Leonard D. Carmichael photo

Leonard D. Carmichael Community Service Scholarship

Supporting Rochelle students who have a philanthropic spirit.

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Winter Scholarship - Open Open 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

Applicants must:

- Be a graduating senior at Rochelle Township High School.
- Demonstrate a history of community service.
- Demonstrate financial need.

Specifications

Applicants must be nominated for the scholarship by the Rochelle Township High School principal.

The scholarship may be renewable for up to four years if criteria is met.

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

Leonard Carmichael was born in 1920, attended a small one-room school house, and graduated from Rochelle High School at the age of 16. Farming and raising livestock were all Leonard ever knew growing up. Along with the usual corn, soybeans, and wheat, he raised sweet corn, green beans, peas, tomatoes, asparagus, and sunflowers. He married Marjorie Brauer in 1946 and together raised 5 children. The farm eventually evolved into a full-service grain elevator business called Maplehurst Farms, Inc. and today includes not only farm land and grain elevators, but also custom fertilizer and chemical application, and trucking at 10 different locations.

Over the years, Leonard helped raise funds for a variety of organizations, including the Rockford Rescue Mission, Rochelle Community Hospital, Kishwaukee College, Rochelle Child Care Center, Oak Crest Retirement Center in DeKalb, Lincoln Manor in Rochelle, the Rotary Foundation, the Rochelle Area Community Foundation, and Hospice Serenity Home in Oregon.

He was a founding member and the first President of the Greater Rochelle Economic Development Corporation. He served on the Rochelle Hospital Board, Ogle County Farm Bureau Board, IL Grain & Feed Association Board, church boards, Holcomb State Bank Board, Rochelle Child Care Center Board, Lincoln Manor Board, and Rochelle Chamber of Commerce Board. He was the original founder of the Rochelle Area Community Foundation in 2006. Leonard has received the Rockford Philanthropist Award and Rochelle’s Man of the Year Community Award.

Leonard touched many different individuals and organizations during his lifetime. His hope was that one day he would be remembered as a farmer and a business man with a kind and compassionate heart. Leonard will be remembered for accomplishing much in his lifetime, but his greatest legacy will be his selfless love for his God, family, community, and a generation he will never personally know, but one that will benefit from his work.