History majors at EIU earn degrees, distinctions
May-19-2026Eastern’s Class of 2026 History graduates enter a career corridor with abundant opportunities, meaningful outcomes
(Charleston, IL) – Eastern Illinois University’s Department of History is recognizing graduating students, scholarship recipients, and award winners of its 2025-26 academic year, including members of the Class of 2026 who completed undergraduate or graduate degree programs during EIU Commencement on May 9.
“Students in EIU’s History program continue to produce thoughtful research, engage deeply with historical scholarship, and contribute meaningfully both inside and outside the classroom,” said EIU Professor and Department Chair of History Dr. Grant Sterling. “The accomplishments recognized this year reflect the strength of their academic work, their commitment to critical inquiry, and their preparation for a wide range of professional and educational paths.”
EIU’s Department of History added several graduate-level alumni to its list of program graduates. Students earning graduate degrees in May 2026 included Connor Boray (Carol Stream, Illinois), Wendy Harris (St. Paul, Minnesota), Charley Lackey (Mount Prospect, Illinois), Alex Pearson (Charleston, Illinois), McKenna Payton (Syracuse, Utah), Brent Reardon (Effingham, Illinois), Therese Rapp (Downers Grove, Illinois), Olivia Roehri (Fox River Grove, Illinois), and Christopher Sweet (Elk Grove Village, Illinois). They joined more than 25 undergraduate degree recipients, including several students planning to continue their studies through The Graduate School at EIU. Boray, Dayden Gardner (Charleston, Illinois), Mia Carrasco, and Sweet all earned the Charles H. and Dorothee Coleman Scholarship for distinguished graduate students majoring in history.
EIU’s Department of History also announced recipients of other departmental scholarships and awards for the 2025-26 academic year. In most cases. these students will receive their scholarship awards distributed for use in the 2026-27 academic year, and include:
 Madelyn Akers (Mt. Zion, Illinois) received the Lawrence and Emily Nichols Memorial Scholarship, awarded annually to an outstanding sophomore or junior history major with an excellent major GPA. |
  Ephraim Annis (top; Mattoon, Illinois), Katie Douglas (Mattoon, Illinois), and Emily Wilson (bottom; Clinton, Illinois) received the Errett and Mazie Warner Award, presented annually to outstanding junior and senior history majors. |
Aidan Gonzalez (Gilberts, Illinois) and Reese York (Decatur, Illinois) received the David and Joyce Maurer Scholarship, awarded annually to outstanding history majors. |
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Kaitlyn Evans (Glenview, Illinois) and Dylan Meek (Collinsville, Illinois) received the Rex Syndergaard Scholarship, awarded annually to history majors with an interest in teaching. |
 Savannah Newcomer (Mattoon, Illinois), a History with Teacher Licensure major, was selected as a recipient of the 2025-26 Annie L. Weller Undergraduate or Graduate Scholar Award. Established by the Weller family and awarded by The Graduate School at EIU, the scholarship supports undergraduate or graduate students committed to teaching careers. |
Kaitlyn Evans (top; Glenview, Illinois) and Alex Ward (bottom; Homer, Illinois) were awarded the William V. Weber Scholarship for Study Abroad. |
Lawrence Thomas (Kewanee, IL) earned the Alexander Hamilton Award for his paper "Labor Issues and Racial Unity."
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Alex Jones (Tower Hill, Illinois) received the William B. Reid History Education Scholarship, an award for junior or senior history majors seeking teacher certification.
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Mia Robbins (Manteno, Illinois) received the Wolfgang and Barbara Schlauch Scholarship, awarded annually to an outstanding senior history major with a strong academic record and coursework in European and/or world history. |
Jacob Younkin (Athens, IL) received the Elisha and Estella Ziegler Baumgartner Scholarship, awarded annually to an outstanding sophomore history major. |
Hayden Sennett (Lexington, Illinois) earned the Robert and Julie Sterling History Teacher Scholarship for a junior or senior history major with teacher certification. |
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Keegan Bottom (Yorkville, Illinois) received the Ardath Fogelsanger Scholarship for an upper division history major who, through activities in class and outside of the classroom, demonstrates a love for and dedication to the study of history.
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Wyatt Stanley (Charleston, Illinois), received the Stephan M. Horak Memorial Award for an outstanding senior history major with a concentration in European history and at least one course in Russian or Eastern European history.
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Several EIU History majors also earned recognition in University-wide academic competitions during the 2025-26 academic year:
- Boray won the Lavern M Hamand Graduate Writing Award for the best paper by a graduate student in the Department of History.
- Sennett (already pictured in table, above) earned third place in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Social Science Writing Awards competition for the paper, “Religious Penitence: Moravians in the 18th and 19th Centuries,” written for Dr. Trevor Burrows’ HIS 2500: Historical Research and Writing course.
- Strempel (already pictured in table, above) earned second place in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Social Science Writing Awards competition for the paper, “Stitches of Faith: Women’s Education and Religion in 18th and 19th Century Needlework,” written for Dr. Trevor Burrows’ HIS 2500: Historical Research and Writing course.
- Wilson (already pictured in table, above) earned third place in the 2026 Booth Library Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creativity competition for the paper, “Challenging Patriarchy: Female Agency Through Religious Roles in Ancient Babylonian Societies,” written for Dr. Lee Patterson’s HIS 3130: Iraq and the Ancient Near East course.
Eastern Illinois University’s Department of History programs emphasize historical research, analytical thinking, writing, and applied learning experiences. Coursework in world and United States history prepares students for careers in education, museums, libraries, law, business, public service, and pathways to advanced degrees. The EIU History Department’s online graduate program provide students with a fully online format, flexible scheduling options, affordable tuition, faculty mentorship, and opportunities to develop research, writing, and critical analysis skills.
EIU’s scholarship opportunities are available to explore through a searchable, online tool at eiu.academicworks.com, and help connect prospective and current EIU students with personalized scholarships at the University. Prospective students looking for EIU scholarship opportunities can search for scholarships by keyword, department, field of study, career interests, and more. Students who have already been admitted to the University or who are currently enrolled also can use their EIU emails to log in to the online tool, where their EIU information will automatically pair them with the most useful or recommended scholarships available.
With a streamlined, no-cost application process and access to admissions counselors, prospective EIU students can quickly move from interest to enrollment while exploring scholarship opportunities and campus resources. Interested students can learn more about EIU’s admissions process at eiu.edu/admissions/apply.
EIU prepares students to accomplish their life goals through a combination of quality academics, personal relationships, and both on-campus and online learning opportunities. For more information about Eastern Illinois University, including its broad array of academic and career readiness programs, or any of EIU’s other community-based services and opportunities, visit eiu.edu or call EIU’s public information office at (217) 581-7400.
~ Career Outlook ~
History graduates enter a stable job market, leveraging research and analytical skills for roles in education, government, and business. While early career salaries for humanities graduates often fall between $45,000 and $55,000, advanced opportunities as historians or political scientists can command higher salaries. Beyond K-12 teaching, career paths include archivist and museum curator positions, with many high-level roles requiring advanced degrees. Advanced history degree holders, including M.A. or Ph.D. recipients, frequently secure high-end positions as federal historians or university professors, senior policy analysts, museum directors, or within the federal government with top earners regularly exceeding $100,000 annually. For more details, visit the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
