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Robert Haley (`85, MS `87) worked with student leaders in the MCC to create a wishlist of items to improve the comfort and usability of the GBCC. Through that process, Williams and the students developed a dream list of new furniture pieces to improve the GBCC lounge atmosphere and function.
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WIU Interim President Kristi Mindrup and MCC Associate Director LeRon Williams with some of the new furniture.
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Students with Williams at the MCC Open House.
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Alumnus Funds GBCC Lounge Refresh

September 25, 2024

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MACOMB, IL - - Students utilizing the Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center (GBCC) lounge in Western Illinois University's Multicultural Center (MCC) have new seating options this fall, thanks to the generosity of one WIU alumnus.

In the fall of 2023, Robert Haley `85, MS `87 made a $1 million commitment to establish the Robert H. Haley Education Excellence Scholarship Fund. When fully endowed, this scholarship fund will provide financial assistance to up to 40 students from the 37 counties in the southern Illinois region.

Haley returned to campus in April 2024 to meet some of the inaugural recipients of the scholarship. During that trip, he toured the MCC with MCC Associate Director LeRon Williams and spoke with WIU students in the GBCC. After the tour, Haley felt compelled to make another investment in WIU.

Haley asked Williams to work with student leaders in the MCC to create a wishlist of items to improve the comfort and usability of the GBCC. Through that process, Williams and the students developed a dream list of new furniture pieces to improve the GBCC lounge atmosphere and function. After reviewing the list, Haley made good on his promise to the students and provided a $10,000 donation to fulfill the students' wish list.

"It is important to understand the impact and value of keeping your word. It is key to identifying who you are as an individual and it builds trust in developing long term relationships." Haley said.

New furniture pieces were purchased this past summer and have been installed in the GBCC over the last few weeks. Now when students are spending time in the GBCC lounge, they are able to relax in top-of-the-line massage chairs. The GBCC lounge also now features barber shop chairs, offering students the opportunity to meet basic grooming needs without leaving campus.

"The addition of this new furniture at the GBCC has had a tremendous impact. When considering these upgrades, it was essential to honor Robert's vision and commitment to the students. My primary goal was to connect Robert with the student body, ensuring they felt heard and could see tangible progress in their favor," Williams said.

Additional pieces will soon be purchased for the GBCC office on the second floor of the MCC, providing even more spaces for students to relax, study and build community.

"The new furniture has revitalized the energy on campus in a way I haven't experienced during my time here, and I'm proud to have played a role in helping Robert realize his desire to support the GBCC community," Williams said. "This also serves as a reminder that Western Illinois University alumni, like Robert, have gone on to achieve great things and are now giving back. We hope this inspires our current students and creates a full-circle moment for them, just as it has for Robert."

Haley is pleased to know students are already enjoying the furniture and glad to have them involved in the process.

"It's important for them to know that their voices are heard," Haley said.

Donors wishing to support student space upgrades in the MCC or elsewhere on campus can contact Director of Development Amy Crosby at al-crosby@wiu.edu .

Posted By: Drew Donahoo (AM-Donahoo@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing