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University of Illinois student receives TCF scholarship

University of Illinois sophomore John Searl is a 2019 Chicago Farmers’ scholarship recipient. John is majoring in Crop Sciences: Plant Biotechnology and Molecular Biology. Following graduation he plans to pursue graduate studies and earn a Ph.D. in plant breeding and become a corn breeder.

A resident of Port Byron, Illinois, John said that choosing Crop Sciences as his major was an easy decision due to the fact that he grew up on his family’s farm and wanted to do something in agriculture “even before I chose to go down the path I am on to become a corn breeder.” He added that it was an easy decision to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign because the faculty and staff made him feel more at home than he did at other institutions he visited.

John is a member of the Field and Furrow Club at U of I. He loves professional baseball, especially the minor leagues because it affords him the opportunity to follow players through the minors as they make their way to the major leagues. As a baseball enthusiast, John also collects baseball cards, particularly of the top baseball prospects and Carlos Correa.

In thanking TCF for the scholarship, John noted, “Receiving a scholarship such as this means a lot to me in that it shows me that other people have taken notice of not only the effort I have put in, but also what I have already accomplished. Giving back to help younger students always has meant a lot to me and this scholarship reinforces my commitment to helping mentor students in organizations at my high school (Riverdale Senior High School) that helped me get to where I am now.”