Heap, Karssen-Schoon Receive Carl Sandburg College Alumni Awards
Aaron Frey
Friday, May 17, 2019 10:54 AM
Campus News
Galesburg, IL
Carl Sandburg College honored the 2019 recipients of its Distinguished Alumnus Award and Outstanding Young Alumnus Award during the College’s 51st Commencement on Thursday night at Galesburg High School.
Darci Heap ’08 received the Distinguished Alumnus Award, and Kassie Karssen-Schoon ’13 received the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award.
After graduating from Sandburg, Heap went on to earn her bachelor’s in athletic training from Western Illinois University in 2012. She continued her education at Midwestern University in Downers Grove, attaining her doctorate in physical therapy in 2015. Heap has worked at McDonough District Hospital in Macomb for 3½ years in outpatient, inpatient and home health physical therapy. She also is a clinical instructor for WIU’s athletic training program, with students observing her work as a physical therapist, and has been an adjunct faculty member at WIU.
Karssen-Schoon works as a research biologist at Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge in Indiana and is getting ready to take in her first crop of interns, giving back to her chosen field by educating the next generation of research biologists.
As a graduate student at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Karssen-Schoon participated in study abroad and domestic travel experiences complete with research components. She volunteered at the Peoria Zoo, Blank Park Zoo, Phillips Park Zoo, Wildlife Prairie Park and Scoville Zoo. Karssen-Schoon graduated with a master’s in biology from SIUE in 2018.
Her work during her master’s program is being reviewed for publication and has the potential to create global impacts in the conservation world. Karssen-Schoon earned a position with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service after graduate school as part of a program to put highly qualified biologists to work for the federal government.
CARL SANDBURG COLLEGE DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS AWARD RECIPIENTS
2019 — Darcy 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 D. 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 award given
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
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