Director's Corner

News from Your Alumni Association

Amy Spelman May marked once again the most exciting time of the year on the Western Illinois University campus. Commencement ceremonies were held May 9-11 and more than 1,900 students were welcomed as the newest members of the WIU Alumni Association. While we bid them farewell, we know it is just the beginning of a new chapter in their relationship with WIU.

We look forward to welcoming a new class of students this fall to your alma mater. Beginning with that class, 20 scholarships will be available exclusively to children of alumni, in addition to the Laflin Scholarship we currently have! In our efforts to continue the legacy you began when you first joined the Western Illinois family, we hope you are as excited as we are about this new benefit. Each year, gifts made directly to the Alumni Association support scholarships, programming, and the upkeep of the Alumni House. At the May meeting of the Western Illinois University Alumni Council (the 26-member committee represents the interests of our nearly 105,000 alumni around the world) voted to change the criteria of the scholarships currently funded through contributions to require that the recipients be children of alumni. I am very happy to share this change with you, as it is a welcomed addition to the many other benefits provided to our alumni. The Alumni Council works very hard on your behalf to ensure you are provided with as many opportunities as possible to stay connected to your alma mater. For those of you who have children who are choosing where they want to go to college, or considering transferring, we hope these scholarships will help you encourage them to choose Western.

In the coming months, you will see the official announcement of these scholarships. In the meantime, I look forward to seeing you at an upcoming event and visiting with you about this and much more! Go Western!

Amy Spelman

Amy Spelman MS '98