Our Proud Past. Their Strong Future.
Since 1967, Harper College has been making a difference in the community and transforming lives. In 2017, Harper Distinguished Alumni launched the Distinguished Alumni Scholarship Fund to support future students.
Many of our Distinguished Alumni benefitted from scholarships while they attended Harper. Because others believed in them, they strived for excellence. Now, this group is joining forces to help others have the same opportunity for success.
2024 Distinguished Alumni Scholarship
The 2024 Distinguished Alumni Scholarship has been awarded to Devon Freitag.
Devon Freitag is studying nursing at Harper College with a goal of graduating in May
2026 with an associate of applied science in nursing. After years of working as an
EMT on a critical care ambulance, Devon made the decision to come to Harper to pursue
nursing and to eventually become a Critical Care RN-BSN. Devon has overcome many obstacles
in her life after being in foster care after her mother was no longer able to care
for her. Because of the early experiences with mental health, she began working with
the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) as a public speaker and volunteer.
Devon maintains a 4.0 and balances her studies with full-time work.
“Receiving the Distinguished Alumni Scholarship makes it possible for me to work less hours, be a more effective student, and give me more financial flexibility to pay for treatment, food, housing, etc. It helps me worry less about making ends meet, and instead direct my focus on succeeding as an RN. Thank you for your support! .” — Devon Freitag, 2024 Distinguished Alumni Scholarship Recipient
The award selection was made by a committee of Distinguished Alumni including John O'Halloran, Shannon Plate, Peter Soby, Mike Terson and Laurie Turpin-Soderholm.
For more information on the Distinguished Alumni Scholarship, please contact Shannon Hynes at 847-925-6701 or shynes@harpercollege.edu.
Investing in a Strong Future
Scholarships show students that their dreams and goals matter and that others want to invest in their future. After graduation, the students you help support will become our society’s next generation of entrepreneurs, scholars, change makers and global citizens.
Your contribution to the Distinguished Alumni Scholarship Fund serves a dual purpose — by bettering an individual life, you better the world.
Learn more about our Distinguished Alumni and about investing in students at Harper College.