ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – Rockford Promise holds its third annual “Promising Futures” event at the Coronado Theater, introducing the new class of 2025 Promise Scholars to the community.
The incoming class of Scholars included 203 local graduates who have been awarded scholarships to either Rockford University, Rock Valley College, or Northern Illinois University, and more recently Saint Anthony’s College of Nursing.
“This is an amazing moment,” Rockford Promise Executive Director Kaylene Groh said. “We are so thrilled to celebrate with all of the families, and really our community. Educational attainment is a challenge here locally, we are a little bit lower than the state or national average and that really has a great effect on our community”
Rockford Promise provides scholarships, financial aid, and partnerships, allowing Rockford Promise Scholars to attend college tuition-free.
“Being here is just a lot of nerves obviously, anxious, but very proud of myself, it means a lot to be picked because I finally get recognized for the work I put in over the years,” Rockford Promise scholar Jovanni Ortega Cardenas said. “It’s very important because it releases a financial burden on me and my family and it pushes me further into what I’ll be studying.”
By next fall, Rockford Promise will have 570 students enrolled in college, with 159 program graduates since its inception in 2016.
More information on how to apply for the Rockford Promise scholarship can be found on their website.
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