Each year, thousands of Redbirds arrive or return to campus excited to pursue their academic pursuits. Family, friends, faculty, and staff do all they can to smooth the path for students. But for many Redbirds, obstacles will arise, requiring additional support to overcome these unexpected barriers. At Illinois State, thousands of donors step forward each year to help.
Zachary Shugart is a senior studying earth and space science teacher education. He is also an expecting father. Due to medical circumstances that required extensive testing, Shugart found himself with medical debt. “Luckily everything came back negative. But I was strapped with bills,” Shugart said.
Eager to begin his career as a teacher, Shugart sought to take on additional courses to accelerate his path to graduation. The cost of additional credit hours was prohibitive. “I talked with one of my professors and he suggested I talk with the Financial Aid Department,” Shugart said. “Financial Aid pointed me in the direction of the Red and White Scholarship.”
Shugart received the scholarship. “This money is going to help me graduate on time, find a teaching job, and support my new little family,” Shugart said.
The Red and White Scholarship Fund was created to help students respond to unexpected financial barriers. More than 1,600 donors support the Red and White each year.
This fall, Illinois State University is launching the Redbird Success fundraising initiative. The goal of Redbird Success is to garner support for interventions that assist students along their path to graduation. These include Food Security, Health Promotion and Wellness, the Red and White Scholarship Fund, Student Counseling Services, and Student Success and Excellence. Each fund supports Redbird Success by addressing specific student needs. You can learn more about each fund and contribute by visiting Hatch.IllinoisState.edu/g/RedbirdSuccess.
Vice President for Student Affairs “LJ” Johnson, Ed.D. is excited to see how donors step forward to support Redbird Success. “In the Division of Student Affairs, we have the privilege of supporting students throughout their entire collegiate journey,” Johnson said. “Sometimes this means celebrating their successes. Other times, it means helping students in their time of need. Fortunately, we are not alone in our efforts, thanks to donors who have shown a willingness to step forward by making a gift.”
The goal is to raise $50,000 for Redbird Success through contributions to the featured funds. Donors may contribute to these funds whenever they choose but the Redbird Success initiative will end on December 31, 2021. Whichever fund donors support, they’ll share one commonality. They will all be supporting Redbird Success.
Private support is integral to Redbird Success. To learn more about how you can support current students facing unexpected obstacles on their path to graduation, visit Hatch.IllinoisState.edu/g/RedbirdSuccess.
