Danielle Gullett is the recipient of the 2018 Bruce V. Penwell, Jr. Nursing Scholarship. Danielle is a 2018 graduate of Beecher City High School and will attend Lake Land College to pursue a degree in nursing.
Bruce Penwell, Jr. was born in Pana, Illinois and graduated from Beecher City High School. He attended University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and worked in sales and marketing in the animal health industry. After living and working for several years in Raleigh, North Carolina, he has now retired to St. Joseph, Michigan. However, Penwell has never forgotten his ties in Effingham and Shelby counties, even when living on the other side of the country. In 2016, Penwell established the Bruce V. Penwell, Jr. Designated Fund to support organizations located in Effingham, Beecher City, Shelbyville and Pana. A portion of his fund is dedicated to two scholarships for Beecher City High School graduates. One scholarship supports students majoring in education in memory of Mabel Laue, a former Beecher City Elementary School teacher. The second scholarship provides financial support to students pursuing a nursing degree, in memory of Elva Jennings Penwell. The Penwell fund awarded its first scholarships (each valued at $3,000) in May 2017.
