The Promising Prairie Star Recognition Program honors outstanding graduates under the age of forty or those who have graduated within the previous 5 years. Honorees are selected for their emerging and unique innovation, creativity and success in their chosen career and/or life's work. Established by the Young Alumni Committee in 2024, the inaugural class of honorees will be selected and recognized in the Spring of 2025.

Inaugural 2025 Honorees

Vanessa Ferguson

Community Voices Production Coordinator

Beatrice Bonner

Community Voices Editor

Nicole White

Director of Advancement Operations

Taryn Servaes

J.D. Candidate

Arman Sidhu

Education Policy Resident & Microschool Founder

Robert Fair

Executive Director

Ashley Beaton Simpson

Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Success

Onyeka Ukpoju-Ebonyi

Clinical Research Coordinator

Jessalyn Brugnoni

Senior Staff Physician in Emergency and Critical Care Medicine

Alanna Wood

Sexual Assault Prevention Response Officer

Hayley Payne

Social Media Manager

Kyle Stauder

Associate

Summer Warner

Education Coordinator

Caroline Kubzansky

Reporter

Emmons King

Head Cross Country and Track Coach

Mallory Westcott

Nurse Practitioner

Katie Brethorst

Deputy Director

Jessica Simmons

Associate Tax Accountant

Nomination Period for 2026 class will open in the Fall of 2026.

Nominate Deserving Alumni Today

Recipients must be nominated for the award. Recipients may self-nominate or be nominated by someone else. Working from these nominations, the Young Alumni Committee will select up to twenty-five (25) recipients per year. The recipients will be recognized via the UIS Today magazine, alumni website, e-newsletter, and social media.

Criteria

• Nomination is required. Nominees must be living at the time of their nomination.
• Nominations will be considered active for five years if they continue to match the criteria.
• Nominees must have earned an undergraduate, graduate and/or doctoral degree from University of Illinois Springfield.
• Nominees must be under the age of forty or have graduated within the previous 5 years.
• Nominees must demonstrate emerging and unique innovation, creativity, and success in their chosen career and/or life’s work.
• Nominees should reflect the characteristics of a University of Illinois Springfield graduate. Those characteristics include ethical and enthusiastic leadership; capability of transforming local and global communities; critical thinking; integrity, honesty, and accountability for actions.
• Individuals who are recognized through this program previously are not eligible to be recognized again.