When Jonathan “Jonny” Buckheister was about 8 years old, his family’s home caught fire.
“We got on the roof of our house, and I just remember seeing the fire department raising a ladder to us. Once they did, I heard a fireman’s voice telling me that everything is going to be OK, and that I can take a step and get down the ladder,” Buckheister, now 18, said. “He reached out to me, and from that point forward I always thought of them as heroes because they saved us on that day.”
That fateful experience inspired Buckheister’s dream to one day become a firefighter.
Now, thanks to the new Seigle Scholar Program at Elgin Community College, that dream is a more affordable reality.
Established through a $500,000 gift from Robin Seigle, a former ECC Foundation Board member and secretary, and her husband, Mark, full-ride scholarships covering tuition, fees, labs and books for up to 60 credits toward an ECC associate degree will be provided to select students.
It’s the first program of its kind in the school’s history, officials said.
Mark and Robin Seigle are longtime residents of the Elgin and Dundee areas. Mark’s family business, Seigle’s Cabinet Center, was sold to Cincinnati-based Sims-Lohman in 2022.
“Our vision is for this offering to allow students who otherwise could not afford a secondary education to benefit from a college degree,” Mark Seigle said. “We are hopeful this program will be a lasting legacy long after we are gone.”
Buckheister, Demettri Rohn and Maria Salgado are the first three Seigle Scholars. They and the Seigles were recognized at a reception Tuesday.
“Getting this scholarship means the world to me,” Buckheister said. “I was worried about money for school. A lot of people I know haven’t been able to afford college, and this covers everything.”
Buckheister, 18, graduated from Sycamore Community High School and is currently enrolled in ECC’s fire science program. He plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in fire science at ECC, become a firefighter and/or study psychology to become a counselor specializing in helping first responders.
“I want to give back to the community and one day down the road help other students,” he said.
Like Buckheister, 18-year-old Rohn, 18, a graduate of Harry D. Jacobs High School in Algonquin, was worried about paying for college. Now he can breathe easier as he pursues a fine arts degree.
“I want to be a stage designer but my backup plan is graphic design,” Rohn said.
Passionate about both theater and community service, Rohn said his time volunteering with various organizations taught him empathy for others’ struggles.
As a Mexican-born, first-generation student, attending college and obtaining a career has always been on top of Maria Salgado’s priorities She wants to pursue a career that will allow her to help others and give back to my community.
“That’s why I’m so incredibly thankful for this scholarship,” she said. “It has given me the opportunity to continue with higher education as well as inspiring me to keep working hard towards my goals.”
Salgado, 18 and a graduate of Dundee Crown High School in Carpentersville, plans to transfer to University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to major in psychology and neuroscience when she completes her ECC degree. She is working toward a neuropsychology career.
“My dream is to raise awareness and provide more accessible mental health care, especially for the Hispanic community,” Salgado said.
Seigle said he is very impressed with the initial Seigle scholarship recipients.
“It’s not just their exemplary achievement of the required criteria, but that they are poised, polished and well prepared for the commitment they are undertaking,” he said.
The criteria for scholarship recipients includes financial need, academic achievement, character and social activism/community engagement.
“Giving back is what Robin and I know,” Seigle said. “Our families raised us with that belief, and there’s no greater joy than helping others.”
The Seigle Scholar Program accepts rolling admissions, with the next selections taking place after Aug 1, 2025. For more information, go to elgin.edu/seiglescholar.
Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
