Adrienne Valerio Schoen graduated from Gillespie High School in 2002, earning a $500 Partnership for Educational Excellence tuition scholarship.
Adrienne attended Illinois State University (ISU) in Normal from 2002 through 2006. After a running start as a member of the ISU honor’s program, she majored in business management with a focus on human resources. On the Dean’s List for her final three semesters, Adrienne graduated in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Her first job was as the human resource coordinator for Menards in Springfield, Illinois. “I was responsible for the interviewing and hiring process of new employees,” she says. In addition she “managed attendance, payroll, and training systems – as well as other human resource issues – at that location.”
After two years in Springfield, Adrienne says, “I wanted to be closer to home.” She sought and won employment at the First National Bank in Staunton. In May 2018 she will celebrate her 10th anniversary at the bank. “I have been responsible for several different aspects of the bookkeeping department, beginning with ATMs and VISA debit cards. I was then promoted into CDs and IRAs. I am now the assistant supervisor.”
She married Nick Schoen in 2009, and they welcomed daughter Alivia in 2011. “I enjoy spending my free time with friends and family, especially Alivia. In the summers we enjoy boating at Gillespie Lake, spending as much time on the water as we can,” she says.
Adrienne relishes the experiences she had as a college student. “It wasn’t easy for me,” she says. But “post-secondary education played an important role in my life in regards to helping me experience life outside our small community.”
She says that she returned home having gained many valuable life lessons from attending a university: “Seeing what is available to you in the world, meeting people from different cultures, and being on your own for the first time in your life is a very eye-opening experience.”
As to her Partnership scholarship, Adrienne recounts that the award helped pay for books her freshman year. “Thank you for your generosity!” she says. “It is wonderful what The Partnership has been able to accomplish over the years!”
Adrienne is the daughter of Lori and Harold Valerio of Gillespie.