Pictured (from left to right): Earthrise Communications & Events Manager Cheryl Toohey, Lake Land College Foundation Awards & Corporate Relations Coordinator Bailey Cole, Lake Land College Director of Annual Giving & Alumni Relations Amanda Allen, Lake Land College Executive Director for College Advancement Christi Donsbach and Earthrise Developmental Analyst Christian Labeck.
Mattoon, IL-(Effingham Radio)- Funding Will Provide Critical Financial Assistance to Help Students Overcome Unexpected Hardships and Continue Their Education
Earthrise Energy has awarded a $15,000 grant to the Lake Land College Foundation to support the Lake Land College Student Emergency Fund. This funding will provide financial assistance to students facing unexpected challenges, ensuring they can remain enrolled and continue their education without disruption.
“Unexpected financial hardships can be a major barrier to student success, especially for those in rural and low-income communities,” said Christi Donsbach, Executive Director for College Advancement. “With this grant from Earthrise Energy, we can offer critical support to students facing emergencies, allowing them to focus on their education instead of worrying about financial instability.”
The Student Emergency Fund assists students in covering urgent expenses such as medical bills, car repairs, or housing costs—expenses that, without support, could force them to pause or abandon their education. By reducing these barriers, the fund helps students stay on track academically and successfully complete their coursework, even during difficult times.
“Earthrise Energy is proud to support Lake Land College’s efforts to help students stay in school despite financial setbacks,” said Nicole Vaughn, Senior Project Development Manager at Earthrise Energy. “This program empowers students to focus on their education and future success.”
Earthrise Energy is an independent power producer which owns five natural gas plants in Illinois, including the Shelby Energy Center in Neoga and is developing more than 1.5 gigawatts of solar power in the state. The Shelby Energy Center itself is operated by several Lake Land College alumni, who recently reunited to lead a special tour of the plant for the Lake Land College President and staff.
Through its RISE Grant program, Earthrise Energy has committed over $235,000 in funding to support education, financial resilience, and community development in the Coles, Cumberland, and Shelby counties.
Earthrise Energy
Earthrise Energy, PBLLC, is an independent power producer with a mission to reduce power sector greenhouse gas emissions faster than ever before. The company acquires, owns, and operates existing power plants and leverages the transmission infrastructure to accelerate renewable energy development, bringing projects online faster than typical greenfield development. Earthrise has 1.7 GW of natural gas-fired generation capacity and 1.5 GW of planned solar projects. For more information about Earthrise Energy, go to www.earthriseenergy.com.
Lake Land College
Lake Land College creates and continuously improves an affordable, accessible, and effective learning environment for the lifelong educational needs of the diverse communities we serve. Our College fulfills this mission through: University transfer education, General education, Technical & career education, Workforce development, Community and continuing education, Intellectual and cultural programs, and Support services. For more information about Lake Land College, go to: https://www.lakelandcollege.edu/
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