Help REALTOR® members and their families offset the rising costs of education with a donation to the Illinois Real Estate Educational Foundation (REEF), an organization that recently passed the $1M mark in awarding scholarships to REALTORS®, aspiring REALTORS® and their families since 2000.

As it has done annually during that 25-year period, REEF announced numerous scholarship recipients for college students. The James M. Kinney Scholarship awarded 17 winners of $1,000 each, while the Richard “Dick” D. Wiegers Scholarship honored six students with $1,000 each and the Morgan L. Fitch Scholarship gave one recipient $2,000.

James M. Kinney Scholarship ($17,000 total)

  • Michelle Babyak, $1,000, Belmont University, Nashville, Tenn.;
  • Sarah Babyak, $1,000, Belmont University, Nashville, Tenn.;
  • Mya Bills, $1,000, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio;
  • Camille Carlson, $1,000, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisc.;
  • Jordyn Crawford, $1,000, Illinois State University, Bloomington, Ill.;
  • Aerowyn Harris, $1,000, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, Mo.;
  • Gunner Jacks, $1,000, Illinois State University, Bloomington, Ill.;
  • Camron Kwilosz, $1,000, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa;
  • Maci Long, $1,000, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Ill.;
  • Parker Miller, $1,000, University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo.;
  • Annika Pappas, $1,000, Indiana University Southeast, New Albany, Ind.;
  • Bianca Persicketti, $1,000, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee;
  • Cecilia Persicketti, $1,000, University of Evansville, Evansville, Ind.;
  • Emilee Schultz, $1,000, Waubonsee Community College, Sugar Grove, Ill.;
  • Mara Torres, $1,000, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Ill.;
  • Audrey Wesemann, $1,000, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio; and
  • Taylor Wilkerson, $1,000, Olivet Nazarene University, Bourbonnais, Ill.

Richard D. Wiegers Scholarship ($6,000 total)

  • Daniel Antony, $1,000, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.;
  • Alexander Avila, $1,000, Trinity Christian College, Palos Heights, Ill.;
  • Luke Barney, $1,000, Danville Area Community College, Danville, Ill.;
  • Gavin Rogers, $1,000, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, Ill.;
  • Kayla Scanlon, $1,000, Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, Ill.; and
  • Chloe Squaire, $1,000, Lake Land College, Mattoon, Ill.

Morgan L. Fitch Scholarship

  • Ryan Baugher, $2,000, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Ill.

REEF has awarded 1,399 scholarships of varying amounts since 2000. REEF administers 16 scholarship programs, with winners announced at different times of year. The scholarships are categorized by their application deadlines:

Ongoing – No specific application deadline

  • Gary L. Clayton Scholarship ($1,000 each),
  • Illinois Education and Training Grant ($100 each),
  • Illinois Diversity Real Estate Scholarship Program ($500 each) and
  • Rich Port Scholarship ($300 each).

April 1 Deadline

  • Academic Scholarships ($1,000 each),
  • Daniel L. Goodwin Scholarship ($1,000 each),
  • George Patt Scholarship Fund ($1,000 each),
  • James M. Kinney Scholarship ($1,000 each),
  • Morgan L. Fitch Scholarship ($2,000 each),
  • Parker R. Oldenettel Scholarship ($1,000 each),
  • Richard “Dick” Wiegers Scholarship ($1,000 each) and
  • Thomas F. Seay Scholarship ($2,000 each).

Sept. 1 Deadline

  • Margery D. Shinners Scholarship ($1,500 each) and
  • Robert E. Cook Scholarship ($1,500 each).

Oct. 1 Deadline

  • Past Presidents Scholarship ($500 each) and
  • Roxanne Malo Leadership Scholarship ($500 each).

Help REEF supporters raise the next million dollars

If you believe in the not-for-profit mission of REEF, promoting real estate education and supporting real estate students with scholarships to further their education, join your REALTOR® colleagues in donating to the foundation. Becoming a REEF supporter is as easy as using your credit card. Choose from a variety of donation recognition levels all the way up to $150,000. To find out more about each level of support, visit the REEF website at: https://www.ilreef.org/supporting-the-foundation/.

If you are interested in REEF, check the list of REEF’s Board of Directors and find fellow REALTORS® who will tell you about their own experiences. This year’s president is Brandon Shaffer of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices in Bloomington, and Jim Sim of Oak Leaf Realty in Frankfort is the vice-president.