Students from Rock Island and Moline recently accepted honors from the Lincoln Academy of Illinois at Springfield’s Old State Capitol.
Regional recipients include University of Chicago student Pranav Puri from Moline and Rock Island resident and Augustana College student Abigail Wieland. Thirty other Illinois-based students also received the accolade, as well as many from Wisconsin, Michigan, California, Kentucky and Arizona.
This year’s traditional annual Student Laureate Convocation ceremony acknowledged a total of 56 students from Illinois and around the world, each selected by their own academic institution, according to the announcement. Gov. Bruce Rauner and First Lady Diana Rauner presented each laureate with a certificate, Lincoln medal and $1,000 check, an announcement said.
“President Lincoln’s legacy is a reminder of the power of public service and civic engagement,” Rauner said in the release. “The students chosen to receive this honor have exemplified the principles and ideals of the greatest Illinoisan through their hard work and dedication to their schools and communities.”
The Lincoln Academy of Illinois is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan organization that recognizes contributions to Illinois by its residents, according to the organization's website. The Lincoln Academy inducts laureates based on their demonstrated citizenship; the Academy encourages overall appreciation for Illinois history. All sitting Illinois governors preside over the academy in the position of president.
“Student Laureates often become state, national, and international leaders,” academy chancellor Stephanie Pace Marshall said in the release. “By recognizing deserving students who are honoring the principals of democracy and humanity in the spirit of Abraham Lincoln, the Student Laureate Convocation ceremony provides fellow Illinoisans the opportunity to share a glimpse of the finest qualities of our state’s next leaders.”
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