Charles K. Brightbill Memorial Scholarship

Jaesung will complete his PhD next year. Working with Dr. Laura Payne, he is investigating relationships between leisure and aging and leisure and health. He was a graduate assistant with Campus Recreation for two years. He also volunteered in a nursing home and assisted living facility. As a master’s student at Illinois, he received the Allen V. Sapora Research Award for Master’s Student Research.

Chicago Knight Life Charities Scholarship

Anthony will graduate next year with a concentration in Sport Management. He has been an event management ambassador and marketing assistant for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics. He interned with the Joliet Slammers and Kane County Cougars and will complete an internship with Paragon Marketing Group this summer. A Dean’s List honoree and Edmund J. James Scholar, Anthony is president of the Sports Business Association.

Ronald G. and Patricia L. Stopka Scholarship

Elizabeth will complete her degree in 2021 with a concentration in Sport Management. Her passion for the field grew from her experiences as an assistant varsity badminton coach in high school. She earned an associate’s degree at Waubonsee Community College, where she was a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and the National Society of Leadership and Success.

George and Mary Lowrey Memorial Scholarship

Taylor graduates in May with a degree focused on Sport Management. She is a member of the RST Student Advisory Council and the University of Illinois Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. A Dean’s List honoree, Academic All-Big Ten, and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, Taylor has received the Fighting Illini Spirit Award and Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award.

George and Mary Lowrey Memorial Scholarship

Christian will complete his degree with a concentration in Sport Management next year. He is the statistics manager for the University of Illinois women’s soccer team and president of the Illinois Student Officials Association. He also is a member of the RST Student Advisory Council and an Edmund J. James Scholar in the College of Applied Health Sciences.

Allen V. Sapora Research Award for PhD Student Research

Iulia will complete her PhD in 2021. She worked with Dr. Liza Berdychevsky on a study of recreational drug use as leisure among college students. She served as a mentor in the Student Aging Researchers Training program within the College of Applied Health Sciences and held a year-long position as an assistant editor for the Journal of Leisure Research.

Mary and Duke Regnier Scholarship

Elijah graduates this year with a degree focused on Sport Management. He will work with multiple organizations to develop environmentally sustainable recreational opportunities and facilities in the Sauk Village area, and plans to pursue a Master of Business Administration degree. Elijah has worked as a program supervisor at a summer camp near his hometown.

Mary and Duke Regnier Scholarship

Incheol will complete his PhD in 2021. Working with Dr. Jon Welty Peachey, he is investigating mission statements of sport for development organizations and will present a paper based on his work at the 2019 conference of the North American Society for Sport Management. Prior to joining the RST doctoral program, he worked with at-risk children in a nonprofit sport organization.

Margaret K. and Edward W. Harvey Scholarship

A Dean’s List honoree, Allison will complete her degree in August with a focus on Recreation Management. Over the last four years, she has served as a tournament intern with a Web.com Tour golf event, an event management intern with Morgan Stanley/Greystone Consulting, and a Yelp Campus Ambassador intern.

Chicago Knight Life Charities Scholarship

Collin will complete his degree next year with a focus on Sport Management. He is the 2017-2018 national champion in shot put in the F33 classification of para athletes. A Dean’s List honoree, Collin is a member of the University of Illinois men’s wheelchair basketball team and has been a counselor and coach at summer adapted sports camps. He also works for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and Campus Recreation.

George and Mary Lowrey Memorial Scholarship

Melani will graduate next year with a degree focused on Sport Management. She worked in the intramural department of Campus Recreation for two years as a program assistant, supervisor, field assistant, and official. She also completed an internship with the Island Recreation Center at Hilton Head Island. A Dean’s List honoree, Melani is a member of Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society.

Christine Ziebarth Howe Graduate Student Award

Liselle will complete her PhD next year. Mentored by Dr. Carla Santos, she is investigating fantasy-based media-tourism and examining narrative, commodification, and meaning-making in modern society. She has worked as a guide for educational tours that addressed the history, architecture, and culture of a variety of East Coast cities.

Outstanding Online Master's Award

Abigail completes her degree this year and plans to earn a Certified Parks and Recreation Professional credential. As the program coordinator for the Lincoln Park District in Illinois, she has created an outdoor movie series, 16-inch co-ed softball teams, pickleball leagues, branding materials, and web content. She also is an active volunteer with Central Illinois Girls on the Run and the Lincoln Rotary Club.

Chicago Knight Life Charities Scholarship

Brendan is a sophomore in the Sport Management concentration. He is a student assistant in Athletics Communication within the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and completed an internship with the Joliet Slammers baseball team. He also serves as vice president of events for the Sport Business Association. Brendan is an Edmund J. James Scholar in the College of Applied Health Sciences and Dean’s List honoree.

Margaret K. and Edward W. Harvey Scholarship

Jocelyn graduates this year with a degree focused on Recreation Management. During her undergraduate studies, she has gained experience in planning facilities and events for a local community, planning and implementing an Alternative Spring Break trip for University Housing, and leading activities for 6- to 14-year-old children.

Jesse "Tony" Clements Scholarship in Campus Recreation

Elyse graduates next year with a concentration in Recreation Management. She has worked on campus-wide events such as career fairs, wellness workshops, and athletic tournaments as part of the Campus Recreation events team. Elyse is vice president of the Illinois Women’s Volleyball Club.

Charles K. Brightbill Memorial Scholarship

Kaylee will graduate next year with a degree focused on Tourism Management. Last summer, she traveled to Thailand, where she worked with local residents on sustainable projects related to permaculture, English education, and elephant re-introduction. A Dean’s List honoree, Kaylee completed a marketing and branding internship in the Digital Marketing Department of Toyota Financial Services.

Outstanding Online Master's Award

After completing her degree next year, Dana hopes to offer more special events in Tampa, Florida, as director of the City of Tampa Parks and Recreation Department. She currently is the special events coordinator for the department and previously worked as a recreation programmer, summer camp counselor, and special events intern for the City of Clearwater.

Allen V. Sapora Research Award for Master's Student Research

Racheal will complete her master’s degree in May and will pursue a career in collegiate recreation. As the aquatics graduate assistant at Illinois, she assisted with the oversight and administration of daily operations of three aquatic facilities. She conducted research with Dr. Toni Liechty on how barriers faced by graduate students when using campus recreational facilities impacted their leisure experience.