Dicksen was selected to be the 2019 Western Illinois University Student Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences, with minors in French and Chemistry. She is a member of the Centennial Honors College and has received both the Centennial Honors Commitment Scholarship and the President’s Scholarship. She was named a 2019 Goldwater Scholar–the first female to receive this honor at WIU. Mariah is the only student to have been nominated for all three of the prestigious Goldwater, Truman, and Rhodes Scholarships. She has also been named a Dean’s List Scholar every semester since her freshman year. She received the H.D. Waggoner Memorial Award for Outstanding Sophomore GPA, the Paul Nollen Scholarship for Biological Honors, the TriSigma Marie Helen Egbert Scholarship for academic excellence and leadership, and the P. James and Joyce E. Nielsen Science Award to complete her thesis research. Mariah has been the captain of the Marching Leathernecks Color Guard for three years, served as a Student Vice President in Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society, was the co-founder and treasurer of the WIU tennis club, and was a leader in Beta Beta Beta National Biological Honors Society, the TriSigma Sorority, the WIU Water Polo Club, the WIU SCUBA Club, and the Panhellenic Council. Dicksen plans to pursue a Doctorate in Microbiology, studying viruses and intends to become a collegiate professor to foster her love of learning and mentoring.

Walker was selected to be the 2018 Western Illinois University Student Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. She is pursuing dual degrees in Forensic Chemistry and Foreign Languages and Cultures. She is a member of the WIU Centennial Honors College and received the highest level of the prestigious Centennial Honors Commitment Scholarship. She was also a member of the WIU Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society. On campus, Walker has held leadership positions in the Golden Key International Honor Society, WIU Department of Chemistry, Women in Science Student Organization, and Phi Eta Sigma National Honors Society. Some of her outstanding recognitions include her nomination for the Barry Goldwater Scholarship, her recognitions as the Chemistry Department's Maurice Peterson Outstanding Senior, Sophomore, and Incoming Freshman, and her position as a Dean's List Scholar for nine semesters in a row. Walker has also been a Group Leader for Camp Leatherneck, a volunteer for Spoon River College Summer Youth All About Science Class, a volunteer for the Chemistry and Physics Annual Demonstration Show, and a Desk Assistant for University Housing and Dining Services. During her time at WIU, she completed a research project spanning seven semesters on the topic of organometallic synthesis. Upon graduation, Walker plans to attend the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, in order to begin her doctoral studies in the field of Analytical Chemistry.

Escobar was selected to be the 2017 Western Illinois University Student Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. She has served as vice-president for the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, was a member of the Blue Key Honors Society and won first place at the Thomas Helm Undergraduate Research Day in 2014. Jillian has distinguished herself in service of others, leading fundraising efforts for WIU’s Speech Language and Hearing Association, acting as a honors mentor, and acting as a teaching assistant for the Community Music School. She is a senior Communication Sciences and Disorders and Music-Piano Performance major and plans to pursue a doctoral degree upon graduation.

Gradle was selected as the 2016 Western Illinois University Student Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. He has a distinguished record of service to the University in the Student Government Association, acting as the director of finance, president, and two terms as the student member on the Western Illinois University Board of Trustees. Wil was recognized in the Greek community as the 2017 Dr. Philip Sommers Pi Kappa Phi Student of the Year, 2017 North American Interfraternity Conference Undergraduate of Distinction, 2017 Pi Kappa Phi Outstanding President, 2015 Greek Man of the Year. Wil graduated in May of 2017 with a Bachelor of Business in Economics, and pursues a Master of Arts in Economics.

Drake was selected as the 2015 Western Illinois University Centennial Honors College Scholar and Student Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. She has served as the hall events coordinator for Tanner Hall, a principal harpist (the first in 32 years) for the WIU Orchestra, a founding senior research fellow for the President's Institute Think Tank, president of the American Chemical Society (ACS) Chemistry Club, founding secretary of the WIU Swing Dance Club, treasurer of the Blue Key International Honor Society, a freshman Honors resident assistant in Tanner Hall, the WIU Department of Chemistry representative to the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Student Council and the student representative to the CAS Faculty Council.

Drake has also been involved in many other organizations, including Women in Science, National Residence Hall Honorary, the Student Philosophy Association and the Math Club. Drake is one of the first people in her department to be awarded an ACS Chemistry Certification and she has won many awards during her time at WIU, including winning an honorable mention for the national Goldwater Award.

WIU has only had two previous Goldwater award or honorable mention winners and only 300 students nationally receive this award each year. Drake is the first female and first chemistry major from Western to ever win one.

Luke was selected as the 2014 Western illinois University Student Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. She was the president of the Associated Students of Political Science and Pi Sigma Alpha, the vice president of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the founder of the WIU Athletic-International Ambassadors, the public relations director for the Gold Key International Honour Society, committee member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, the student athlete representative of the WIU Council on Intercollegiate Athletics, political science student representative for "Discover Western," a member of Phi Eta Sigma and a volunteer for the McDonough County Humane Society, McDonough District Hospital, Rocky's Reach, Adopt-a-Classroom, "We Care" campus revival, Trick the Town and the Stuff the Bus food drive.

Athletically, Luke was also named the first Academic All-American in WIU women's basketball history and has been named the Summit League 2012-2013 Newcomer of the Year and all conference and has regularly been a leading scorer, rebounder and defender on the women's basketball team. in 2015, Ashley was selected as the Capital One Academic All-America of the year.

Edward is a military veteran who graduated from Western Illinois University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Business degree in Information Systems and a minor in Computer Science. He was president of the College of Business and Technology Student Organization Council, Management Information Systems Association, and many other student organizations. He won the 2010 Thomas E. Helm Undergraduate Research Day podium presentation, received the Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges award twice, and was selected as the Academic Honors Convocation Student Speaker. He was also inducted into, and held leadership positions in, the following honors organizations: Blue Key Honor Society, Golden Key International Honour Society, Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society, Beta Gamma Sigma, Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Iota Epsilon, and several others. His graduation honors included Summa Cum Laude, Lincoln Academy of Illinois Student Laureate, Centennial Honors College Scholar, Information Systems Departmental Scholar, and Honors Scholar awards.

He then graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2013 with a Master of Business Administration degree in Information Technology & Strategic Management. He was a National Society of Hispanic MBAs Fellow, Phi Kappa Phi Fellow, and received second recognition induction into Beta Gamma Sigma and Phi Kappa Phi. His graduation honors included Summa Cum Laude and Academic Excellence awards. Since then, he has held multiple, global, leadership roles at several of the world’s largest technology companies and has authored several published works. He also serves as an angel investor and board member for several startups and charitable foundations.

Dr. Wooderchak-Donahue was selected as the 2003 Western Illinois University Student Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. Whitney graduated from Western Illinois University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry and minor in Microbiology in 2003. While at Western, she was very active in various academic, extracurricular, and volunteering pursuits. When she wasn’t researching in Dr. Lisa Wen’s biochemistry lab, she was running off to WIU marching band practice, playing trombone in the WIU Jazz band, participating in Chemistry Club, volunteering as a “Big Sister” for the Western Buddies Program at WIU, or spending time with friends. She received various Chemistry departmental awards, wrote and defended an in-depth honors thesis based on her undergraduate research entitled “Purification of Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 5A (eIF5A).” During the summers away from school, she worked in Yellowstone National Park hiking all over, and it was here where she met her husband from Utah.

Upon graduation from WIU in December 2003, she began working on her PhD in Biochemistry at Utah State University in Dr. Joan Hevel’s lab studying protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs). She received her doctorate from Utah State in 2008 and immediately began working as a scientist in research and development at ARUP Laboratories, an academic enterprise of the University of Utah, researching the genetics of vascular anomalies with Dr. Pinar Bayrak-Toydemir. While at ARUP, she has developed numerous molecular genetics assays that have benefited patient care and facilitated the diagnosis of disease. In 2013, she became an Adjunct Assistant Professor of the Department of Pathology at the University of Utah and later received a competitive Young Investigator Award from the CureHHT foundation to study the genetics of Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT). She has received several awards for her research on HHT and vascular anomalies. Dedicated to improving patient care and the education of other scientists, she has published over 30 peer reviewed journal articles and served on several graduate student committees.

Bills was selected as the 1998 Western Illlinois University Student Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. Bills, a 1999 management graduate, is a principal at the Chicago law firm of Grippo & Elden LLC, where he represents companies and individuals in complex business litigation nationwide. He became a partner at Grippo & Elden in 2010 and regularly represents clients in a variety of high stakes commercial disputes involving breach of contract, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, non-competes, post-closing disputes, and insurance coverage. In addition, Bills regularly consults, speaks, and writes on a variety of electronic discovery issues. He is a member of the Seventh Circuit Electronic Discovery Pilot Program Committee and serves as chair of his firm’s Electronic Discovery Resource Group. He also represents clients in pro bono matters. Bills has been named an “Illinois Rising Star” every year since 2011. In 2013, Bills was profiled as one of “40 Illinois Attorneys Under Forty to Watch.”

Following law school, Bills worked as a law clerk to the Honorable James F. Holderman on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Bills then entered private practice as an attorney at Winston & Strawn LLP in Chicago. He is a 2002 University of Illinois College of Law graduate. In law school, Bills was on the editorial board of the University of Illinois Law Review, a member of the trial team and graduated summa cum laude, Order of the Coif.

Bills has continued to serve his alma mater since graduation, regularly attending WIU and alumni events, serving two terms on the WIU Alumni Council, delivering the 2012 keynote address at the Centennial Honors College Pre-Law Symposium and providing financial support to many areas, including the Alumni Association, University Housing and Dining, the Centennial Honors College, the College of Business and Technology, the Department of Management, Student Activities and the University Union.

While at WIU, Bills was the Student Government Association president for three years, the College of Business and Technology and the Department of Management Outstanding Senior, recipient of the William E. Brattain Outstanding Student Leader Award and served on the Western Courier staff, as a Student Orientation Team leader, and as a member of Phi Eta Sigma, Phi Kappa Phi, Beta Gamma Sigma, and Sigma Iota Epsilon. In addition, he was an officer of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. He was also a Lincoln Academy of Illinois Student Laureate, the 1998 Student Convocation Speaker and graduated summa cum laude.

Upon graduation from WIU in December 2003, she began working on her PhD in Biochemistry at Utah State University in Dr. Joan Hevel’s lab studying protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs). She received her doctorate from Utah State in 2008 and immediately began working as a scientist in research and development at ARUP Laboratories, an academic enterprise of the University of Utah, researching the genetics of vascular anomalies with Dr. Pinar Bayrak-Toydemir. While at ARUP, she has developed numerous molecular genetics assays that have benefited patient care and facilitated the diagnosis of disease. In 2013, she became an Adjunct Assistant Professor of the Department of Pathology at the University of Utah and later received a competitive Young Investigator Award from the CureHHT foundation to study the genetics of Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT). She has received several awards for her research on HHT and vascular anomalies. Dedicated to improving patient care and the education of other scientists, she has published over 30 peer reviewed journal articles and served on several graduate student committees.