EIU receives additional $10K gift from Wells Fargo Advisors to provide local scholarships
Feb-07-2019(Charleston, IL) – Leaders from Wells Fargo Advisors in Charleston and Eastern Illinois University came together recently to once again celebrate a community-based scholarship program initially launched in fall 2017.
In late January, Wells Fargo Advisors in Charleston announced a second donation of $10,000 to Eastern Illinois University as part of the university’s Community Ambassador Scholarship package, intended to encourage local high school graduates to stay in the area for college. This follows a $20,000 gift from Wells Fargo Advisors in December 2017, used to initially kick start the program. Last fall, 52 local high school students received $2,000 Community Ambassador Scholarships to attend Eastern Illinois University, allowing them to continue their academic careers in east-central Illinois.
“Wells Fargo Advisors was a catalyst in helping EIU to initiate our Community Ambassador Scholarship program over a year ago, and we’re pleased to partner with them again as they support additional scholarships in the east-central Illinois area,” said Dr. David Glassman, EIU president. “Wells Fargo Advisors have been vital to the comprehensive success of this program, and their commitments have inspired other local businesses to continue investing in our own communities. I thank them for their leadership and their devotion to student success.”
“Wells Fargo Advisors is committed to positioning people for long-term success,” said Wells Fargo Advisors Branch Manager Gary Swearingen. “Part of that commitment is providing the access and opportunities students need to be successful as current and future members of our regional communities.”
Studies from the Illinois Board of Higher Education indicate that the vast majority of Illinois college students tend to stay in the state after graduation, and that many of those students go on to live and work in or near their hometown communities. Swearingen cites those reasons as why it’s critical to create additional onramps for success here at home.
As part of Wells initial $20,000 donation, Swearingen also hoped Wells Fargo Advisors in Charleston would serve as a catalyst to other local businesses wanting to invest more deeply in the region by providing even more scholarship opportunities to local students. This time, he says, it’s no different.
“Creating these opportunities provides real and tangible benefits to local students,” Swearingen said. “Students who aspire to live and work in our communities continue to drive the enduring production and growth of our larger east-central Illinois economy, and that’s important to everyone in the region.”
Additional information about EIU’s Community Ambassador Scholarship is available at www.eiu.edu/ambassador-scholarship/. For more information on the EIU application process, contact the Office of Admissions at (877) 581-BEIU(2348), admissions@eiu.edu, or find more contact information online at www.eiu.edu/admissions.php.
For more information about EIU, or to learn more about its various programs and services, visit the EIU website at www.eiu.edu, or call EIU’s public information office at (217) 581-7400.
Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.
PHOTO: Representatives from Wells Fargo Advisors and Eastern Illinois University gathered recently to celebrate their ongoing partnership in creating student opportunities through the Community Ambassador Scholarship program, which encourages local high school graduates to stay in the area and attend EIU. Holding the check and surrounded by Wells Fargo Advisors employees are Dan Cunningham, Wells Fargo Advisors; Michael Murray, Director of Development for Eastern Illinois University; and Gary Swearingen, CFP ® and Complex Manager at Wells Fargo Advisors.
