Our Recipients
Through the generosity of local donors who care deeply about the advanced education of local youth, the Starved Rock Country Community Foundation (SRCCF) is pleased to honor our scholarship recipients. The Board of Directors and staff of SRCCF would like to extend their sincere thanks to the donors who made these scholarships possible and congratulations to the recipients.
Scholarship Recipients
2026
The Rising Star Scholarship
The Rising Star Scholarship was established by Ethel McConnell of Ottawa. Ethel cherished her 35-year teaching career in Aurora, Ottawa and Marseilles.
This $5,000 scholarship is awarded to a high school graduate or recent graduate planning to study Elementary Education at Illinois State University.
The 2026 Rising Star is Kealey Rick of Ottawa. Kealey is studying Elementary Education at Illinois State University. The daughter of Justin and Brooke Rick was inspired to pursue a career in elementary education by her sophomore English teacher.
The Mac-Aero Scholarship for Aeronautics and Aviation
Ethel McConnell also established The Mac-Aero Scholarship for Aeronautics and Aviation. The prestigious $10,000 award honors Ethel’s beloved husband Ed, a proud farmer, veteran, and owner of Mac-Aero in Seneca. Ed rebuilt and repaired light planes at the airfield.
This year’s Mac-Aero recipient is Andrea Kerestes of Oglesby. Andrea is majoring in Aviation Flight Science & Aviation Management & Services at Western Michigan University.
Andrea was inspired to pursue a career in aviation by her father and grandfather, both pilots themselves. The daughter of Chad and Lisa Kerestes has already earned her private pilot’s license.
The Carol and Dick Janko Scholarship for Promising Entrepreneurs
The Carol and Dick Janko Scholarship for Promising Entrepreneurs was created for graduates who demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit. The scholarship recognizes Dick and Carol Janko’s lifelong commitment to youth, education, economic development, and philanthropy. The scholarship will award $7,500 to four recipients.
Ryan Jagers of Princeton is majoring in Ag Business/Farm Management at Illinois Valley Community College. Ryan is the first-place Janko winner of $3,000.
Ryan’s first entrepreneurial experience was running his own lawn business with his brother. Due to his business savvy, his business has grown and he has hired an employee. The son of Tom and Gail Jagers is passionate about farming and his long-term goal is to run his family’s farm.
Lilliana Bernabei
Lilliana Bernabei of Ottawa, is studying Agribusiness at Iowa State University, where she is very active in many university Agriculture clubs and activities. The daughter of Mark and Jessica Bernabei is receiving the $2,000 Janko award.
Gabriella Lewis
Gabriella Lewis of Mendota High School will study Music Performance and Nutrition at the University of Illinois. She hopes to become a nutritionist and also open her own music studio to give performance lessons. The daughter of Julie Lewis will receive a $1,500 Janko scholarship.
Angela Frost
Angela Frost of Princeton High School will study Cosmetology at Educators of Beauty. She would like to one day open and manage her own salon.The daughter of Janet and Lincoln Frost will receive a $1,000 Janko award.
Advantech Internet of Things (IoT) Scholarship for Science, Engineering and Technology
The Advantech Internet of Things (loT) Scholarship for Science, Engineering and Technology, awards two $2,500 scholarships, one each for a male and female.
The 2026 winners are Jameson Hill of LaSalle-Peru High School and Caroline Keutzer of Princeton High School. Jameson, the son of Joshua and Tiara Hill will study Engineering at the University of Iowa. Caroline plans to major in Neuroscience at the University of South Carolina. She is the daughter of Stephen and Michelle Keutzer.
Jameson Hill
Caroline Keutzer
The Robert J. Moore and Ellen G. Moore Scholarship
The Robert J. Moore and Ellen G. Moore Scholarship is for graduates of Fieldcrest High School living in Wenona. Prior to his death, Bob Moore committed a portion of his estate to scholarships for college students in need of financial assistance. This year, this scholarship is awarded to three recipients.
Myah Burns
A $2,000 Moore scholarship has been awarded to Myah Burns. She is currently attending Illinois Valley Community College and plans to study Chiropractic Medicine. She is the daughter of Brandi Burns of Wenona.
Brooklyn Simmons
Brooklyn Simmons is a graduate of Fieldcrest High School. She will also receive a $2,000 scholarship. The daughter of Jody and Heather Simmons will attend Illinois Central College and major as a Diagnostic Medical Sonographer.
Macy Gochanour
Macy Gochanour, another Fieldcrest graduate and a $2,000 Moore scholarship winner, plans to attend Illinois Valley Community College to study Health Science. She is the daughter of Jeffrey and Jody Gochanour.
The Thomas “Tucker” Tillman Scholarship
The Thomas “Tucker” Tillman Scholarship was established by Shalanda Rabadan, Tucker Tillman’s niece. An outstanding student-athlete, Tucker died shortly after graduating from Marquette in 1973.
Since then, Marquette has awarded the Tillman Trophy to a graduating senior who demonstrates charisma, leadership, and academic and athletic excellence.
The $250 Tillman Scholarship goes to Alec Novotney of Ottawa. The son of Josh and Sonja Novotney will study at Valparaiso University.
The Women Inspired Network (WIN) Young Women Leaders Scholarship
The Women Inspired Network (WIN) Young Women Leaders Scholarship was established by SRCCF to further the education of women who demonstrate significant leadership.
It encourages recipients to return to Starved Rock Country to live and work. The scholarship is funded by generous donations of women across Starved Rock Country who support WIN.Two awards are being offered.
The $3,000 awards will go to Lily Mueller of Seneca High School and Ava Offermann of Marquette Academy.
Lily Mueller
Lily Mueller, the daughter of Matthew and Katie Mueller, will be a Pre-Med student at Stanford University this fall. She was inspired to go into medicine by her parents who have adopted 3 children with medical issues. She is accompanied tonight by her grandparents Tom & Rita Tracy
Ava Offermann
Ava Offermann is the daughter of Jeff and Penny Offermann. She will study Mechatronics Engineering at Northern Illinois University. She aspires to use her degree to help industries transition to greener practices.
The Molly Lenora Yacko Memorial Scholarship
The Molly Lenora Yacko Memorial Scholarship was established by Molly’s cousin, Emily Yacko Hardee. Emily created the Run Today for Tomorrow 5K in Ottawa in 2019. The 7th Annual Run/Walk is Saturday, June 27 in Ottawa.
Emily’s mission is to help people who have been affected by suicide and mental health issues.
Two $1,000 Yacko scholarships are being awarded this year. The first is to Rachel Pinter, a Social Work major at Aurora University. Pinter hopes to make a difference by changing the narrative surrounding mental health and creating positive change in her community. The second is to Chesney Auter of Ottawa, who is attending Ball State University majoring in Sports Psychology. Her goal is to eventually work with Special Olympians. She is the daughter of Cortney Krug and Jeremy Krug. Chesney received the Yacko award in 2024 & 2025.
The Streator Leading Ladies Maxine Wargo Working Women's Scholarship
The Streator Leading Ladies Maxine Wargo Working Women’s Scholarship was established by the Streator Business and Professional Women, now known as the Streator Leading Ladies, to honor a driving force in the Streator community.
It honors the legacy of Streator native and business owner Maxine Wargo. Her infectious spirit and positive attitude inspired others to get involved in Streator. Her work ethic and strong will to succeed made her a role model for women entering or returning to the workforce.
A graduate of the Illinois Math and Science Academy, Eleanor Hasty of Ottawa is the $2,000 Wargo scholarship winner. The daughter of Robb and Amy Hasty, Eleanor plans to study Ecology and Environmental Science at the University of Minnesota. She hopes to do research with a focus on conserving the natural world or mitigating climate change.
The Robert Cotner Memorial Scholarship
The Robert Cotner Memorial Scholarship honors an extraordinary man whose kindness, brilliance, compassion and creativity inspired those fortunate enough to know him.
Bob passed away November 16, 2024, leaving a legacy that will continue to inspire and guide his family and loved ones. Bob became a scholar of remarkable depth. He dedicated his life to the pursuit of knowledge, not merely for its own sake, but to better the world around him. His intellect was unparalleled; a shining beacon of curiosity and understanding that illuminated countless minds. Bob was above all a family man, cornerstone of a loving family who adored him. Norma, his devoted wife of 68 years, is a cherished member of the SRCCF Board.
The $1,500 Robert Cotner Memorial Scholarship winner is Elisabeth “Ella” Kamke of Utica. Ella is currently studying Music Education for K-12 students at Illinois State University.. She is the daughter of Darren and Kristine Kamke.
The Dolores “Dee” Heflebower Memorial Nursing Scholarship
The Dolores “Dee” Heflebower Memorial Nursing Scholarship was created by John Heflebower of St. Helena, California and Linda Gorr of Arlington Heights, Illinois to honor their older sister, Dee, the daughter of the late Anne Baker and wife of former Peru Mayor Don Baker.
The scholarship is awarded annually to an area nursing student planning to work in oncology. The Bakers created the scholarship initially with the Illinois Valley Community Hospital Foundation. Don died at age 87 in 2016 and Anne at age 99 in 2020. Dee died of ovarian cancer in 2000. Heflebower said Dee was a great ‘big’ sister to him and Linda.
The first $3,000 Dolores “Dee” Heflebower Memorial Nursing Scholarship winner is Khloe Graham of Streator. Khloe is studying Nursing at St. Ambrose University. She is the daughter of Joseph and Kelly Graham.
The “Boots” Wisniewski-Eike Scholarship
The “Boots” Wisniewski-Eike Scholarship pays tribute to Charlene Just-Wisniewski Eike, who was known to all as “Boots.” A student at Marquette High School, Boots participated in various sports and school activities, along with some general mischief. Boots was also crowned the Ottawa City Champion in tennis.
After graduation, she attended St. Xavier University, became an educator, and taught at Wallace Grade School for 30 years. Boots was inducted into the 2000 Marquette Hall of Fame based on her distinguished career in education. Boots cherished humor, her many friendships, her family, and her faith.
Established by her niece, Kathy Wisniewski, and her sons, David and Donald Wisniewski, the scholarship criteria requires that female student applicants can demonstrate engagement in community service, leadership skills, participation in extracurricular activities, a faith-based lifestyle, and an interest in pursuing a career geared toward improving the lives of children such as an educator, counselor, librarian, speech/language pathologist, social worker or behavior analyst.
The first annual $2,000 “Boots” Wisniewski-Eike Scholarship winner is Elisabeth “Ella” Kamke of Utica. Ella is studying Music Education at Illinois State University. She is the daughter of Darren and Kristine Kamke.
The Frank C. Oathoudt Memorial Scholarship
The Frank C. Oathoudt Memorial Scholarship was created by Pam Helfers Riss of Streator to honor her late brother-in-law, a Vietnam veteran, newspaper journalist and editor. Frank, a U.S. Army helicopter pilot in Vietnam from October 1970 to October 1971, died at the age of 74 on January 8, 2024, in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Born in Manistee, Michigan, Frank maintained a lifelong connection to his hometown. Following his Army enlistment and tour of duty, he spent his civilian career in newspapers, rising to editor before retirement. “When not on a news desk, he was an avid reader. There was rarely a topic on which Frank could not converse thoughtfully. We created this scholarship to honor how generous he was throughout his life.” Pam said. She also noted, “Frank had a roadmap for success made up of four steps: ‘Every day you must get up, you must show up, and then you must keep up. And sometimes, you might need to shut up.’”
The first annual Frank C. Oathoudt Memorial Scholarship winner is Lily Mueller of Seneca High School. Lily will be a Pre-Med student this fall at Stanford University. She is the daughter of Matthew and Katie Mueller.
Other scholarships offered through the Starved Rock Country Community Foundation include: Tangled Roots Brewing Company Pie It Forward Scholarship for Hospitality and Culinary Arts, The Charles H. Beckett Scholarship for Culinary Arts, and The Stephen Charles Vogler Scholarship for Electronics and Communications.
