Announcing the Luan and Greg Olson Scholarship Fund, a new scholarship at the DeKalb County Community Foundation. The scholarship will provide an annual award to a graduate of Sycamore High School in Sycamore, IL. The Olsons were scholarship recipients when they attended college and thus wanted to create a fund that would “pay forward” the generosity they experienced.

Hailing from Bushnell, IL, Luan and Greg are both graduates of universities in Illinois. Luan attended Illinois State University and the University of Illinois, but ultimately graduated with a liberal arts degree from Northern Illinois University. Greg earned his B.S. in agriculture from the University of Illinois and later was awarded an MBA from Northwestern University. Luan spent the bulk of her career as a deputy clerk for the DeKalb County Circuit Clerk. Greg’s entire career was with Monsanto’s DeKalb division. There he served in various sales, marketing, human resources, and administrative positions. The Olsons have three children, all of whom graduated from Sycamore High School and the University of Illinois.

“Our hope is that this financial aid will help young recipients achieve their potential in academic and career achievements,” said Greg Olson. “The scholarship is an opportunity for us to repay the community for all it has done for us and our children. We are firm believers that a quality education can be critical for a lifetime of success.”

To date there are over 70 scholarship funds at the Community Foundation, all with a desire to provide opportunity through the pursuit of education. Donations to any fund at the Community Foundation, including the Luan and Greg Olson Scholarship Fund, can be made online, or by mail to the DeKalb County Community Foundation, 475 DeKalb Avenue, Sycamore, IL 60178. For questions or additional information on funds, please contact Executive Director Dan Templin at 815-748-5383 or dan@dekalbccf.org.