July 30, 2025
SIU Alumni Association awards over $79,000 to support students
CARBONDALE, Ill. — The SIU Alumni Association will award a total of $79,140 in student support for the 2025-26 academic year, including $45,500 in scholarships and $33,640 in textbook awards to deserving students attending Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
This year’s awards, as always, are made possible through the generous support of alumni and regional alumni groups who, throughout the year, invest in the future of fellow Salukis. The funding reflects the association’s commitment to doing its part to help students succeed.
“Alumni across the country have stepped up once again to show what it means to support the next generation of Salukis,” said Molly Hudgins, executive director of the SIU Alumni Association. “These scholarships and textbook awards aren’t just financial assistance—they’re a statement of belief in the talent, ambition and potential of our students.”
In the last year, the association has doubled efforts with alumni volunteers to raise more funds for scholarships covering regions that not only many Salukis call home but also attract the most prospective students to campus. Recently, the association announced its Chicagoland Scholarship Fund had achieved a milestone $25,000 endowment goal, which will help ensure more awards for future students from the region. In addition, the association continues to fundraise toward similar endowment goals for the Greater St. Louis Area and for Williamson County in Southern Illinois, which would join both Jackson and Union counties with endowed scholarship funds.
“If you’re an alum who’s been thinking about giving to students, either for the first time or the first time in a long time, right now you have an opportunity to make a very impactful gift to one of our many funds,” Hudgins said. “There’s great energy among Salukis for getting these scholarship goals met and more students than ever who would appreciate your support.”
2025–26 Alumni Scholarship Recipients
Below is a snapshot of this year’s regional and legacy scholarship recipients (textbook award recipients are not listed). The students are from Illinois unless otherwise noted.
Keith and Carol Sanders Alumni Scholarship
- Madison Smith – Benton
Legacy Scholarship
- Hannah Phelps – Owensboro, Kentucky
- Sinaya Cecil – Houston, Texas
- Caitney File – Du Quoin
- Kaylie Ratcliff – Mount Vernon
Kill SIU AA Scholarship
- Jayla Smith – Mount Carmel
- Matthew O'Neal – Vienna
Roscoe Pulliam Memorial Scholarship
- Olivia Doering – Carterville
- Alexander Palmer – Effingham
- Olivia Bond – Herrin
- Zyon Jackson – Normal
Chicagoland Chapter Scholarship
- Joshua Feltz – Hoffman Estates
- Kaney Cooley – Lansing
Union County Chapter Scholarship
- Bryn Keller – Anna
- Kenzie Stover – Buncombe
Perry County Chapter Scholarship
- Garrett Biby – Pinckneyville
- Evette Lewis – Du Quoin
Williamson County Chapter Scholarship
- Abbey Dorsey – Carterville
Alongi Legacy Scholarship Fund
- Madelyn Doerflein – Pinckneyville
- Avery Wilt – Pinckneyville
Support Black Undergraduate Education Endowed Scholarship Fund
- Keyshon Danzy – Chicago
- Sercye Haynes – Decatur
Elizabeth Lewis Memorial Scholarship
- Samuel Wang – Carbondale
- Tabytha Young – Murphysboro
- Clare Meadows – Mulkeytown
- Jayla Ware – Carbondale
Jackson County Family YMCA Scholarship
- Eislee Moore – Makanda
- Aiden Ledbetter – Carbondale
Jackson County Chapter Scholarship
- Shayla Murray – Carbondale
- Shelby Dierks – Ava
Prairie Capitol Chapter Scholarship
- Greyson Applebee – Forsyth
St. Louis Chapter Scholarship
- Theodore Seaman – Edwardsville
Rockford Area Retention Award
- Paityn Kann – Byron
For more information on scholarships or to support student success at SIU, visit siualumni.com.