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Bill Sweeney Memorial Scholarship Fund

Established 2010

William M. Sweeney
William M. Sweeney

The Bill Sweeney Memorial Scholarship Fund was created by the family and friends of William M. Sweeney to honor the life of this extraordinary Aurora educator.

The fund provides scholarships to outstanding graduates of West Aurora High School pursuing a career in math education.

Mr. Sweeney (1943-2010), a resident of Sugar Grove, Illinois, passed away on Friday June 4, 2010.

He was born in Bloomington, Illinois and was a graduate of Trinity High School in Bloomington.

An avid sports enthusiast, he played basketball, football, and baseball during high school.

In addition, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from Illinois State University and a Master of Science in Education from Northern Illinois University.

Mr. Sweeney taught mathematics and was a guidance counselor for West Aurora School District 129 for thirty-four years.

He coached basketball and football at Franklin Middle School, and later coached varsity football at West Aurora as an offensive coordinator.

He also worked at the Fox Valley Park District for over twenty years, the majority of which was spent as Athletic Director.

After retiring from education, Mr. Sweeney worked for nine years at AXA-Equitable, where he was a financial planner for teachers.

He was survived by his wife, Jane, and their daughter, Kimberly McGowan.

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

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

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

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

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

Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley

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