Quinn, Schwieter Receive Carl Sandburg College Alumni Awards
Aaron Frey
Tuesday, June 30, 2020 9:57 AM
Campus News
Galesburg, IL
Carl Sandburg College recognized the 2020 recipients of its Distinguished Alumnus Award and Outstanding Young Alumnus Award on Tuesday during the College’s virtual ceremony for its 2019-20 graduates.
Kiley Thomas Quinn ’99 received the Distinguished Alumnus Award, and Becca Schwieter ’14 received the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award.
Quinn graduated from Sandburg in 1999 with an Associate in Applied Science. Although her plans included finishing her bachelor’s degree at Western Illinois University, she was recruited out of her program of study to work in the newspaper industry just months into her coursework.
At the age of 19, Quinn began her career at the Peoria Journal Star in sales. Within three years, she was promoted to manager and then again to higher management positions within the industry just a few years later. While Quinn loved the work she was doing, she sensed the shift in print media and moved her career back to the Galesburg area. Since 2011, she has led the marketing department for Cottage Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, dedicating her career to promoting health and wellness.
Quinn’s leadership doesn’t stop with her career. A member of PEO Chapter BB in Abingdon, Quinn works to celebrate the advancement of women through the power of education. As a current board member of the Galesburg Noon Rotary, her service as the youth service director and in other capacities across the years embodies the main tenet of Rotary: “service above self.” Because of this dedication to the community, Quinn was honored by Rotary International as a Paul Harris Fellow. Quinn also belongs to the women’s leadership group WIN (Women’s Issues Network) in Galesburg, was a key stakeholder in the We Fit Together healthy community organization and served on the Hedding Grade School PTO in her hometown of Abingdon.
Balancing the challenges of raising a family and working full-time has never been easy, but Quinn and her husband, Jared, have two children, Kennedy (11) and Graham (6) in Abingdon.
“I support education by showing up. Showing up every day for my family, for my faith, for my job and co-workers,” Quinn said. “I support education by teaching my children that education is a vital part of their lives, that positive thinking, being kind by helping others and having a great moral compass will shape them to be productive citizens and only strengthen our society.”
For Schwieter, although her hometown of Gilson is small, her dreams have always been big. Her goal to become a veterinarian was realized this spring when she graduated from Midwestern University College of Veterinary Medicine in Glendale, Ariz.
After graduating with highest honors and an AAS from Sandburg in 2014, Schwietertransferred to Knox College, where she received a bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in Spanish. She finished her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program with a 3.472 GPA and plans on coming back to the Knox County area to begin her career.
During her time at Sandburg, Schwieter was highly involved in the TRIO Student Support Services program, consistently mentoring other students when they were struggling, especially in math and science classes. She continued this collaboration with her fellow students in veterinary school, holding leadership positions and working alongside her peers to organize events through her veterinary fraternity, Omega Tau Sigma.
Autumn Scott, director of TRIO SSS at Sandburg and Schwieter’s nominator, described her as an “optimist who sticks to her values, even when the odds are against her. She always does the right thing — even when it is the hard thing.”
Schwieter’s love of animals translates into the volunteer work she does through the Illinois Horse Fair Queen Pageant, Omega Tau Sigma, work at Midwestern University’s mobile clinic and as a heart rate monitor during the Land of the Sun Endurance Ride. When she is not riding her horse, Sugar, Schwieter loves photography.
Kiley Thomas Quinn Becca Schwieter
Carl Sandburg College Distinguished Alumnus Award Recipients
2020 — Kiley Thomas Quinn
2019 — Darci Heap
2018 — Craig Willis
2017 — Dr. Karmen Hopkins
2016 — Robert Mason
2015 — Dr. Judy Glaser
2014 — Judge Thomas Keith
2013 — Jim Purlee
2012 — Susan Swartwout
2011 — Cynthia Kitchen
2010 — Cynthia Kiffer
2009 — Joshua Gibb
2008 — Brenda Stewart Clevidence
2007 — Bonni Smith-Skripps
2006 — Sandra Gavin
2005 — Tara Miller
2004 — Dave Burns
2003 — Dr. Lori Sundberg
2002 — Christine Baumgardner
2001 — Lannie Cation
2000 — Sharon Graham
1999 — Linda Foster
1998 — Victor Miller
1997 — Betty Thal
1996 — Rose Stockman
1995 — Larry Schwartz
1994 — Daniel Baker
1993 — Ann Murdock
1992 — Jan Lundeen
1991 — No recipient
1990 — Louis Gamage & Mary Louderman
1989 — Janice Champion
1988 — Donna Medina
1987 — Gerald Strom Jr.
1986 — John Delawder III
1985 — Russell Orwig
1984 — Daniel Bailey
1983 — Jerry Latherow
1982 — F. Dale Cozad
1981 — Maren Kay Carlson
1980 — Daniel Baker
1979 — William Campbell
Carl Sandburg College Outstanding Young Alumnus Award Recipients
2020 — Becca Schwieter
2019 — Kassie Karssen-Schoon
2018 — Krista Winters
2017 — Matthew Wolford
2016 — Elvith Santoyo-McNaught
2015 — Travis Nesby
2014 — Trevor Davies
2013 — Naomi Wai
2012 — Ashley Swick