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Eric P. Whitaker Scholarship Fund

Established 2016

Former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Niger, Eric P. Whitaker

This scholarship is funded by Eric P. Whitaker, who received support from the then-Aurora Foundation in 1974 to attend the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.  He seeks to support others from the small village of North Aurora who graduate from West Aurora High School to develop themselves as citizens and professionals through full-time higher education obtained at a four-year institution within the State of Illinois.  The fund would provide $2,000 per year for two years of schooling in good standing.

Eric, born in DeKalb, Illinois, grew up on the campus of Northern Illinois University, where he attended the University’s laboratory school.  He subsequently attended North Aurora Elementary School, George Washington Junior High School, and West Aurora High School.

After graduating from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Science degree in general biology and an MS in community health education, Eric served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines, working in community health.  After receiving an MPA from the University of Pittsburgh, he served as Assistant to the City Manager in Lodi, California for six years before joining the Department of State to serve as a Foreign Service Officer.

Having served in four regions (Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East), Eric now is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and was acting Deputy Secretary of State for African Affairs at the Department of State in Washington, DC.  The Deputy Secretary of State for the United States administered the oath of office in a December 15, 2017 ceremony at the Department to serve as United States Ambassador to the Republic of Niger, a post held until December 1, 2021.  Ambassador Whitaker speaks six languages, earned an MPP degree at the Wilson School at Princeton University, and has earned thirteen superior and meritorious honor awards from the Department of State, as well as the Department of Defense’s Meritorious Civilian Honor Award.

The purpose of this scholarship fund is to support those students – one boy and one girl each year – from North Aurora who seek to attend one of Illinois’ fine public universities.  Recognizing that higher education costs are very high, even for in-state students attending public universities, the fund aims to reduce barriers to college entry and graduation while lessening future debt burdens.

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

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

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

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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