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Gala honors, awards 'Inspiring Women'

At first, they thought they could give one scholarship.

Through other contributions, co-chairwoman Doris Rottschalk said they were able to muster enough to award two this year.

But after Saturday night, she said, many more will benefit.

Approximately 465 people attended the inaugural Inspiring Women's Gala. "An Evening With the Stars," which honored and awarded women of both the campus community and Southern Illinois region. Funds raised through the event will help continue and expand the scholarship program.

Larry Dietz, vice chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, said the evening was to establish money for scholarships in hopes of recruiting more women to SIUC. He said only 45 percent of the campus is women, and he believes part of the low percentage is financial.

"Scholarships are needed, probably now more so than ever," Dietz said.

Launched this summer, the Inspiring Women program awarded a $2,000 scholarship to SIUC student Diana Billingsley in memory of Margaret H. Steele. The program later picked up a second scholarship, the Dr. Jackie Cox Scholarship, which awarded Stephanie Unfried $1,000.

John Steele set up the Margaret H. Steele Scholarship in memory of his wife who died in March. Married for 53 years, he said he was inseparable from his spouse.

"If you saw one of us, you saw us both," he said.

Margaret was a schoolteacher for 39 years, and John said she was inspiring in every sense of the word. She lived for people and loved kids, he said, and she influenced many others through her work and belief in God.

John said the evening was "marvelous" and had a strong message to get out to the public.

"The reason to inspire women is to let them do what they know they can do," he said.

The Inspiring Women's Gala also recognized Dorothy Budell, Jackie Cox, Ethel Holladay and Jean Reynolds as 2004 Inspiring Women of the Year. The first recipients of this award were recognized for their contributions to their communities.

Though she said they were still computing how much money the gala raised Sunday, Rottschalk said the evening far exceeded the board's expectations.

"Everything we dreamed that could happen has happened," she said.

 

 

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