The Kishwaukee College Foundation is pleased to announce the student scholarship recipients for the spring 2026 semester. The foundation awarded 335 scholarships totaling $267,526.

Scholarship funds are made possible through generous gifts from community members, local businesses and industry, and area agencies and associations. Students are selected on a competitive basis according to each scholarship’s specific requirements.

Ogle County-area Kishwaukee College students received the following awards:

Beulah & Roberta Hackett Endowment — Ashley Cadie of Oregon.

Doris V. & Suzanne K. Lewis Memorial Endowment — Logan Popp of Lindenwood.

Kenneth & Susan Doubler Scholarship Fund — Jack Anderson of Chana.

LaVerne “Dutch” Johnson Endowment — Lillie Gebel of Davis Junction, Andrew Gibbs of Monroe Center.

Mark Brisbin Memorial Scholarship — Andrew Gibbs of Monroe Center.

Rowland & Lucile Matteson Endowment — Grace Luxton of Kings, Michelle McCandless of Kings.

Ruth Ashelford Pollock Horticulture Fund — Grace Luxton of Kings, Michelle McCandless of Kings.

Vernon & Dorothy Smith Memorial Scholarship — Rylee Jackson of Chana.

The Kishwaukee College Foundation scholarship application period for the fall 2026 semester is open Monday, Feb. 2, through Friday, March 13. For more information on foundation scholarships, contact the Kishwaukee College Foundation at 815-825-9803 or visit kish.edu/kcfscholarships.

Ogle County students named to Iowa State University fall 2025 Dean’s List

More than 11,800 Iowa State University students have been recognized for outstanding academic achievement by being named to the 2025 fall semester Dean’s List. Students named to the Dean’s List must earn a grade-point average of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale while carrying a minimum of 12 credit hours of graded course work.

Ogle County students that made the list include: Byron’s Hunter Faith Bargren, Elementary Education, B.S.; Nick Cassens, Mechanical Engineering, B.S.; Eric Detig, Management, B.S.; Gianna Franchi, Biology, B.S. (LAS) and Shannon McHale, English, B.A.

Leaf River’s Alex Milnes, Mechanical Engineering, B.S.

Lindenwood’s Jack Richolson, Agricultural Studies, B.S.

Monroe Center’s Tyler Dean Hall, Agricultural Studies, B.S.

Mt. Morris’s Andrew McKanna, Industrial Design, B.I.D.

Oregon’s Matthew J. Kuehn, Mechanical Engineering, B.S. and Valerie Ann Nyderek, Biochemistry, B.S. (AGLS).

Polo’s Joseph Lee Bardell, Mechanical Engineering, B.S.; Isabella Bergstrom, Biology, B.S. (LAS); Molly Marie Blum, Agronomy, B.S.; Nicole Lee Boelens, English, B.A. and Harper Leigh Clark, Microbiology, B.S.

Ogle County-area students named to NIU fall 2025 Dean’s List

Northern Illinois University recently announced its fall 2025 Dean’s List students. To earn this distinction, students must meet a minimum semester grade-point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale in the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology or a minimum of 3.75 on a 4.0 scale in the colleges of Business, Education, Health and Human Sciences, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Visual and Performing Arts.

Students from the Ogle County area who achieved the honor include:

Baileyville: Mya Greenfield, English - B.A., Forreston High School. Sydney Regez, Communicative Disorders, Forreston High School.

Byron: Austin Coyne, Mechanical Eng-Sustainable Eng, Byron High School. Rosalyn Goldstick, ELED-General Elementary Educ, Stillman Valley High School. Hailey Groharing, Marketing - B.S. Conner Lee, Mechanical Engineering - B.S. Trevor Miller, Accountancy, Stillman Valley High School. Jaden Palzkill, ELED-General Elementary Educ, Byron High School. Maria Robinson, Art Studio, Byron High School.

Chana: Sonya Plescia, Pre-Nursing, Oregon High School.

Davis Junction: Cody Blevins, Manufacturing Engineering Tech, Stillman Valley High School. Jacob Blevins, Manufacturing Engineering Tech, Stillman Valley High School. Kylie Hall, Art and Design Education, Stillman Valley High School. Liam O’Sullivan, Mechanical Engineering - B.S. Olivia Paluzzi, Family Social Services, Stillman Valley High School. Madeline Smith, ELED-General Elementary Educ, Stillman Valley High School. Emma Underwood, Psychology - B.S., East High School.

Esmond: Aiden Roschi, Biological Sciences - B.S., Eagle River High School.

Forreston: Taylor Akins, Health Sciences-General, Forreston High School. Autum Pritchard, Health Sciences-General, Forreston High School. Marisa Vogt, Kinesiology, Forreston High School.

Leaf River: Mary Baier, Early Childhood Education, Byron High School. Trent Lange, Biological Sciences - B.S., Whiteland Community High School.

Mt. Morris: Lillian Garncarz, Biological Sciences - B.S., Oregon High School.

Oregon: Gabriele Hoyle, Kinesiology, Oregon High School. Frances West, Art Studio.

Polo: Emileigh Williams, Communicative Disorders, Polo Community High School.