Adam Schmidt graduated from Gillespie High School (GHS) in 2012, earning a Jim Rosentreter Memorial Scholarship. He used this $500 Partnership award toward tuition at Lewis and Clark Community College (LCCC) in Godfrey, Illinois, to begin his studies in civil engineering.
After Adam completed his associates degree in 2014, he transferred to Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (SIUE). There he achieved his goal by earning a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 2016.
He was immediately able to find employment in Springfield with the Illinois Department of Transportation. Adam is putting his newly acquired skills to work by inspecting “state-owned bridges for structural adequacy and adherence to national and state design codes,” he says.
While currently helping to keep Illinois’ infrastructure safe, Adam is also committed to enhancing his professional qualifications. “My plans for the future include becoming a licensed professional engineer,” he says. He’s also considering obtaining an MBA (Masters of Business Administration).
When he isn’t on the job checking bridge safety, Adam says he enjoys golf. He is engaged and will soon be married.
Reflecting on the role that post-secondary education played in his life, Adam says: “My college education has helped me gain the knowledge that I have today. In turn, that knowledge led to current employment status.” In addition, he says, “college has led me to some great friendships.”
As to the Partnership scholarship, which was paid directly to the bursar at LCCC, Adam notes that the college allowed the money to be used to pay for textbooks.
Adam is the son of Weye and Nancy Schmidt of Gillespie.