Your contributions make a difference in our students’ lives. This month, meet four students who have benefited from your support.
Student Tony Nicolalde
We’re #RedbirdProud of Tony Nicolalde, recipient of the Evelyn J. Rex Endowed Scholarship. As a child of deaf parents, Nicolalde was inspired to pursue Illinois State’s deaf and hard of hearing special education sequence. Nicolalde has big dreams for his career: to persuade school boards to include American Sign Language classes in mainstream curriculum and to incorporate STEM into special education classrooms. Keep up the great work, Tony!
Student Madison Ballard
Illinois State students come ready to take on their education and make the most of it! Madison Ballard is a senior studying agriculture communication and leadership with a minor in mass media. Thanks to the scholarship she received, she had the opportunity to study abroad in Angers, France, where she studied viticulture, the science behind growing grapes.
Student Abby Mendoza
First-generation college student Abby Mendoza is preparing to teach the leaders of tomorrow in an early childhood setting. Mendoza hopes to expand her education by taking American Sign Language courses and by student teaching this spring for Chicago Public Schools. The Ann Rehn and Wayne French Endowed Scholarship she received is helping her achieve her career goals.
Student Melanie Brixius
Melanie Brixius is a sophomore studying theatre teacher education and is a recipient of the Friends of the Arts Scholarship. She uses theater to encourage an empathetic and open-minded response from her audience, and strives to teach future students how to embrace different perspectives through their art.
Your gifts have the power to change a life. To learn more about how you can make an impact at Illinois State through your support of Redbirds Rising: The Campaign for Illinois State, visit Giving.IllinoisState.edu.
