Another Golden Apple

EAST PEORIA — For the second time in as many years, an ICC student has been awarded a coveted scholarship from the Chicago-based Golden Apple Foundation.

This year, ICC student Hannah Sauder was one of only three community college students in Illinois to receive one of these Golden Apple Scholarships, which are awarded only to education majors who show great potential to teach in Illinois.

After being raised and homeschooled her whole life in nearby Roanoke, Sauder first enrolled here at ICC last spring.

“I’ve loved ICC, and I just felt like I jumped right in. I’ve had a great time getting to know different people … people that I would never talk to otherwise,” said Sauder.

Last fall, Sauder took the first steps towards getting this scholarship after a representative from the Golden Apple Foundation visited her Education 111 class here on campus.

“That’s when I became more informed and interested about it, and then after that I signed up for it and a few weeks later they sent me a package in the mail that had everything that you needed to [apply] for it,” said Sauder.

Receiving this scholarship puts Sauder in a prestigious group of people, but she credits someone else for the achievement.

“I think believing in God has always given me a deeper appreciation for humans … Part of my passion for being able to help open the world to children comes from Him. To me, without Him I am nothing,” said Sauder.

Receiving this scholarship means that Sauder will spend one month this summer in the Chicago area helping in inner-city schools by day and studying at Depaul University in the evenings. This is only the second year that Illinois community college students have been given this opportunity.

Pat Kilduff of the Golden Apple Foundation said, “We would love to have the kind of relationship we have with ICC with all the Illinois community colleges.”

Sauder plans to transfer to ISU in the spring.