Grace Sands named ICCTA Gregg Chadwick Scholarship recipient

A Heartland Community College student is the first recipient of a new scholarship established by the Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA). 

Grace Sands, a first-year student at Heartland Community College, is this year’s recipient of the Gregg Chadwick Student Service Scholarship, which provides a $500 scholarship to a currently enrolled Illinois community college student for extraordinary commitment to volunteer service. 

All currently enrolled students at ICCTA member colleges are eligible to participate in the Gregg Chadwick Student Service Scholarship competition. Each college may submit one entry per academic year. 

Fitting with Chadwick’s long career of public service, the scholarship supports students who are dedicated to the enrichment of others. 

“Gregg Chadwick was a true servant leader in that he was quiet, steady, kind, and a friend,” said Jon Looney, ICCTA president. “In this spirit, ICCTA established the Gregg Chadwick Student Service Scholarship to honor his longtime and heartfelt legacy of public service.” 

During the 2021-2022 academic year at Heartland Community College, Grace Sands served as Director of Community Service for the Student Leaders in Community Engagement (SLiCE) organization. During her short time at Heartland, Grace has already made a huge impact on creating a culture of student service through her leadership work to implement Midwest Food Bank Service Days, the Night in a Car poverty simulation, and a new program called “Lifting the Burdens” that spreads compassion, encouragement and empathy across the campus community. 

Each nomination for the Gregg Chadwick Student Service Scholarship will be reviewed according to the following criteria:

• How does this student stand out, serving as a strong role model for others and engaging others in community service?
• Have the student's efforts made a lasting or meaningful contribution or impact on the college or community?
• How much time has this student devoted to community service during their college enrollment?
• How has the student's volunteer work been recognized and valued by their peers and community leaders?

The award honors the legacy of longtime Heartland Community College Trustee Gregg Chadwick, who passed away in the summer of 2021. At the time he was serving as both chair of Heartland’s District 540 Board of Trustees as well as President of the ICCTA. 

Chadwick had served on the HCC Board of Trustees since 2002 and was elected Chair of the Board in 2009. He had also served the ICCTA in previous roles, including Treasurer (2009-2010), Chair of the Government Relations and Public Policy Committee (2017-2019), and as Vice President (2019-2020). Chadwick served as Chief Operating Officer at Marcfirst in Normal.