Dr. Constance L. Goode

Dr. Constance L. Goode Memorial Scholarship

Supporting future African American teachers.

Winter Scholarship - Closed Closed This scholarship is part of the Winter application cycle. The application is open December 1st to February 1st every year. How to Apply

Eligibility Criteria

Applicant must:

- Be a graduate of or current senior at a Rockford Public School District #205 high school.
- Be African American.
- Intend to pursue a career in teaching.
- Be actively involved in community service.

Specifications

Academic performance will be given moderate consideration in the selection process.

Written Prompt

Each CFNIL scholarship is created with a specific purpose in mind. As you complete the application, the system automatically matches you with every scholarship for which you are eligible and will present you with a specific written prompt for each. You're encouraged to craft a unique response to each prompt to show the reviewers why you're the best candidate for that scholarship.

Scholarship Background and Intent

The Constance L. Goode Memorial Scholarship honors an exceptional woman, mother, educator, and leader.

Those who are blessed to have known Connie have a special appreciation for her profound impact on society. Born in 1938 in Chicago, she developed a passion for education as a teen when she began teaching a cousin with a learning disability how to read. That experience shaped her future, and she went on to earn a bachelor's and a master's degree in the field of education, followed by a Ph.D. in Continuing Adult Vocational Education.

During her 30-year tenure in Rockford School District, she taught at Washington Jr. Middle School and worked as a high school counselor at East, Auburn and Jefferson. She was a tenured professor at Northern Illinois University in Curriculum and Instruction for the last ten years of her educational journey. Through her passion for counseling, she observed students, encouraged their spirits, and inspired them to reach their potential.

After suffering a massive stroke and a long battle with dementia, through God's grace, she went home to be with the Lord on April 14, 2015. Much prayer and reflection led Connie's family and friends to establish a scholarship in her name to celebrate her legacy and her commitment to excellence in education.
 

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Photos of the Women's Centennial Sculpture

2020 marks 100 years since women's suffrage in the United States, 55 years since the height of the Civil Rights movement, and 5 years since the death of Dr. Connie Goode. Dr. Goode was a life-long educator in northern Illinois and prominent activist for Civil Rights. Her memory is honored by this scholarship, and her legacy is further strengthened by the establishment of the Women's Centennial Sculpture which features a mosaic of Dr. Goode on one of three panels, and which was dedicated on October 31, 2020, in Rockford. Learn more about the sculpture.

Celebrating Dr. Constance L. Goode
On Saturday, October 31, 2020, a sculpture celebrating the centennial of women's suffrage in the United States was dedicated on the banks of the Rock River just south of the YMCA Log Lodge. One of the panels of the sculpture memorializes Dr. Constance L. Goode, Rockford educator and civil rights activist. Four members of Dr. Goode's family were in attendance: her son Andre, daughter Alicia, and granddaughters Krystalyn and Gabriella. This is a video of Krystalyn and Gabriella reading a letter written by their grandfather, Alphonse Goode, about his wife.