IVCC students earn scholarships to NIU

Illinois Valley Community College graduates Devanshi Patel of La Salle and Jacob Ritko of Streator earned the full-tuition William and Diane Taylor Scholarships to Northern Illinois University. Patel won the Taylor STEM scholarship, and Ritko earned the accountancy award. Each scholarship is worth more than $25,000 for the students’ junior and senior years at NIU. Patel, who plans to attend medical school and become a physician, was IVCC’s 2020 Frederick W. Matthiessen Award winner, 2020 Phi Theta Kappa All-Illinois Academic Team member, former PTK president, 2019 IVCC Foundation co-21st Century Scholar, peer tutor and a former emergency room volunteer at IVCH. Ritko, who plans to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting before taking the CPA exam, served as a peer tutor and treasurer of PTK and Chem Club. The scholarships are named in honor of philanthropists Bill and Dian Taylor of Winnetka, who are graduates of IVCC and NIU. In 2013, IVCC named its counseling area the William and Dian Taylor Student Development Commons.