The 12th Annual Hope Renewed Youth Conference concluded on June 12, 2016, with the Hope Concert & Scholarship Presentation at Illinois Central College Performing Arts Center.  

The 2016 State Farm Hope Scholarship awardees’ are Josiah Jackson and Jerry Turner. These two young men will receive $500 scholarships to be used in whatever way they need as they prepare to begin college this August.  In order to qualify for the scholarship, they had to attend three days of the conference, present their acceptance letter, and write an 850 word essay. 

Pictured left to right: Josiah Jackson, Landon Humbles, Jerry Turner & HRYC Executive Director Sherry Cannon

Josiah Jackson will be attending Western Illinois University and plans to become a police officer. He was part of the Peoria Police Explorers and has been mentored by Officer’s Aaron Watson and Daniel Duncan. Josiah summed up his philosophy on life when he stated in his essay, “I ponder at times about what led me to choose the right path and consciously make good decisions that were major to my educational success. I believe my supportive family and the moral and ethic code they instilled in me helped me withstand the pressures every teen is faced with. I plan to use this same code of integrity at Western Illinois University.”

Jerry Turner has been a part of the JROTC in high school and has decided to join the Army Reserves while attending Illinois Central College. Jerry states that he has learned many things from the different speakers from attending these conferences, “Mr. Shundell Broomfield taught me that our attitude determines our altitude. That like an eagle, when storms of adversity come, we have to soar above them. Mr. Ryan Lowry encouraged me to value education, and the advantages of a quality education.” It was Doc Illah, a retired naval veteran, that was the deciding factor for him joining the military.

Both scholarships winners expressed their thankfulness to Sherry Cannon, HRYC Executive Director. All parties involved in the program relayed a special thank you to Bob Humbles and Donna Watson with State Farm Agencies. These two individuals have supported the HRYC scholarship initiative for the past nine years and have provided almost twenty students with scholarships.