New Scholarship Fund Supports Agriculture and Conservation Students

A new scholarship fund has been established in DeKalb County to assist students pursuing studies in agricultural sciences with a focus on conservation. The DeKalb County Community Foundation recently announced the creation of the Samardzija-Gutesha Family Fund, which aims to reflect the family’s commitment to education and community support.

The fund specifically targets students involved in agriculture and conservation, particularly members of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) and those in associate-level college programs. As outlined by Dan Templin, Executive Director of the Community Foundation, “It’s an honor to help carry the Samardzija-Gutesha family legacy forward through a fund that supports the land, values, and people they cared about.”

Honoring Family Legacy and Community Commitment

The late Militsa Samardzija was instrumental in the fund’s creation. A native of DeKalb and a graduate of DeKalb High School, she held a bachelor’s degree in music education from Illinois Wesleyan University and a master’s degree in historic preservation planning from Cornell University. Militsa passed away in February 2023, leaving behind a legacy deeply rooted in her community. Her father, Milosh “Mike” Samardzija, emigrated from the former Yugoslavia, while her mother, Mildred Gutesha Samardzija, was also a DeKalb native.

The fund honors both her family lines, Samardzija and Gutesha. Militsa’s career spanned publishing and communications, where she served as an editor and project coordinator. She was notably recognized for leading efforts in 1994–95 to save DeKalb’s historic old post office from demolition.

Funding for the scholarship was largely made possible through the estate of Militsa’s sister, Mary Samardzija, who earned a doctorate in adult education. Mary worked as a corporate trainer and instructional designer, most recently with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in Washington, D.C. Together, the sisters demonstrated a strong commitment to education and community service.

Scholarship Details and Future Opportunities

The Samardzija-Gutesha Family Fund offers scholarships for post-high school students pursuing education in agriculture or conservation. It also funds paid internships with local farmers and conservation professionals, educational seminars on sustainable farming practices, and grants to organizations that align with the fund’s values.

In its inaugural year, the fund awarded $65,000 in scholarships to eight graduating seniors from DeKalb, Genoa-Kingston, Indian Creek, Somonauk, and Sycamore high schools. Recipients attending a two-year college received $5,000, while those planning to enroll in a four-year university received $10,000.

The DeKalb County Community Foundation welcomes donations of any size to increase the impact of the Samardzija-Gutesha Family Fund. Interested individuals can visit dekalbccf.org/donate to contribute or explore options for creating their own named fund. For further inquiries regarding charitable interests, contact Dan Templin at 815-748-5383 or via email at [email protected].