IVCC students earn LaMoille scholarships

Two Illinois Valley Community College freshmen are the first recipients of a Dean Madsen Scholarship honoring a longtime LaMoille schools administrator and champion of education.

The scholarships were awarded to Ella Cherry of LaMoille and Kimberly Lemier of Arlington.  The Madsen family established the scholarship earlier this year through the LaMoille District’s LIFE Foundation to support one career-bound and one college-bound graduate attending IVCC.

Known for his community service on campus and off, Madsen was a school principal before retiring as superintendent in 1985. The school gymnasium was named after him in 2019.  He died in 2022 at the age of 97.

Lemire, who is pursuing a health care career at IVCC, was excited to hear she’d been awarded the scholarship. “It means a lot and the opportunity to come to IVCC is really exciting!”

Cherry enrolled in IVCC’s dual-credit program while in high school and is continuing to pursue her associate degree full-time on campus. She intends to transfer to Illinois State University, though she’s undecided on career. “I was honored to receive the Madsen scholarship,” she said, noting it enables her to earn college credits close to home.