Our donors

Roger K. and Mildred Rife Goodwin dedicated their professional careers to the field of education. Roger taught science at Mendota High School in Mendota, Illinois, as well as Carl Schurz High School in Chicago. Mildred taught home economics and later served as a dietitian and supervisor at Presbyterian St. Luke’s Hospital. Mildred graduated from North Central College in 1924 and Roger graduated from Knox College in 1926. Upon retirement, Roger and Mildred Goodwin moved to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina where Mildred continued utilizing her professional teaching skills as a volunteer with

Russell J. Poel was a professor of chemistry at North Central College from 1962 to 1988. A specialist in organic chemistry, Dr. Poel taught a full range of undergraduate chemistry courses at North Central College and was Chairperson of the Chemistry Department at the time of his death. He was appointed faculty athletics representative in 1970 and he was elected to a four-year term as a Division III representative on the 46-member governing council of the National Collegiate Athletic Association in 1987. He was past president of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, and he had

While not an alumnus of North Central College, Samuel W. Hunt, Jr. adopted the College as if it were his own. As a dedicated advocate for education, Mr. Hunt joined the North Central College Board of Trustees in 1974 and became a Life Trustee in 2004. A banking executive with legal training, Mr. Hunt shared his considerable expertise in charitable giving and estate planning, and helped shape a vision for long-term financial support and stability for the College. He was also instrumental in helping North Central receive funds for the Richter Fellowships, which made a significant impact on

Born on November 13, 1987, and raised in Brown Deer, Wisconsin, Shaun R. Wild was a remarkable leader, who accentuated the positive. He overcame anger issues when he was in the fourth grade with the help of his teacher that year, who showed Shaun his potential. It was during that year of grade school that Shaun decided he was going to be an Elementary Education teacher. Shaun was the quarterback of his Brown Deer High School football team and constant mentor to young students and friends on the team. He was an outstanding track athlete and sang in his high school chorus. Shaun played

Steven ’09 and his wife, Stefany Kobus ’02 Heeley created the S. L. Heeley Tax Prep Services Scholarship because both had positive experiences while attending North Central College. As North Central alumni and residents of Naperville, the Heeley’s are passionate about giving back to their alma mater and the community.

Mark Crabtree believed fitness and training should be a fun and enjoyable experience. He fulfilled his dream of opening his own gym and was the founder and president of Ignite Fitness, Inc. , in Naperville. Prior to that, he held the position of Director of Sports Performance at the Bulls Sox Training Academy in Lisle. As a certified athletic trainer, he worked in physical therapy clinics as well as provided coverage for college and high school teams. Over the years, Mark provided Ignite Fitness internships for many North Central College students. When he passed away suddenly in 2017, Mark’s

The Hearst Foundation, Inc. , was established in 1945 by publisher and philanthropist William Randolph Hearst. In 1948, Mr. Hearst established the California Charities Foundation , which was changed to The William Randolph Hearst Foundation soon after Mr. Hearst’s death in 1951. Both foundations, The Hearst Foundation and The William Randolph Hearst Foundation , are independent private philanthropies operating separately from The Hearst Corporation . The Hearst Foundations support undergraduate education through the establishment of endowed scholarships at private liberal arts colleges and

“How will we meet new worlds when we encounter them?” _Will we brace ourselves in defense, or will we face the unknown with open curious mind? Will we seek to subdue, or will we strive for dialogues of communication and mutual understanding? Will we seek to get the advantage? Will we seek to take advantage, or will we seek to find common ground? Will we seek to impose our set of values and beliefs, or will we seek to listen and learn? Will we seek to respect each other’s differences? When we recognize those differences, will we seek to understand their significance, and respond with care and

Through their generosity, the three Schneller sisters – Cecelia Schneller ’27 Mueller, Adlynn Schneller Balfanz, and Mary Schneller ’33 Rosar – leave a lasting legacy at North Central College. Their extraordinary gifts belie their humble roots. They were born to George and Clara Schneller in the early 1900s and were raised on the family farm near Sauk City. Their maternal grandmother, August Hasheider, was a First-Year student when North-Western College, later named North Central College, opened its doors in Naperville in 1870. A component of their generous endowment supports the Schneller