Knox College president 'adopts' U-46 second grade class

Knox College President Roger Taylor might be considered a member of the educated elite. But it wasn't always that way.

"None of my family had gone to college, but from as early as I can remember I was encouraged to study hard so I could go," the leader of the Galesburg school said.

On Dec. 4, Taylor will pay it forward to Kimberly Scanlan's second-grade class at Hanover Countryside Elementary in Streamwood, helping students work on a personal aspirations project.

As part of the "No Excuses University" program, which encourages students to work hard, behave responsibly, and begin readying for college at an early age, each of Hanover Countryside's classrooms have adopted a college.

Scanlan's second-grade class chose Knox for several reasons, she said.

Her older brother, Mark, attended the school, which Scanlan has fond memories of visiting as a young child. Large colleges and universities, Scanlan feared, might not respond to the class's request.

Scanlan got in touch with Knox Fund Associate Director Brian Gawor, a U-46 graduate, over the summer.

Within a few weeks, Gawor informed Scanlan that the college would adopt her class.

Taylor, Scanlan said, has written to her class twice.

In turn, her 25 students have sent him handmade office decorations for Halloween and Christmas.

This afternoon, Taylor plans to talk to students about why he loves the college so much, the place where he met his wife of 44 years.

He also plans to tell them about the fifth Lincoln-Douglas debate held at Knox Oct. 7, 1858, and about President-elect Barack Obama's commencement speech at the college in May 2005.

After so much academic discussion, Taylor will teach Scanlan's students the Knox fight song, and drop off a special gift that he says was entrusted to him by Santa Claus.

"We're really lucky," Hanover Countryside Principal Leslie Kleiman said. "Many children don't have someone whispering about college in their ear. This is all about changing the thinking early. It's another little piece that really doesn't cost us anything," she said.