The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois (CFNIL) is poised to award the 15th cohort of Howard D. Colman Scholarship recipients, four students who embody the “spirit of Colman”, possessing an innovative, entrepreneurial mind and invested in supporting the greater Rockford community. 

Howard Colman, a genius inventor and entrepreneur whose “tinkering” earned him 149 U.S. patents and solved the last great puzzle of textile automation, founded his company Barber-Colman in Rockford’s Water Power District in the late 1800s. Over the next 50 years, his company would come to dominate the international market, but his personal aversion to publicity kept his name from gaining popular recognition. 

Colman’s daughter, Ruth Colman Tower, established the Howard D. Colman Memorial Scholarship to support local students whose passion, curiosity, and ambition make them ideal ambassadors for Howard Colman’s legacy. First awarded in 2011, the scholarship not only provides a cash award but also connects recipients with internships at local firms to build their professional networks in the region. Since 2011 the program has awarded over $500,000 to graduates from high schools in Boone and Winnebago Counties. 

Each year, four Colman Scholarship recipients are selected during CFNIL’s Fall Scholarship application cycle, each receiving a $2,500 scholarship and assistance with placement in a local internship. Additionally, the previous year’s scholarship recipients are interviewed, and one is named the Colman Scholar, a distinction that includes a $10,000 scholarship that may be renewed up to two more years. 

Scholarship applications are reviewed and scored by community volunteers. A “blind” review process assures scholarships are awarded objectively to students who best fit the scholarship criteria. Learn more about the Howard D. Colman Scholarship and CFNIL’s full scholarship program at cfnil.org/scholarships.

Meet the 2025 Howard D. Colman Memorial Scholarship Program recipients:

Howard D. Colman Scholar 

James Dugan, Hononegah High School Class of 2024, Iowa State University

Howard D. Colman Honorarium

Jillian Bennett, North Boone High School Class of 2024, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Benjamin Cooper, Hononegah High School Class of 2024, Iowa State University
Adam Weightman, Boylan Central Catholic High School Class of 2024, Iowa State University

Howard D. Colman Scholarship

Landon Bachta, Guilford High School Class of 2025, plans to attend Grand Valley State University and study mechanical engineering with the goal of a career in aerospace or automotive industries.

Naomi Cultra, Jefferson High School Class of 2025, plans to attend UW-Platteville to study civil engineering with the goal of pursuing a career in structural engineering or construction management.

Gianna DeGennaro, Belvidere High School Class of 2025, will attend Arizona State University to study Environmental Engineering with a focus on remediation and its capability to address carcinogens in our environment that cause diseases like cancer.

Samuel Kaap, Winnebago High School Class of 2025, plans to attend Iowa State University and pursue a career in engineering.

The full slate of 2025 CFNIL Scholarship Recipients will be announced May 1, 2025. CFNIL will host Scholarship Award Night 2025 on Tuesday, June 17, 6:30pm at Tebala Events Center (7910 Newberg Road, Rockford) to celebrate this year's scholars with recipients, their families, scholarship donors, and CFNIL volunteers. You are warmly invited to join in this festive occasion! Learn more and RSVP at cfnil.org/scholarshipnight.