“I love the ISU community. And as a future educator, I am honored to attend an institution with such a great reputation for education,” said Katie Klingbeil, a sophomore mathematics teacher education major.
Klingbeil’s journey to Illinois State was not without challenges. When she was in junior high, she and other students encountered bullying and lacked much-needed support. “My friends and I did our best to teach the students that this isn’t how it is supposed to be,” she said.
The situation taught Klingbeil how to best take care of herself, which is something she takes pride in. It also motivates her desire to work in McLean County
Unit District No. 5, and to make a difference in students’ lives.
“I hope to be the teacher that changes students’ mostly negative mindsets about math into positive ones,” she said.
Klingbeil’s educational journey was strengthened by the Theresa M. Madigan Scholarship, which she received as a freshman. The scholarship was created by friends and family of Edward Madigan ’56 to honor his mother. Born in Lincoln, Edward Madigan served more than 20 years in the United States House of Representatives and was U.S. Secretary of Agriculture under President George H.W. Bush. Edward Madigan died in 1994, but the endowment lives on in perpetuity.
The Theresa M. Madigan Scholarship allowed Klingbeil to focus on her course work and be a member of Illinois State’s competitive cheer team. “It was such a great experience to receive this scholarship. I was with my mom when I found out, and her reaction made it even better,” Klingbeil said. “My family has struggled financially for my whole life, and knowing that my hard work in school was paying off to help us out was such a rewarding feeling.”
