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While its annual in-person celebration was thwarted by the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Business didn’t falter in its distribution of scholarships and awards totaling more than $320,000.

The awards were presented to 127 students in honor of their exemplary work and commitment to their academic journey. Recipients are pursuing degrees in accounting, business administration, computer management and information systems, economics and finance, and management and marketing.

“Scholarship gifts are remarkable investments in the future,” said School of Business Dean Tim Schoenecker, PhD. “It is critical that we continue to secure additional scholarships, both annual and endowed, and perhaps particularly so amid the current economic and health crisis. This will ensure we can continue to attract and retain the highest quality students by offering them a superior business education.”

A sampling of the 2020 honors included the Cox Scholarship’s awarding of its largest funding total to date, and the distribution of a new joint scholarship from the Grady Family Foundation.

The Cox Scholarship is awarded to incoming business freshmen and transfer students who reach specific academic criteria. In 2020, 27 freshmen were awarded a total of $108,000 per year for the next four years, and 14 transfer scholars were awarded a total of $56,000 per year for the next two years.

The Grady Family Foundation donated $300,000 to create two sizable scholarships for entrepreneurial-minded students, and to be awarded annually to one student from the School of Business and one from the School of Engineering.

“History shows that many of the inventions and technologies we enjoy commercially today were invented or developed by people with engineering or technical training,” said Ed Grady, BS ’72, a School of Engineering alumnus who sits on the SIUE Foundation Board of Directors. “However, the individual rewards vary based on whether or not the person knew how to manage business activities.”

The inaugural recipient from the School of Business was Abigail Schuneman, a senior majoring in management and marketing. Schuneman recently started her own freelance graphic design business after being encouraged by family and friends to sell her art.

“Receiving this scholarship is such an honor, as I’ve put so much work into finishing school while running my business,” said Schuneman. “It will help relieve some financial stress for my final semester.”

Additionally, 10 students received a $5,000 award from Busey Bank as part of its Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). Scholarships awarded through the CRA support the academic success of low-to-moderate income students with a commitment to continue their higher education.

Photo: Abigail Schuneman, a senior majoring in management and marketing, was the inaugural recipient of a scholarship from The Grady Family Foundation.