association of Chiefs of Police. He is also a lifelong member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Beta Eta Chapter, at SIU.

After the passing of his wife and his mother, Baer retired from his position with Bradley. With time to reflect on his life and what is most important to him, he remembered the positive influence SIU had upon his life. He and Cheryl had always spoken of starting a scholarship fund but had never gotten around to doing so.

Baer realized the time was right.

“While my wife and I both received an outstanding education at SIU, my mother – who was one of the brightest women with an intelligent mind – never had the opportunity to go to college, he says. “So I wanted to help enable a young person to have that chance. My mother raised me to work hard and to give back to others. That’s why I felt so strongly about including her name in the $25,000 scholarship.”

Its full title is the David A. Baer, Cheryl A. Walker Baer and Naomi D. Baer Endowed Scholarship. The scholarship supports students in the criminal justice and criminology program.

The SIU Foundation invited Baer to visit the campus and see firsthand the impact of his efforts. He met with Heather Duban and Beryl Span, the two recipients of this first-ever scholarship for the program.

Duban, a sophomore from Robinson, Illinois, hopes to graduate from SIU in three years with dual majors in psychology and criminal justice. She plans to go to graduate school and eventually do research in criminology as a career. She says the scholarship helps her stay on track.

“With the likelihood of the state being unable to assist me with a grant, Dave’s gift means that I can focus more on schoolwork than worry about finding the money to attend school,” Duban says. “It’s people like Mr. Baer who make me want to give back to my school when I am able to do so.”

Span, a junior from south Chicago, is majoring in criminal justice and minoring in sociology.

“When I received an email from my professor telling me I won the scholarship, I was so excited and happy,” says Span, who hopes to go into police work and ultimately become an FBI agent. “This scholarship has given me an opportunity to continue my higher education. If it wasn’t for this scholarship, I would not have had enough money to attend SIU.”

As a first-generation college student, Span takes her study seriously. She has a 3.8 GPA and also works on campus. She appreciates having the opportunity to meet with her scholarship benefactor during his visit to campus.

“I liked it when he said you have to have a good sense of humor about this type of work,” she says. “It’s serious, but it helps if you can lighten the mood every once in a while.”

Baer has plans to establish three more endowed scholarships in the near future. One scholarship will go to the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice and the other two will go to the Department of Sociology in honor of Baer’s wife.

Meet SIU Scholarship Recipient – Amanda Neuhouser

SIU scholarship recipient, Amanda Neuhouser Amanda Neuhouser received the Foote Scholarship in the College of Mass Communication & Media Arts. Neuhouser is a senior from Bloomington, Illinois, specializing in cinema production.

Why did you choose SIU? I chose SIU for their known cinema program and their in-state tuition.

How did you feel when you received notification that you received the scholarship? I was shocked and overjoyed when I received notification about the scholarship. It was such a blessing for my family.

What does the scholarship mean to you and how has it enabled you to pursue your goals? My scholarship has lessened the financial burden on my family. It has also allowed for me to spend more towards purchasing equipment that I can use for my freelance work. By investing in myself and my tools, I have gained skills and connections before graduating.

What inspired you to choose your area of study? My childhood dream was my inspiration for my career choice, I never gave it up.

What achievement in your life are you most proud of? I am most proud of receiving two awards from Girls Impact The World Film Festival at Harvard University two years in a row before the age of 21.

Do you have a message you would like shared with your donor? I am truly grateful that you have invested in me and my ambitions as I push myself to grow more as a filmmaker. I have found myself growing more attached to documentarian activist works and blessing me with finances towards school allows me to use the finances I win from filmmaking awards to invest back into my work.

Hear more from scholarship donors and recipients from our SIU Academic Scholarship Brunch in this video.

The Art of Giving

Roy and Mary Ann Abrahamson

By Rebecca Renshaw

The first thing you notice about Roy and Marianne Abrahamson is the distinct twinkle in their eyes. Married 56 years, they share a life rich in art, laughter and the art of giving.

“Art is transformational,” says Roy Abrahamson, an SIU art education professor for 31 years until his retirement in 1996. “Art is the ability to transform what one sees into an artistic formation according to one’s inner holistic view.”

The transformational power of art led the couple to establish the Dr. Roy E. Abrahamson Art Education Endowed Scholarship to help students afford an education – so the students, in turn, can contribute to the artistic transformation of others.

“Roy is the type of artist that doesn’t sit and sketch what he sees,” Marianne Abrahamson says. “Instead, he takes in the scene and records it with an inner eye.”

Roy and Mary Ann AbrahamsonThe gift of expression is evident throughout the Abrahamsons’ home in Carbondale. The artwork that adorns their walls and coffee tables reflects Roy Abrahamson’s fascination with multiple types of art – from temperas, to oils, to caseins, to acrylics, to watercolors and wood sculptures.

Roy Abrahamson’s love of art has taken him from one coast to the other. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in art education from the University of Minnesota, he studied with Henry Schaefer-Simmern at the Institute of Art Education in Berkley, California. After obtaining a master’s degree in elementary and secondary education from San Francisco State University, he served three years in the Army during the Korean War.

Following his military service, he taught public school in San Francisco. In 1960, Roy and Marianne married, and in 1963 they moved to New York, where Roy Abrahamson earned a doctoral degree in art education at Columbia University. In 1965, he joined the School of Art and Design faculty at SIU, teaching art education to hundreds of students during his tenure.

While at SIU he also served as president of the Illinois Art Education Association, and was a member of the National Art Education Association and the International Society for Education through Art. In addition, he wrote and published many research articles in professional journals. He also took part in a research grant program involving student teachers and mentally handicapped children and organized annual hands-on art sessions for children from southern Illinois schools.

Perhaps one of Roy Abrahamson’s greatest achievements came after his retirement from SIU. He was asked by the widow of his late mentor Schaefer-Simmern to co-edit a book titled “Consciousness of Artistic Form.” A copy of the book sits prominently in the couple’s living room.

Marianne Abrahamson says they recently saw an opportunity to give back to the university that was such a significant part of their lives.

“Being a native of Germany myself, and both of us growing up during WWII, the experiences of that time formed our outlook,” she says. “While we never had much money back in the early years, we knew how to make the most of what we had. And now that we have the funds, we want to help deserving students in art education get their education.”

“Throughout my career and throughout our lives, it’s always been about helping students demonstrate art that is true to their inner being,” Roy Abrahamson says. “Marianne and I established the scholarship to help students who could not otherwise afford an education. It is a good feeling to have.”

Becker gift will fund renovation, expansion of campus lake facilities

An artist’s rendering of the renovated and expanded boat house and pavilion planned for Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s campus lake.
An artist’s rendering of the renovated and expanded boat house and pavilion planned for Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s campus lake.

Ralph E. BeckerCARBONDALE, Ill. — Ralph E. Becker wants to make sure that Southern Illinois University Carbondale continues to go “onward and upward.”

A $1 million gift by the SIU Carbondale alumnus will be used to renovate and expand the boat house and pavilion on campus lake.

The SIU Board of Trustees today (Dec. 8) approved the project, which includes a classroom, new and additional site lighting, and creating a patio space for outdoor performances, lectures, dinners and community events. The Ralph E. Becker Pavilion will include an 850-square-foot classroom named in honor of Becker’s mentor and friend, the late Frank Stanton, who was president of CBS from 1946 to 1971, and the network’s vice chairman from 1971 until his retirement in 1973.

The boat house and boat dock buildings were built in 1958-59, and many of the existing materials, including structure and plumbing systems, are 54 to 55 years old. The renovation and addition will bring the facilities up to date with building codes and standards. The work is expected to be completed by spring 2018.

“Campus lake and its surroundings are a point of pride for generations of SIU students, faculty, staff and community members, and Mr. Becker’s support of this project will revitalize this beloved and significant landmark,” SIU Interim Chancellor Brad Colwell said. “We are deeply grateful for Mr. Becker’s extension of his long-time support of his alma mater.”

Becker, a 1955 graduate in speech communications, is considered by many to be among the pioneers of the university’s radio-television program. In a broadcasting career that spanned more than six decades, Becker relied on hard work and his business acumen to own numerous television stations and be a media investor.

The Carbondale native maintains a strong affinity for SIU, the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts, and the community.

“I would not have been successful had I not attended SIU and it is a place where I call home. It served as the foundation for what I was able to accomplish in life,” said Becker, whose broadcasting career started as an intern with KMOX radio in St. Louis in 1949 while he was still in high school.

He continued with numerous broadcasting jobs while at SIU from 1951 to 1955, including writing a radio-television column for the Daily Egyptian. After graduating, Becker taught as a lecturer for a year before going into the U.S. Air Force to fulfill his ROTC commitment.

Becker returned to SIU in 1959 to continue his graduate studies and manage then WSRV-FM, now WSIU-FM radio. After college, Becker later expanded his expertise into producing and directing radio and television programs in markets including Peoria and Washington, D.C., working on numerous advertising and marketing campaigns, and serving as president and CEO for a group of television stations. He was later involved with media investing, where his group found poor-performing TV stations and implemented changes to improve their operations.

Becker lives in Winston-Salem, N.C., and he has been a generous supporter of SIU Carbondale. Becker’s philosophy is once a goal is set, to work hard and set additional goals. He views the donation as a “form of a challenge” to others, and a desire to “leave a legacy of hard work and opportunity.”

“I want to challenge everyone to give back to others and to what is important to them,” Becker said. “It is extremely important to challenge others to do bigger and better than what I am able to accomplish. That is the only way progress will be made. Throughout my life, I challenged my employees and I challenged my children to do better.”

Becker received the SIU Alumni Association’s Alumni Achievement Award for the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts and was the radio and television department’s “alumnus of the year” in 1985. He endowed one of the college’s largest scholarships, the Ralph E. Becker Scholarship, given annually to a radio-television student whose primary focus is in management and marketing research. Becker was the then-College of Communications and Fine Arts commencement speaker in 1987, and in 1995, received a medallion and clock from the college. In 1997, Becker donated the Obelisk sculpture, which is the centerpiece of the college’s courtyard.

“If we aren’t generous, a lot of good things would never occur and a lot of creativity would not happen,” he said. “There are things that can still be invented and risks that can still be taken. I just want to make sure SIU goes onward and upward.”

Stanton, Becker’s mentor and friend, worked with CBS founder William S. Paley. He was significantly involved in freedom of the press issues — ranging from the 1954 McCarthy hearings to the network’s coverage of the Vietnam War and a 1971 investigative report on the Pentagon. Stanton’s other activities included serving as chair of the American Red Cross for six years. Stanton earned five Peabody Awards and was elected to the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1986. Stanton died in 2006.

Planting Seeds of Philanthropy

Juh and Lin Chen

By Rebecca Renshaw

If you have the good fortune of visiting the home of Juh Wah Chen and Han Lin Chen in rural Carbondale, the phrase “bloom where you are planted” might spring to mind. Up and down the front sidewalk and spilling into the surrounding yard are breathtaking flowers and greenery – some cultivated, some exotic, and all astonishingly beautiful.

Han Lin Chen, a former professor at the SIU School of Engineering, began her gardening efforts upon her retirement in 1990.

“The soil was mostly hard clay, but I found I could dig one plant up where it wasn’t thriving and move it to another place that allowed it to grow,” she says.

The results are impressive.

The milestones in the Chens’ professional careers are impressive, too. Upon joining the SIU faculty in 1965, Juh Wah Chen and his wife, Han Lin Chen, began laying down stakes in Carbondale, raising their three children and helping grow the College of Engineering into the expansive success it is today.

Juh Wah Chen also retired from the college after serving as its dean for 10 years.

“I remember riding on the train from Chicago to Carbondale with Dean Julian Lauchner, who was a bit of an exaggerator at times,” he recalls. “Trying to lure me from my position at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, he told me great stories of SIU’s College of Engineering, about its facilities and the campus. It was only when we arrived in Carbondale when the dean confessed that the buildings were still under construction.”

“Nevertheless, because my wife had attended SIU earlier and received a master’s degree in chemistry, I already had a special place in my heart for both the community and the college. We moved our family to Carbondale, where we raised them in a little home on Skyline Drive. I saw the opportunity for growth Dean Lauchner laid before me, and I was up for the challenge.”

Adds Han Lin Chen: “We thought it was great because our children could walk to and from Winkler School, which was just down the block. Life was good in those days. It still is.”

Their affinity for growing and nurturing became evident throughout the next 33 years. Their biographies both contain a long list of “firsts” and are filled with major accomplishments, such as:

  • Juh Wah Chen developed the doctoral program in engineering science, was granted a half-million dollars from the Federal Department of Energy for a coal science project and in 1989 became dean of the college.
  • Han Lin Chen was one of the first few female faculty in the college. She helped the female students initiate the “Women in Engineering” program and served as an advisor for many years. She was also the first female faculty member to receive tenure from the college.

Even though both are now retired from SIU, the Chens retain a strong commitment to the university.

“Back when we were both active at the college, we would always have students over at our house, Han Lin Chen says. “We just opened the door to them and made sure we had food on hand. I remember one time we had over 100 students at our house. They were like family.”

Because of their love for the university and the community, the Chens recently established a School of Engineering Excellence Fund to provide undergraduate scholarships, assistance to young faculty members, and funds for external activities such as sponsoring guest speakers. The Excellence Fund will complement the couple’s two existing scholarship endowment funds to the college.

“SIU is our entire life,” Juh Wah Chen says. “We have always done the best we can for SIU and the College of Engineering. For us, money is of secondary importance. We live a simple life, and we don’t like to see things go to waste. If we can help and contribute, then we will. We just want to see SIU become sustainable, and we want to help move it forward.”

Han Lin Chen adds that the fellowship SIU offered her as a student was instrumental to her success.

“Without it, I know I would not have been able to come to the United States,” she says. “I am very grateful to SIU and all it has done for our family.”

Live Long and Prosper

Robert and Patricia Dennis

By Rebecca Renshaw

“Live long and prosper.” Most people are familiar with the Vulcan greeting of Mr. Spock in the television series “Star Trek,” which debuted in 1966 and went off the air just one month before Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon. Growing up in Decatur, Illinois, Robert Dennis was fascinated by “Star Trek” and its vision of outer space and space travel.

Both the reality of the moonwalk and the fantasy of “Star Trek” fueled Dennis’ desire to be an astronaut. Unfortunately, poor eyesight and a growth spurt dashed his hopes of physically traveling in outer space.

But he could still dream about it.

“I realized right then that if I couldn’t get into space as an astronaut, then maybe I could go to California and make a movie about space,” he says.

To do that, he would have to do more than dream. He would have to learn the art and science of cinematography.

So Dennis set his sights on SIU.

During his first few days on campus, two things surprised him. The first was a professor who announced to a room full of new students that “if you are in this class to get a job in Hollywood, you may as well walk right out the door.” At that defining moment, Dennis decided that not only would he go to Hollywood, but that he would become a success as well.

The other surprising revelation was that filmmaking had little resemblance to the shows he had watched growing up.

“Looking back with 20/20 hindsight, I now know that SIU gave me a deeper appreciation for film – especially experimental, documentary and independent filmmaking,” he says. “SIU opened my mind to a whole world of filmmaking that had nothing to do with my childhood dreams of ‘Star Trek.’ ”

Upon graduating from SIU, Dennis got his master’s degree from the University of Southern California, a widely respected film school that also claims George Lucas as one of its most accomplished alums. Dennis soon met his wife, Patricia, also a USC alum who now serves as senior vice president for The CW television network.

Dennis’ career included working at Lucasfilm, becoming elected as president of the Large Format Cinema Association and serving as a director of post production for HBO Pictures. Dennis also served on a post supervision team for film restoration and preservation at Walt Disney Studios as well as overseeing the 70mm “IMAX” laboratory services at Technicolor. While he and his wife forged successful careers in the challenging world of filmmaking, the couple also shares a strong commitment to the power of education.

That brings us back to Mr. Spock’s desire that others “live long and prosper.”

While Robert and Patricia Dennis have certainly fulfilled that goal, they understand that others may need a hand to do the same. Several years ago, the couple established the Robert Dennis Filmmaking Award, which is given to an outstanding SIU student filmmaker for his or her accomplishments in cinematography.

This past spring they began revamping their wills and recognized it made the best financial sense to establish a revocable family trust. With no children of their own and no extended family members to provide for, the couple determined that they wanted to see most of their estate gift go to youths who really need the help.

They both immediately thought of SIU.

“Patricia and I understand how tough this business can be for young people,” Dennis says. “Patricia listened to my stories about SIU, and the important part it played in my life. We both decided to give back to SIU and encourage students with financial help who need it to continue their filmmaking education.”

The Dennis’ estimated $1.3 million gift is the largest estate gift in the history of the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts.

“When we finalized the trust, we sent off a note to the SIU Foundation announcing our decision – and the reaction was amazing,” Dennis says. “We often ask ourselves, ‘How is it that we turned out to be the people who have pledged this amount to the school? Why haven’t others done the same?’ We’ve already set aside resources for others. It is just the right thing to do to help kids out who can use it more than us.”

Cessna announces 2017 university partners for its third annual Top Hawk program

cessna skyhawk southern illinois university carbondale

WICHITA, Kan. (Nov. 17, 2016) – Cessna Aircraft Company, a subsidiary of Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, today announced it has selected the following university partners for the 2017 Top Hawk program: Eastern Kentucky University, The Ohio State University, Auburn University, Southern Illinois University and Louisiana Tech University. Each university will take delivery of a new, custom branded Cessna Skyhawk 172 aircraft in early 2017 to support flight training, recruiting efforts and promotional activities at their respective universities throughout the year.

“Each year, the Top Hawk program continues to expand its reach and we are excited to grow the program with five university partners this year,” said Doug May, vice president, Piston Aircraft. “These universities are renowned for their innovative aviation programs and we are confident they will represent the Top Hawk program and Cessna brand very well as we work together to provide students state-of-the art resources and empower them to choose a rewarding career in aviation.”

Textron Aviation continues to seek top aviation programs to collaborate with and support the advancement of general aviation and the modernization of aircraft training fleets. The company currently works with several universities, training organizations and flight schools throughout the world to support the next generation of aviators and the Top Hawk program plays a vital role in this strategy.

In addition to the aircraft, the top students from each of the five universities will be chosen for a Textron Aviation summer internship. These students will receive valuable exposure beyond flight training to include real world experience from various corporate departments such as sales, marketing, flight operations, integrated supply chain and engineering to promote a career in aviation.

About the Cessna Skyhawk 172
The Skyhawk is the world standard for pilot training and is renowned for offering the best combination of modern features, including the Garmin G1000 avionics system and proven dependability. The aircraft’s high-wing design enables superior flying characteristics ideally suited for pilot training. More Skyhawks have been delivered to customers around the world than any other type of aircraft, with more than 43,000 in service since 1955.

 

Student Caller Reaches $25,000 Pledge Milestone

Melissa Hull reaches $25,000 pledge milestone as SIU Foundation student caller

The SIU Foundation has a team of dedicated students who call alumni in hopes of raising support for a variety of college funds. Although this challenging job is a group effort, there are opportunities for students to achieve individual milestones during their employment. Melissa Hull is one of those students.

After two years with the SIU Foundation, Hull has successfully raised $25,000. She began as a student caller in 2014 and worked her way to a student supervisor role last year. Her supervisory position keeps her busy as she is responsible for a lot of different tasks.

“As a student caller, I am responsible for making calls to different groups of alumni in hopes of raising money for different college funds,” Hull said. “However, when I am working as a supervisor my job gets a bit busier. I send out the pledges that are collected the night before during calling, I update alumni information in our systems, and also speak with certain alumni that are unreachable during the day. During calling shifts, I will help supervise the callers by answering questions and looking up any information they may need during their calling.”

The student callers have a different perspective of the university since they are connecting with alumni on a regular basis and Hull has been a part of many positive conversations with alumni who loved their time at SIU.

“The best part is reaching out to alumni that loved it here, who can’t wait for your call, and love to hear about upcoming and new developments on campus,” Hull shared. “It really makes you realize how great being in college is and the memories and relationships you obtain here.”

Hull remembers her first $1,000 pledge from an alumnus. They talked on the phone for over forty minutes. During this time, he shared stories from his time as a student, his current employment as well as other interests they found to have in common.

“I had a great time talking to him and he really made me love my job. On top of that I got a great donation for the university that I knew would help out students that needed it.”

Hull was very excited once she hit her $25,000 milestone. The pledge was from a generous alumnus who loved SIU and wanted to give even after his retirement. He was so happy to contribute support to students especially with the current state budget crisis.

“Every call I have like that impacts my view on the university and always makes me very proud to be a Saluki. Hitting $25,000 made me feel like I really helped to make a difference at SIU and help those who needed it most.”

Melissa Hull is a senior majoring in Zoology with a specialization in Pre-Veterinary Medicine and a minor in Chemistry. She has plans to attend veterinary school to receive her DVM. Her focus is on small companion animals and dreams of working in a no-kill animal shelter after completing her education. It was a scholarship opportunity that brought her to SIU. With access to a more affordable education, Melissa understands the value each gift makes in the life of a student.

Sharing stories of philanthropy