(Pictured, left to right: Jacie Wessler Shoufler ’00, Gavin Shoufler, Clay Shouffler ’98, Blake Shoufler ’29 and Isabelle Shoufler)

When Blake Shoufler ’29 walks across the Illinois College campus, he is following footsteps laid decades earlier by his parents, part of a family story that has unfolded on the Hilltop for generations.

“I have a class in Sturtevant Hall now. I think of how my parents have wedding pictures in front of that building. My connections to Illinois College run deep,” he shared when asked about being a legacy student.

Blake’s earliest memory of Illinois College is attending a high-scoring basketball game — IC vs. Grinnell — with his dad, Clay Shoufler ’98. A lifelong basketball fan, the energy of the crowd and the “unbelievable” atmosphere left a lasting impression.

“You just don’t find this anywhere else,” he said. Today, Blake plays on that same court as a first-year guard for the Blueboys.

Blake’s mother, Jacie Wessler Shoufler ’00, has memories that go back even further.

“IC has been a part of my life for my entire life,” she said. “It’s in my blood. I remember going to IC football games when I was a baby. I literally grew up on the Hilltop.”

The list of Blake’s family members who attended IC is long and includes Jacie’s parents, his late grandfather Jeff Wessler ’77 and grandmother Gale Welgarz Wessler ’77 — who, like Jacie and Clay, met as students on the Hilltop. Additional family members who attended IC include Jacie’s uncle Jay Wessler ’81, aunt Shelley Smith Wessler ’81, late aunt Mary Weglarz Stambaugh ’81 and uncle Craig Stambaugh ’84.

When Jacie and Clay recall their days as students at Illinois College in the late 90s, they remember busy days filled with meaningful connections. Both went on to launch successful careers as educators, grounded in the foundation they received at IC. Jacie is the principal at Riverton Elementary School, and Clay serves as the Williamsville Junior High principal. Each has recently been honored by the Illinois Principals Association for excellence in their field.

“Whether it was the education department preparing me to become a future teacher or how I grew as a member of the basketball program, I had personal relationships that shaped me,” shared Clay, who attended as a first-generation student. “Those mentors at IC steered me in the right direction when I needed it. I also met very important people for the rest of my life.”

For Blake, it was the mix between academic rigor that would stretch him to grow and the opportunity to join IC’s respected basketball program that ultimately sealed his decision. He was surprised by how personalized his first semester studying finance and communications on the Hilltop has been, calling it “eye-opening.”

His first semester has been equal parts challenging and supportive, pushing him to grow more than he expected in just a few short months. He has had to become more independent, and professors have encouraged him to move beyond his comfort zone in areas such as public speaking, analysis, and critical thinking. At the same time, he has found deep friendships and a strong sense of belonging.

“I think Illinois College is preparing me well,” Blake said. “No matter how much I knew about the campus already as a legacy student, I am experiencing new things and learning every day. Illinois College has evolved and has a lot of modern technology that fit the kinds of jobs I am thinking about.”

While Clay and Jacie have seen IC grow over the years, especially through campus improvements like the Bruner Fitness and Recreation Center and the remodel of Crispin Hall, they are reassured to see that the heart of the College and the community they love remains unchanged.

When she attended an admission event with Blake last year, Jacie was surprised to see a professor she remembered from her own time as a student. The experience reinforced how deeply invested IC faculty and staff are in students and in the College’s long-term mission. It’s an enduring quality she believes continues to draw legacy families like hers back to the Hilltop.

“Listening to President Farley talk about what is happening on campus and the vision of the College for the future makes me feel good about being an IC grad,” Jacie said. “I’m proud that Blake is carrying on that legacy.”

The role of alumni and donors in this moment

The success of Illinois College’s admissions momentum is not accidental, nor is it temporary. It is the result of sustained investment by alumni who believe in the power of an IC education and by donors who ensure that opportunity remains open to every talented student, regardless of financial circumstance.

As the College approaches its Bicentennial, today’s students represent the bridge between IC’s remarkable past and its promising future. They are choosing Illinois College because it offers more than a degree. They are choosing it because it offers belonging, possibility and preparation for lives of impact.