CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The University of Illinois Moms and Dads associations have announced the winners of several annual scholarships and awards for students on the Urbana-Champaign campus.
Winners of the Moms Association 2014 scholarships are Joseph Blessman, a junior in molecular and cellular biology from Dixon, Illinois; Lauren Emerson, a sophomore in interactive biology from Urbana; Samantha George, a sophomore in molecular and cellular biology from Urbana; and Megan Glowacz, a junior in animal sciences from Chicago.
The one-time scholarship is for $1,000 and is awarded to students who have successfully completed at least 24 college credit hours.
The Dads Association, which awards $2,000 scholarships, selected six winners after receiving a record number of applicants.
The recipients: Hannah Bailey, a junior in interdisciplinary health from Evergreen Park, Illinois; Isabel Rose Kadiri, a freshman in biology from Niles, Illinois; Priscilla Monsivais, a freshman in sociology and political science from Chicago; Oluwaseun Oyeniran, a freshman in biology from Chicago; Ricardo Esquivel, an undeclared freshman from Cicero; and William Guy Hatfield, a sophomore in agricultural communications.
Other Moms Association Awards, given out at an annual awards ceremony in April during Moms Day weekend festivities:
• Illini Spirit Award: The U. of I. Police Department for its Rape Aggression Defense program, which teaches students self defense and other techniques designed to help them avoid being the victims of assault.
• Humanitarian Awards: Nga Le, a graduate student in the College of Business from Champaign, for a project to create an environmentally sustainable campus food-waste recycling system; and Heather Guetterman, a sophomore majoring in dietetics from Urbana, for promoting community nutrition education.
• Medallion of Honor: Cheryl Owen, of Decatur, Illinois, who earned a master of science degree in journalism on the Urbana campus in 1974, in recognition for her volunteer work, career as a writer and teacher, and family commitment (all six of her children earned degrees at the U. of I.). The Medallion of Honor award was created in 1966 to pay tribute to affiliates of the university who, by example and service, have used their talents to enrich the lives of others.
• Mom of the Year: Mary Ann Glowacz, of Chicago, received the seventh annual Amelia Alpiner Stern Mom of the Year award. The award was established as a means for Illinois students to honor the support, encouragement and inspiration that their moms provide. Glowacz, a member of the police department in Deerfield, Illinois, was nominated by her daughter, Megan Glowacz, a junior, who wrote that her mother “has the courage to make the right decisions, to stand by the values of her department and to successfully calm people down who have been in accidents or other serious situations.” Susan Randall, of Barrington, Illinois, and Genet Gebremicael, of Chicago, were finalists for Mom of the Year.
For more information the Moms and Dads associations, visit online or call the Illini Union Parent Programs Office at 217-333-7063.
The Dads Association, established in 1922, and the Moms Association, established in 1923, are believed to be among the nation’s oldest parent organizations. Both support programs, services and activities that promote the health, safety and the well-being of the university community and serve as parent liaisons to the campus.
