SIU’s Family Weekend 2026 will honor two special families on Saturday, Sept. 12 — the Heisner family (above) from left, Cynthia, Eliza, Carly and Blaine, and the Nolan family (bottom photo), front row, from left, Kristie Nolan, Kaden Jordan, and Nyla Jordan and (top row, from left) Lawrence Nolan Jr., Robin Nolan, Margaret Nolan, Lawrence Nolan Sr. and Kierra Nolan. (Photos provided)
September 10, 2026
Heisner and Nolan families are SIU’s 2026 Families of the Year
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Two Southern Illinois families have been selected as the 2026 Saluki Family of the Year winners at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and each will be honored during Saluki Family Weekend festivities, Sept. 11-13.
Eliza Heisner, a freshman in nursing and her family from Pinckneyville, Illinois — parents Blaine and Cynthia, and older sister, Carly — are this year’s “legacy” Saluki Family of the Year. The Kristie Nolan family of Murphysboro, Illinois, a first-generation college student family, is the non-legacy Saluki Family of the Year. She is a senior in organizational learning, innovation, and development and will graduate in December 2026.
The Family of the Year committee reviewed a total of 16 nominations — eight legacy and eight non-legacy entries. Committee members Charles Walker, Dylan Chambers, Gena Albert, Tina Sickinger and Zuzanna Gaik selected the winners in each category.
“The Family of the Year award provides a special opportunity to hear the stories behind our students’ success,” said Charles Walker, interim director of New Student Programs. “The nominations we receive are filled with gratitude for family members who have offered unwavering encouragement, made countless sacrifices, and celebrated every milestone along the way. It reminds us that the college experience is strengthened by the support of those who stand beside our students, and we are proud to recognize this year’s recipients as outstanding members of the Saluki Family.”
Not a stranger to SIU
While just starting her academic journey at SIU, Heisner notes that she has “18 years of experience of being a Saluki behind me.” Her father, Blaine, is a three-degree SIU graduate and an associate professor in SIU’s automotive technology program. Her mother, Cynthia, earned a bachelor’s degree in English from SIU and is senior business manager at the SIU Simmons Law School. Older sister Carly, now a senior, earned a Chancellor’s Scholarship, is a member of the Marching Saluki drumline, and will graduate in May 2027 with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences.
Heisner said that she and Carly attended multiple summer camps in addition to visiting campus on school trips and competitions. Her first memory of SIU is watching her dad graduate with a master’s degree when she was four years old. The family has “always bled maroon,” spending “countless Saturdays cheering at football games and making memories on campus.”
“Ever since I was little, I have always known that I would end up at SIU,” she said. “This university has been a huge part of my life, with both of my parents working here and being proud alumni.”
Heisner noted that SIU has played a “constant and very positive role” in her life and that when she graduates, the family will have “at least six SIU degrees to be proud of.”
“Although my time at SIU so far has been wonderful, I am even more excited for all the new experiences, friendships, and memories I will make over the next four years,” she said. “Being a part of the Saluki family is something I have looked forward to my entire life, and I am so grateful to carry on the family legacy.”
Cynthia Heisner said that she and her husband, Blaine, are honored with the selection.
“We love SIU. From our time here as students, to starting our careers, to now being Saluki parents, we’ve always known how lucky we are to have SIU in our backyard,” she said. “SIU provides so many opportunities for families in Southern Illinois, and we are proud to be a part of that. Go Dawgs!”
Perseverance, faith and family
For Nolan, a senior in organizational learning, innovation, and development, her Saluki story is all about her family. A cosmetology instructor at John A. Logan College, Nolan said that when she graduates in a few months “my entire family crosses with me. This degree represents faith, sacrifice, perseverance and finishing what I started.”
Nolan said earning Saluki Family of the Year honors also belongs to her parents, pastors Lawrence and Margaret Nolan, her 10-year-old son, Kaden Jordan, and her younger siblings, Lawrence Nolan Jr. and Kierra Nolan. Her family, she said, “is truly my village.”
“This award belongs to my entire family because they have prayed, sacrificed, encouraged, and carried me through this journey,” said Nolan, who transferred from John A. Logan to SIU in summer 2024. “They may be connected to my education, but we earned this recognition together.”
Nolan said her story is about one word: finishing. It is a trait that she already sees in her son, Kaden, whose father passed away four years ago.
Nolan was born three months prematurely and weighed just one pound She is blind in her right eye, and lives with conditions including attention deficit disorder, narcolepsy, and chronic SI joint dysfunction. Nolan, however, emphasizes while the disabilities “may affect how I accomplish something, they don’t determine whether I can accomplish it.”
Nolan added that primarily being an online student, along with her parents’ help, allows her to balance being a mother while working and managing other responsibilities. The resources at SIU, including the Achieve Program and TRIO Student Support Services, have been extremely important to my success. I am genuinely grateful for the people and programs that have helped me keep moving toward graduation.”
“I built my career in cosmetology, but teaching helped me realize that my purpose went beyond the chair,” Nolan said. “I discovered a love for education, leadership, workforce development, and helping other people recognize their potential. College became an opportunity to expand that purpose — and to show my son that you are never too busy, too challenged, or too far into life to keep growing.”
Even with continued challenges, Nolan is continuing to push forward.
“I did not get this far because of any goodness or strength of my own,” said Nolan, who also credits the prayers and support from pastors Larry Lee Sr. and Tryphosia Lee. “More importantly, God gets all the glory, because there was nothing I could have done without him. He has carried me, sustained me, and given me the grace to keep going when I did not know how I would make it through.”
Families get special recognition, gifts
New Student Programs will honor the Heisner and Nolan families with exclusive prize packages that include a one-night stay at Drury Inn and Suites in Marion, Illinois, to be used during Family Weekend or on another date, as well as Saluki swag, tickets to Saturday’s SIU vs. Southeast Missouri State University football game and special recognition during the second quarter and photos prior to kickoff.
The Family of the Year contest is part of a weekend filled with fun and action for Salukis and their families. Find the complete schedule of events and additional information at orientation.siu.edu/family.