Ammons Celebrates Local ILBCF Scholarship Recipients

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – State Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, is highlighting local high school seniors and undergraduate students from the Champaign Urbana area who will receive this year’s Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Foundation (ILBCF) scholarship.

“The ILBCF is steadfast in its mission to create equal opportunities for historically disadvantaged students across the state,” said Ammons. “We have some of the brightest kids in our community. I am thrilled to see four ambitious students from my district of Champaign-Urbana receive a scholarship award, which will help them succeed as they continue their education at a higher institution.”

Keyarah Johnson, Kobe Clark, Nourseen Ismail, and Halie Thompson will be awarded the scholarship at the ILBCF Scholarship Reception on Thursday, July 11, at the University of Illinois at Chicago Forum. Special guests in attendance include “The Chi” Actor Cortez Smith, the Jenipher Jones Experiment, Governor JB Pritzker, and others.

The ILBCF has doubled its scholarship recipients this year, giving a record of 150 monetary awards. Since 2002, the ILBCF has given students over $1.5 million in scholarships.

“The Caucus is committed to supporting African American students in continuing their
education by providing the financial relief necessary for many families to explore these
opportunities,” said Ammons. “No child should have to give up their dream of pursuing higher
education because of financial obstacles. With a record rollout of 150 scholarships this year, I
am more than confident that these students will use this opportunity to commit themselves to
their future education and careers.”

The ILBCF scholarship for 2025 is expected to reopen on March 1 of next year. To learn more about the foundation, visit https://ilbcf.org/.

As chairwoman of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, Ammons embodies an unwavering commitment to fighting for reparations and advocating for the African American community. Last year, Ammons worked to establish the Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program, which provides grants to public higher education institutions to combat student food insecurity on public college campuses. Her leadership has impacted residents statewide through measures including housing, health and welfare, education, employment and minority business enterprise.