Oakton/Elmhurst College Award First Alumni Scholarship

Des Plaines resident Susana Gomez is the initial recipient of the newly established Elmhurst College/Oakton Community College Alumni Scholarship.

Gomez majored in liberal studies at Oakton, where she completed her associate of arts degree in August of 2009. Now earning a bachelor’s degree in communications at Elmhurst College as part of the accelerated degree-completion program offered through Elmhurst’s School for Professional Studies, Gomez plans to pursue a career in human resources upon graduation.

Intended to support the continuing education of Oakton Community College alumni, the Elmhurst College/Oakton Community College Alumni Scholarship was endowed in 2014 by Timothy J. Panfil, an Oakton Community College Alumni Council member and director of enrollment management for the School for Professional Studies at Elmhurst College. The Elmhurst College/Oakton Community College Alumni Scholarship accelerated degree-completion programs at Elmhurst help students earn an undergraduate degree quickly as classes are held in the evenings and online to accommodate a variety of schedules. Elmhurst’s accelerated degree-completion programs include the Elmhurst management program (business administration), information technology, Elmhurst communications programs, and applied psychology.

Elmhurst College and the Oakton Community College Alumni Council worked together to establish the scholarship as part of a statewide initiative to help community college students continue their education. The scholarship is offered to one outstanding adult learner who graduates from Oakton Community College and transfers into an accelerated degree completion program at Elmhurst College. The award is valued at $3,500 per term, which represents almost half the cost of tuition and is the largest award granted by Elmhurst’s School for Professional Students. To be considered, students must have successfully completed an associate’s degree at Oakton and be admitted and enrolled full-time in an accelerated degree completion program at Elmhurst College.

All scholarship applications are reviewed by members of the Oakton Community College Alumni Council. The scholarship is awarded biannually (in both the fall and spring terms), and applications for fall scholarships are due by July 15. Both institutions look forward to providing students with this innovative scholarship opportunity that encourages them to further their education.

“The State’s economic success depends on well-educated workers,” said Timothy H. Ricordati, dean of Elmhurst College’s School for Professional Studies. “Scholarships like this are a great way for Elmhurst to work with two-year colleges to respond to that need and at the same time benefit students.”

“The Elmhurst College/Oakton Community College Alumni Scholarship is the ultimate extension of Oakton’s primary mission of student success, and we are so grateful to both Tim Panfil and the Elmhurst School for Professional Studies for their efforts in helping our graduates complete their educational journey,” said Oakton President Margaret B. Lee, Ph.D.

Oakton Community College District 535 serves more than 450,000 residents in the communities of Evanston, Glencoe, Glenview, Golf, Kenilworth, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northbrook, Northfield, Park Ridge, Skokie, Wilmette, Winnetka, and parts of Des Plaines, Mount Prospect, and Rosemont. With campuses in Des Plaines and Skokie, in sites throughout the district, and via a robust online presence, Oakton offers associates degrees in 80 fields of study as well as learning opportunities for career advancement and personal enrichment.

The School for Professional Studies at Elmhurst College is dedicated to providing high-quality education to working adults and those whose life commitments have precluded higher education. To meet the needs of these nontraditional students, programs and courses are offered in the evenings, on weekends, and on-line in accelerated formats.

For more information about the Elmhurst College/Oakton Community College Alumni Scholarship, contact Tim Panfil at panfilt@elmhurst.edu or 630.617.3256.