2023 IL Fund Minority Scholarship Program Winner Bio

Sterling Blonigen

Ms Sterling Blonigen is a female of African/Latina heritage. Sterling is enrolled in the School Psychology Program at Western Illinois University. She is currently enrolled as a first year student in the School Psychology Program. Growing up, she was taught that education was the stepping stone to her future. She intimates that, what she was not taught was that the educational system would fail her. She spent her childhood falling behind, but it wasn’t her personal failings that caused this. It was not until she attended an upper-class STEM school where she was given an explanation for why she struggled so much. She is classified as deaf. The upward battle that had been her life finally made sense. As an African American, it made her start to consider if children of color were receiving the same educational supports as that of their peers. 

As an adult, she notes that her experience has been the driving force behind her focus on the cracks in the educational system, especially with regards to those most vulnerable to its cracks: people of color. Sterling came to surmise that to fall between the cracks means to fall behind while others move forward. She realized that children with disabilities, children with mental health problems, or inaccessibility to technology are commonly the first victims. Additionally, racial and ethnic inequality in our educational system meant children of color who have said needs are often the last to receive care or accommodations compared to their peers which pushes them back even further. This insight is what drove her to become a school psychologist and ensure that children receive the support they need both inside and outside the classroom; before they fall behind rather than when it is too late. Sterling reports that after receiving class accommodations and hearing aids, her grades improved exponentionally and as a sophomore in high school, she was approved for the dual credit program. She graduated summa cun laude from her high school and received her associates in art along with her associated in science at eighteen years of age. She acknowledges that with her educational achievements, she was able to receive the funding she needed to attend Southern Illinois University. She reports that she took various psychology courses focusing on race, inequality and inequity such as peace psychology, race and racism, and psychology of African American Experience. It was through these courses and her own experiences that she realized the word she had been fighting for was “social justice.” She would argue that social justice has always been the driving force behind her passion to join the educational system. She felt that it was important that she does what she can to assist others.

During her undergraduate years she became an Academic Peer Advocate providing college students of a wide age range with the resources needed to adjust to campus life as well as keep on track for graduation. As part of the University Honors Program, she assisted in making lunches for the elementary school students, giving them the energy they needed to focus on their education. During this time she realized that there was more than just her community in need of support. This realization led her to work with Dr. Fisler at Western Illinois University both as a graduate assistant as well as a research assistant which includes working with the PEERs Program. The PEERs Program works to assure both autistic children in school and autistic adults in the workforce have important social skills such as forming healthy friendships with others, general peer interactions and being able to identify bullies. Finally, Sterling believes it is crucial that school psychologists have the skills to help students with their social emotional development. Her time in practicum has helped her to increase her understanding of the current issues students face in the educational system. Through the knowledge gained through her graduate studies, she intends to assure children receive the proper care and accommodations they need to exit the education system on equal footing with their peers. 

One of her professors states that, “Sterling demonstrates a strong desire to become a school psychologist so that she may support other diverse learners. She further states that, “one of Sterling’s most positive qualities is her desire to learn.” She approaches each experience with an open-mind and a willingness to gain all she can from those experiences.” Finally, the professor notes, “another strength that Sterling demonstrates is leadership.”