From transfer students to donors: Waller siblings create ISU scholarship

Image Courtesy of Illinois State University

NORMAL, Ill. – Transfer students coming to Illinois State University are finding a warmer welcome in Normal through the Waller Family Endowed Scholarship.

Three generations of the Waller family have attended Illinois State University, and the newest generation is now ensuring that legacy continues.

Siblings Sara, a member of the Class of 2027, and Daniel, a 2020 graduate, have become the youngest Redbirds to establish a scholarship in Illinois State University’s College of Business.

The scholarship, named the ‘Waller Family Endowed Scholarship,’ was created for transfer students in the Katie School of Risk Management, which is part of the College of Business.

Sara and Daniel, who were transfer students from Lincoln Land Community College, said the scholarship is intended to help new transfer students settle into their lives at Illinois State University.

“We know the transfer process can be a little daunting because you’re completely getting readjusted to a new environment,” Sara Waller said. “We figured having a scholarship for transfer students will would help them feel more welcome.”

While the scholarship does not have a set monetary amount, it may support multiple recipients in its inaugural year.

“It is up to the Katie School [of Insurance and Risk Management] to decide the number of recipients, so there could be more than one recipient,” Sara Waller said.

For the Waller siblings, a lot of the credit goes to their great experience during their time at ISU.

Throughout her time as a junior double major in risk management and insurance and finance, Sara said she has always felt welcomed at the Katie School of Insurance and Risk Management.

“We knew the Katie School has given so much to us, so we wanted to give back and be part of the school forever,” she said.

Applications for the Waller Family Endowed Scholarship for transfer students in the Katie School of Insurance and Risk Management are open until Jan. 26.