Gifts in Action - Paul Sudkamp

MEET PAUL SUDKAMP

One of eleven children, Paul was faced with the challenge of paying for his own education. He was, therefore, extremely grateful for the opportunity the James Newton Matthews Scholarship Program offered him.

This scholarship indirectly helped him land a cooperative job that took him to England. The U of I at Urbana-Champaign benefited greatly from Paul’s outgoing nature. While a student, Paul was an officer in the Engineering Cooperative Society, vice president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, taught a Discovery class for mechanical engineering freshman, was a member of Tau Beta Pi (Engineering Honor Society), volunteered for a couple semesters at a local preschool and completed undergraduate research. Sudkamp wrote a letter thanking the donors and telling about his experience as a Matthews Scholar.

The JAMES NEWTON MATTHEWS SCHOLARSHIP

The James Newton Matthews Scholarship Program provides merit-based scholarships to an outstanding group of students who have a successful academic background that includes civic and social leadership.

WHAT HE SAYS

“My parents could barely afford to come visit me, much less pay for my education! I was planning on going to a community college, but when I found out I was being considered for the Matthews Scholarship, I began to think of U of I as a serious option,” said Paul.