ROCK ISLAND, IL (04/27/2010)(readMedia)-- In conjunction with Augustana's 34th annual Business Day, the Augustana Business Department is proud to recognize more than 40 business administration and economics majors as recipients of endowed departmental scholarships this year.

Students from the local area who were awarded scholarships include :

Peter Wessels, a sophomore from Bettendorf who is majoring in business administration-advising and accounting. Wessels received the Thomas C. Montgomery Memorial Scholarship.

Alyssa Harmon, a junior from Moline who is majoring in business administration-advising. Harmon received the Harold and Louise Lage Swanson Scholarship.

Adelle DeVolder, a junior from Moline who is majoring in business administration-finance. DeVolder received the Harold and Louise Lage Swanson Scholarship.

Deanna Zwicker, a junior from Orion who is majoring in economics and business administration-finance. Zwicker received the Bruce R. Milligan Scholarship.

Adam DeSimone, a sophomore from Bettendorf who is majoring in economics. DeSimone received the Bruce R. Milligan Scholarship.

The students were honored at the opening breakfast for Business Day, an annual job-shadowing opportunity at Augustana that connects students with business leaders throughout the Quad Cities. In addition to their recognition at Business Day, the scholarship recipients will also be celebrated at an annual Honors ceremony in May.

The keynote address at the awards breakfast was given by Augustana alumna Piper Mead '04, a marketing account executive for the Chicago Cubs. Mead shared advice she learned on her way from Augustana to Wrigley Field and encouraged students to take advantage of all the hands-on learning opportunities Augustana has to offer them.

"I give Augustana all the credit for turning me into the person I am today. I think even the word 'business' scared me when I started college. However, my experiences at Augustana really gave me self-confidence. Now my outgoing personality is my biggest asset in my job."

After the conclusion of the ceremony, the scholarship recipients had the opportunity to further their education by spending a day "on the job" with business professionals throughout the Quad Cities. The students were able to select from a list of more than 40 local companies they could shadow and explore a field that matched their career interests.

The Business Department is one of the largest departments at Augustana, which includes 11 full-time faculty members and offers five separate major concentrations. 90 percent of students in the program complete internships as a part of their study, compared to only 75 percent nationwide. In addition to connecting students with local internships, the department also offers several national and international opportunities, including an accredited eight-week business internship program in Sydney, Australia. For more information on the Augustana Business Department, please visit www.augustana.edu/business.

About the Scholarships:

The Harold and Louise Lage Swanson Scholarship is an endowed scholarship for students who have demonstrated academic excellence and career potential in business administration.

The Thomas C. Montgomery Memorial Scholarship is an endowed scholarship for students who have demonstrated academic excellence and disciplined effort in pursuing careers in business administration or economics.

The Bruce R. Milligan Scholarship is an endowed scholarship for students who have demonstrated academic excellence and career potential in economics.

The Outstanding Senior Business Administration Major Award is a scholarship awarded to a select number of senior students based on their exceptional academic achievements and career potential in business administration.

The Tallgrass Capital Award is a scholarship awarded to one senior economics major each year based on his or her outstanding academic performance and career potential in economics.

About Augustana: Founded in 1860 and situated on a 115-acre campus near the Mississippi River, Augustana College is a private, liberal arts institution affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The college enrolls nearly 2,500 students from diverse geographic, social, ethnic and religious backgrounds and offers more than 70 majors and related areas of study. Augustana employs 287 faculty and has a student-faculty ratio of 11:1. Augustana continues to do what it has always done: challenge and prepare students for lives of leadership and service in our complex, ever-changing world.

The Thurgood Marshall Learning Center Green Team and the Rock Island High School Studen Council are partnering in a project to bring clean water and toilets to Goitab Kalyet Primary School int he Great Rift Valley of Kenya.  The partnership is sponsored by Water for Live Foundation to make an impact on the 1.1 billion people that lack access to safe drinking water around the globe.

The two groups of students will be holding a joint Walk for Water on Saturday, May 1 at the Rock Island High School stadium from 11am until Noon. Students with sponsors will be walking three miles to represent the average walk that young girls and women make each day in the developing world to carry water to their families.  The students are hoping to reduce the 1.4 million deaths that occur yearly due to diarrhea.

Anyone withing to participate or sponsor a walker can contact Linda Golden at 309-793-5924 or Sheila Guse at 309-793-5950.

Congratulations to Rivermont junior Asha Tadepalli, who has met the requirements to enter the 2011 National Merit Scholarship Program!  Asha placed within the top 50,000 highest scoring participants (out of approximately 1.5 million) who took the 2009 Preliminary SAT / National Merit Qualifying Test.  Asha has been offered the College Plans Reporting Service referral to two colleges of her choice.  She also has the opportunity to continue competing in the Merit Scholarship program in the fall of 2010.  All levels of success in the National Merit Program are prestigious and reflect students' academic talent.  The entire Rivermont community is extremely proud of Asha!

Rivermont Collegiate is the Quad Cities' only preschool through 12th grade independent school, with a proud tradition of preparing students who are grounded in the basics, yet able to think analytically and creatively to confidently meet the challenges of the 21st century.

For additional information on Rivermont Collegiate, contact Cindy Murray, Director of Admissions, at (563) 359-1366 ext. 302 or murray@rvmt.org.

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State, Federal Plan Seeks to Create More Than 15,000 Jobs

CHICAGO - April 26, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today unveiled the Put Illinois to Work (PIW) program, an anti-poverty program aimed at building a healthy workforce by putting unemployed and underemployed Illinois residents back to work. The new program is expected to create more than 15,000 jobs.

"Put Illinois to Work will provide good-paying jobs that will help support families and strengthen communities," said Governor Pat Quinn. "The program will also assist in building a workforce that possesses the skills, abilities and experiences that Illinois employers need to remain competitive in the U.S. and global marketplace."

Put Illinois to Work is a collaborative effort of the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and Heartland Human Care Services (HHCS). Funding is provided through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Emergency Contingency Fund (ECF), which was created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

Through Put Illinois to Work, eligible Illinois residents will be placed in subsidized employment positions with participating worksites for up to six months, learning valuable skills and supporting their families. The program will help stimulate Illinois' ailing economy and develop a healthy workforce by providing meaningful work experience for participants.

"Put Illinois to Work is an exciting opportunity to employ thousands of Illinoisans during a time of economic downturn and high unemployment," said IDHS Secretary Michelle R. B. Saddler. "The program will draw down federal funds that will stimulate the Illinois economy and even more importantly, will help the citizens we serve to gain critical skills in the workforce."

Private, public and non-profit businesses are encouraged to sign on with Put Illinois to Work. Eligible participants will be matched to subsidized employment opportunities with these worksites in hopes that they might transition into an unsubsidized position at the program's conclusion.

Eligible worksites and participants must meet program criteria and agree to adhere to specific programmatic requirements. Participants must be age 18-21, or 18 and over and the parent (custodial or non-custodial) of a minor child. All participants must have a household income below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level ($2,428 per month for a family of two) and be legally present and authorized to work.

For eligibility criteria and additional information on Put Illinois to Work, visit www.PutIllinoistoWork.Illinois.gov.

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