The Southern Illinois University Alumni Association announced on May 29 that its St. Louis Scholarship has reached the $25,000 endowment goal, securing the fund as a permanent source of financial support for students from the area attending Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
The greater St. Louis region is home to more than 20,000 SIU graduates and is one of the association’s most active alumni networks. Alumni in the area participate in various events and fundraising efforts throughout the year, including an annual winter trivia night dedicated to raising money for the local scholarship fund.
“We’re thrilled to announce our St. Louis area alumni have reached this endowment goal,” said Molly Hudgins, executive director of the SIU Alumni Association. “This is a milestone accomplishment and means students from St. Louis have a lasting resource to help them pursue an education at SIU.”
St. Louis now joins Chicago as another major metropolitan area with an endowed scholarship fund supporting future Salukis; in 2025, Chicago-area alumni also met their $25,000 target. Both funds will provide annual scholarships intended to reduce financial barriers for deserving students and promote continued enrollment from these cities. The association continues its fundraising efforts with hopes of increasing both the size and number of scholarships available each year.
“We’re proud to show that Salukis are always up for helping new students learn what SIU can do for them,” said Laura Soucy, a 1987 graduate and incoming president of the SIU Alumni Association National Board of Directors. “So many of us have benefited from our experiences at the university, and we want future generations to know what it means to develop and foster that Saluki pride.”
Leslie Patterson, a 2003 graduate and longtime leader within the St. Louis alumni group, said reaching this milestone was rewarding: “We have so many alumni who are always proud to show up and support their alma mater,” she said. “I know reaching this goal is only going to energize them further, knowing high school students from the St. Louis area will always have a resource to help them become Salukis for life.”
