Higher Ed Spotlight: UIS' Supak makes history at NCAA National Championship
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Talon Supak’s junior year at the University of Illinois at Springfield ended on a high note this spring.
He became the first individual UIS student to qualify for an NCAA Division II National Championship Tournament and represented the UIS Prairie Stars at the NCAA Division II National Golf Championship in Denver in May.
Supak was born and raised in Washington near Peoria. He lived in Japan for three years until his sophomore year of high school, when he moved back to Illinois to play high school golf and earned a college golf scholarship.
Supak chose UIS because of the opportunity it provided him to play the highest quality competition available to him, but he also understood the importance of a quality education.
“The academics of the school were very enticing since I would be able to earn a U of I degree,” he said.
Supak enjoys UIS because of its size and class offerings.
“I am able to know and communicate with most of my classmates,” Supak said. “The faculty also respects and understands that I will miss class due to golf tournaments and they ensure that I am able to complete my assignments and keep up in class.”
Supak became the first golfer to qualify for nationals by winning his regional championship in Michigan in early May.
“It was a huge honor to represent UIS at the National Championships,” he said. “To be recognized as the first of what will be many teams and individuals to make it to nationals is a great privilege.”
As a lifelong resident of Illinois and a golf enthusiast, Supak said he has come to appreciate the state’s unique weather and seasons.
“My favorite thing about Illinois is the vast type of weather that we receive each season,” he said. “Applying specifically to golf, I felt that I have become a better player since I have played in all types of climates.”
After he completes his bachelor’s degree, Supak plans to remain at UIS for another year to take enough classes to be able to sit for his Certified Public Accounting exam. But after his education he would like to become a professional golfer.
Photo Courtesy of University of Illinois at Springfield Athletic Department
Illinois-based foundation invests $6 million in state
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Count the Chicago-based MacArthur Foundation among those who are investing in Illinois.
In February, all 14 of the foundation’s awards for creative and effective institutions went to Chicago organizations. The awards, which groups all over the world vie for, totaled more than $6 million.
The MacArthur Foundation, known for its “genius” fellowships, supports more than 300 arts and culture groups in Chicago and has invested nearly $1.1 billion in the city since 1978.
DuSable Museum granted Smithsonian Affiliation
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The Chicago DuSable Museum of African American History, which celebrates the lives and works of African Americans, has been granted Smithsonian affiliation.
The museum houses a number of works and exhibits that promote understanding and inspire appreciation of the achievements, contributions, and experiences of African Americans, and is one of only two in Chicago that has been given this prestigious affiliation.
With the new affiliation between the DuSable and the Smithsonian comes a brand new partnership that will allow the DuSable access to the Smithsonian’s archives, and vice-versa. This partnership will likely bring the works housed at the Chicago institution onto the international scene.
For more information visit: http://www.dusablemuseum.org
Illinois ranks among best states for women
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Women in Illinois rank fifth in the nation for median income, according to a new study released by WalletHub. The study also found Illinois to be among the best states in the Midwest for women overall.
Illinois ranked 13th in the study, which examined factors that included unemployment rates for women, the percentage of women living in poverty, the share of women-owned businesses, and statistics like life expectancy at birth and percentage of women with health insurance.
Read the whole study at WalletHub.
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