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G. Kenneth & Dorothy L. Perkins Scholarship Endowment Fund

Established 2007

G. Kenneth & Dorothy L. Perkins
G. Kenneth & Dorothy L. Perkins

This fund was established to administer a bequest from the estate of Dorothy Dewing Perkins (1913-2007).

Mrs. Perkins was the granddaughter of Dr. George H. Dewing, who was a member of the faculty of Mendota College in 1893, the year the college was founded.

The college moved to Aurora in 1912 and was renamed Aurora College.  Mr. Dewing served as the chairman of the Department of History and Social Sciences at Aurora College where a plaque commemorates his achievements.

Dorothy Perkins was born in Chicago and attended Senn High School.

She graduated from the Grant Hospital Nursing Program in 1935 and worked as a private duty nurse until her marriage in 1938 to George Kenneth Perkins (1906-1967).

Mr. Perkins, a native of Quebec, Canada, immigrated to the United States in 1926 and later became a U.S. citizen. He graduated from Aurora College in 1932.

Mr. Perkins was employed by International Harvester Company as a salesman, first in Ottawa, Illinois and later in Dixon, Illinois.

In 1940, Mr. and Mrs. Perkins moved to Yorkville, Illinois and, with two partners, opened Yorkville Implement, an International Harvester store.  Later, they bought and operated the business together.

Following Mr. Perkins’ death, Mrs. Perkins operated the business until 1974, the only woman International Harvester dealer in Illinois.

I am incredibly grateful for the generosity of the Zari Foundation Scholarship and the Community Foundation in supporting my education. I am majoring in mechanical engineering with a concentration in aerospace engineering at the Rose-Hulman Institue of Technology. In my spare time, I volunteer on campus, in the community and I’m also the principal violist in the symphony orchestra. I hope to make an impact on the next chapter of space exploration by eventually working at a groundbreaking aerospace company such as SpaceX or NASA.

Taytum Newell

Albert M. Zari Scholarship Recipient

YEP was a great experience to have in high school. I became a more confident person, someone with a lot more perspective. Coming from a small school, YEP allowed me to branch out into my community, meet students from other schools, and learn about their backgrounds. I made some great friends and still keep in touch with them today.

Abby Vagnoni

YEP Alumni

Being a part of the Community Foundation scholarship committee is the highlight of my year. For many, a scholarship from the CFFRV is the reason they are able to continue reaching for their dreams and changing the future of our world. I hope each recipients knows just how inspirational they are to those of us who are lucky enough to read their stories.

Jessica Breugelmans

Scholarship Committee Member and Board Member

YEP has made me realize the importance of being involved in my community, and how to make a difference. There are a lot of problems in the world but if we can do everything that we can to help the world will become a better place. YEP has helped me realize this and encouraged me to help more people in the future.

Madi Porter

YEP Member

Give your gift of time and see what it means to the people you impact. Helping others is what life is all about.

Neal Ormond

Donor & Fund Advisor

Grant funds from the Community Foundation helped provide updated technology. These upgrades were transformative. By creating new time saving processes, it turned us into a more efficient organization.

Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry

Grantee

Education is important to us. We support causes that touch our lives and align with our values. We believe in paying it forward. We are here for a short time,, and it is the next generation that will take on what we leave behind.

Michelle Emanuel

Donor and Past Scholarship Recipient

Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley

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