Twelve students were recently named recipients of the 2026 Tom Tracy Memorial Farm Credit Illinois Family Scholarship, administered by the Community Foundation of East Central Illinois (CFECI). Each scholar receives $3,000 towards their college education. The selection criteria includes scholastic achievement, leadership and community contributions, career vision and goals, and financial need. Scholars are 26 years of age or younger, the children or grandchildren of Farm Credit Illinois employees, and will be enrolled as full-time college students in the fall of 2026.
Elise Hortin, of Norris City, received one such scholarship. She is studying exercise science at the University of Evansville. She graduated from Norris City-Omaha-Enfield Community High School and is the daughter of Alexa and Todd Hortin, vice president of lending in Marion.
The financial cooperative’s family scholarship was renamed in 2020 to permanently memorialize the late Tom Tracy. Early in his FCI president and CEO career, Tracy launched a family scholarship program that demonstrated his values of lifelong learning and employee support. His legacy of passionate advocacy for those seeking to better themselves through education continues through a named scholarship endowment at the CFECI. Tracy served as FCI’s president and CEO from 2015 until his passing in September 2019.
“This scholarship pays tribute to the late Tom Tracy who established a family scholarship for children and grandchildren of FCI employees early in his CEO tenure,” says Adam Brown, FCI board chair and Macon County farmer. “The cooperative is proud to empower the next generation of our employees in pursuing continued education and preparing them to be a positive contribution in their communities.”
About the Community Foundation of East Central Illinois:
The Community Foundation of East Central Illinois is a publicly-supported 501(c)(3) tax-exempt philanthropic organization created in 1972 to encourage and receive contributions establishing endowments for the long-term benefit of east central Illinois. Because the funds are endowed, they are permanently invested to produce income that is used to meet charitable needs of the community. The Community Foundation is independently governed by 15 Trustees serving without compensation and chosen for their knowledge of the community and their expertise in the areas of management necessary to carry out the functions of the Foundation. For more information, visit www.cfeci.org.
About Farm Credit Illinois:
Farm Credit Illinois (FCI) is an agricultural financial cooperative owned by more than 17,100 farmer, rural landowner, and agribusiness voting stockholders in the southern 60 counties of Illinois. Dedicated to Helping Farm Families Succeed, FCI provides competitive and flexible financing, crop insurance expertise, and Rural 1st® country life lending. FCI manages an $8 billion loan portfolio, sells 1.5 million acres of crop insurance coverage, and employs approximately 300 staff in the Mahomet headquarters and 14 regional offices. The Association will return $30 million of 2025 earnings as cash patronage to member-borrowers in June. The U.S. Farm Credit System is a network of locally owned cooperatives supporting rural communities, farm families, and agriculture with reliable, consistent credit and financial services today and tomorrow.
