Recipients of scholarship support from COUNTRY Financial were invited to meet with COUNTRY Financial leaders on Friday, September 30.
For nearly 40 years, COUNTRY Financial has been a partner in efforts to dream big at Illinois State University. During fiscal years 2021 and 2022, COUNTRY Financial made significant investments across the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Applied Science and Technology, College of Business, and Financial Aid.
In 2022, nearly 70 students received scholarships, and more than 150 students participated in programming made possible by COUNTRY Financial’s investment. The event brought together scholarship recipients to represent the impact of the company’s investment in them.
“Partnerships are best when they’re built on mutual respect and shared core values, like the ones that we share with COUNTRY,” Illinois State University President Terri Goss Kinzy said. “Like Illinois State, COUNTRY believes in the power of community in all the ways that we define community.
“Our students are out there doing voter registration drives, encouraging participation with our community partners, volunteering at the Marcfirst fundraiser, and really contributing to the community that they’re a part of. And they’re making an impact on diversity and inclusion at Illinois State by their presence, but more importantly, by their strong voices to just make us better.”
After the remarks, round table discussions helped COUNTRY Financial leaders get to know the scholarship recipients and answer their questions about how to stand out as job candidates, how to preserve work-life balance, and the future of remote work. A student panel, composed of marketing major Mindy Duensing, political science major Karem Tasdan, computer science major Justin Gutter, and finance major Lauren Montavon, covered topics such as the internship application process and employer expectations.
Montavon shared how Illinois State’s partnership with COUNTRY Financial has furthered her career.
“As a recipient of the COUNTRY Financial Distinguished Junior in Finance I have been able to continue pursuing my double major in finance and RMI at Illinois State University with peace of mind,” she said. “Additionally, it opened many doors for me at COUNTRY Financial, where I ended up interning over the summer and am still working today.”
Strategic partnerships with community organizations and corporations elevate the student experience. For more information about becoming involved on the corporate level, contact Senior Managing Director of Development Liz Adams at (309) 438-2903 or eadams2@ilstu.edu.
