Two Fully Vaccinated JALC Students Win Tuition Waivers

Published on August 20, 2021

John A. Logan College officials announced plans in July to hold a drawing for two full-tuition waivers for the fall semester. Any student enrolled for a minimum of twelve credit hours that provided proof of COVID19 vaccination was eligible.

The drawing was held on Wednesday, with Josh Deaton and Shelby Sprague, both of Marion winning the waivers. Deaton is a freshman history education major, and Sprague is a freshman nursing student. Both students were vaccinated before the announcement of the contest.

“I got the vaccination as soon as I was eligible,” said Sprague. “I have an immune-compromised sister, and I am around my grandparents a lot, so I felt that I needed to get the vaccination.

Deaton said that he wanted to get the vaccination because he was ready to return to normal.

“Most of my junior year and all of my senior year of high school were interrupted by COVID,” said Deaton. “I wanted to get vaccinated because I wanted to see a return to normal as I start college.”

For Sprague, news of the tuition waiver was extra special.

“I did not have any other scholarships, and my mom saw a video on Facebook announcing this drawing and suggested that I take my vaccination card in and register,” said Sprague. “So you can imagine how excited I was to hear that I had won. This is a game-changer for me.”

John A. Logan College President Dr. Kirk Overstreet met with the students on Friday, and he had high praise for their decision to get the vaccination.

“We wanted to do something to encourage and reward students that get the vaccination,” said Overstreet. “I applaud both of you for doing your part to help the College and southern Illinois move past this pandemic,”

Overstreet added that vaccinations and masks are the best way to ensure that the College continues to offer face-to-face classes.

“We like having students on campus, and we feel that face-to-face is the best way for our students to learn, and with the recent spike in cases in southern Illinois, we have to do everything we can to ensure that we continue moving forward.”

College officials recently announced that all individuals inside College facilities would be required to wear masks. Individuals with questions or concerns regarding John A. Logan College and COVID19 can visit www.jalc.edu/covid19.