Alicia Blythe was raised in East Moline, Illinois by Joe and Maria DeFauw. Joe was a truck driver and Maria worked at Augustana College in food service. Joe and Maria always stressed to Alicia that education would give her a path to a different life.

Neither of Alicia's parents went to college. Regardless, Joe always told Alicia that college would be the best time of her life and even had her practice her "executive signature" when she was a child dreaming of a different path.

Maria worked at the Augustana cafeteria to provide tuition for Alicia's undergraduate education. Unfortunately, Maria passed away while Alicia was still in college. Maria would be proud to see that her daughter not only graduated from Augustana but went on to complete her Master's Degree at Northwestern University. Alicia is a lifelong learner and her dream has been to establish a scholarship to help other young learners achieve their dreams.

This scholarship seeks to honor Maria’s legacy by supporting students throughout their higher education journeys.

Any low-income, first-generation high school senior or undergraduate student at Augustana College in Illinois may apply for this scholarship opportunity. High school senior applicants do not need to be planning to attend Augustana.

To apply, tell us how your college degree will impact your life and the lives of your family, what a college degree means to you, what you’re passionate about, and what you’ve done to pursue your passion.

Donor Profile: Jason Blythe

Jason Blythe

Donor since Oct, 2024

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Jason Blythe

Scholarship

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Maria's Legacy: Alicia's Scholarship Fund

Scholarships

Maria's Legacy: Alicia's Scholarship

Deadline: May 2, 2025