The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois (CFNIL) is poised to award the new cohort of Howard D. Colman Scholarship recipients, four students who embody the “spirit of Colman”, possessing an innovative, entrepreneurial mind and invested in supporting the greater Rockford community. 

Howard Colman, a genius inventor and entrepreneur whose “tinkering” earned him 149 U.S. patents and solved the last great puzzle of textile automation, founded his company Barber-Colman in Rockford’s Water Power District in the late 1800s. Over the next 50 years, his company would come to dominate the international market, but his personal aversion to publicity kept his name from gaining popular recognition. 

Colman’s daughter, Ruth Colman Tower, established the Howard D. Colman Memorial Scholarship to support local students whose passion, curiosity, and ambition make them ideal ambassadors for Howard Colman’s legacy. First awarded in 2011, the scholarship not only provides a cash award but also connects recipients with internships at local firms to build their professional networks in the region. Since 2011 the program has awarded over $500,000 to graduates from high schools in Boone and Winnebago Counties. 

Each year, four Colman Scholarship recipients are selected during CFNIL’s Fall Scholarship application cycle, each receiving a $2,500 scholarship and assistance with placement in a local internship. Additionally, the previous year’s scholarship recipients are interviewed, and one is named the Colman Scholar, a distinction that includes a $10,000 scholarship that may be renewed up to two more years. 

Scholarship applications are reviewed and scored by community volunteers. A “blind” review process assures scholarships are awarded objectively to students who best fit the scholarship criteria. Learn more about the Howard D. Colman Scholarship and CFNIL’s full scholarship program at cfnil.org/scholarships.
 

Howard D. Colman Scholar:

• Sam Kapp
  • Attends Iowa State University
  • Studying Engineering and Leadership/Strategy
     

Howard D. Colman Honorarium:

• Landon Bachta
  • Attends the University of Missouri
  • Studying Mechanical Engineering
     
• Naomi Cultra
  • Attends the University of Wisconsin-Platteville
  • Studying Civil Engineering
     
• Gianna DeGennaro
  • Attends Arizona State University
  • Studying Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment
     

Howard D. Colman Scholarships:

•  Jonas Blair
  • Belvidere North High School Class of 2026 (Belvidere, IL)
  • Plans to Attend Northern Illinois University at Rock Valley College to Study Mechanical Engineering
     
• Shen Kee
  • East High School Class of 2026 (Rockford, IL)
  • Plans to Attend Northern Illinois University to Study Mechanical Engineering
     
• Akshaya Selvam
  • Auburn High School Class of 2026 (Rockford, IL)
  • Plans to Attend Iowa State University to Study Electrical Engineering
     
• Keeley Richardson
  • Belvidere North High School Class of 2026 (Belvidere, IL)
  • Rock Valley College Class of 2026 (Rockford, IL)
  • Plans to Attend the University Illinois Urbana-Champaign to Study Materials Science and Engineering

The full list of 2026 CFNIL Scholarship Recipients will be announced early June 2026. CFNIL will host Scholarship Award Night on Tuesday, June 16, 2026 at Tebala Events Center (7910 Newberg Road, Rockford) to celebrate this year's scholars with recipients, their families, scholarship donors, and CFNIL volunteers. Please join us as we celebrate this momentous occasion! Reserve Your Spot »