OGLESBY – A new scholarship has been created to honor an area teacher who passed away in September. Family and friends of the late Lori Tipton of Dalzell are creating an Illinois Valley Community College Foundation scholarship for future teachers. Tipton was an elementary and special education teacher for 33 years in La Salle. She died Sept. 15 at age 55 of COVID-19.
The endowment is being created by Lori’s husband Jim and children Katie Sobin and Jimmy Tipton of Spring Valley and Sarah Tipton of Bloomington. Brother-in-law John Somoloski of Peru was also instrumental in creating the award.
To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be planning a career in elementary or secondary education, have a minimum 2.75 GPA and have graduated from LaSalle-Peru Township High School, St. Bede Academy or Hall High School.
“The scholarship will continue my mother’s dream of supporting students in IVCC’s teacher education program,” said Sarah Tipton. “This memorial will help fulfill her legacy.”
After LP, the former Lori Diddle attended IVCC before transferring to Illinois State University to major in elementary education. Later she received a master’s in Education from National Lewis University.
Sarah said of her mother, “She loved her students just as much as her students loved her.”
