One of those people, Professor Iver Yeager, stood out as an educator who significantly shaped her time at IC and her future career. Yeager, a longtime professor of philosophy and religion who also served as dean of the College and archivist, was known by generations of students for his intellect, integrity, and genuine interest in their lives.

Pecaro remembers monthly dinners hosted by Yeager where he treated students as thoughtful participants in the conversation and listened closely to what they had to say. That sense of respect Yeager always demonstrated towards students stayed with Pecaro. In 1976 she graduated with honors, an active leader in student government and recipient of the Joe Patterson Smith Prize in History. She went on to build a distinguished legal career focused largely on consumer and investor protection, including leadership roles with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Throughout her life, Pecaro has often returned to the example Yeager set. His emphasis on careful thinking, academic discipline and ethical decision-making became part of the foundation she carried into her professional and personal life.

“In the end, his gift to me was not to provide the answers, but to teach me to ethically approach problem-solving and reach a solid conclusion on my own,” she said. “I wonder what he would think if he knew the profound impact his teaching had in both my professional and personal life.”

As her milestone reunion approached, Pecaro wanted to honor Yeager’s influence in a way that would benefit future Illinois College students. With a lead gift, she established the Iver Yeager Endowed Scholarship in Ethics. The scholarship will support students who strive to meet challenges with courage, integrity and ethical leadership.

For Pecaro, the scholarship is both a tribute to a professor who made an enduring impression on her life and an investment in the students who will carry those values forward. She hopes others will join her in celebrating the lessons she first encountered in Yeager’s classroom nearly 50 years ago and extend them to create opportunities for future generations of Illinois College students.

To contribute to the Iver Yeager Endowed Scholarship in Ethics, call 217.245.3046.

Read more from this issue: here.