Knox College Announces Return of KnoxCorps
Galesburg, IL (07/11/2025) — Knox College is relaunching its KnoxCorps program, which focuses on immersive experience and community involvement, both important aspects of the Knox student experience.
This initiative, originally established in 2012 in partnership with the Galesburg Community Foundation, connects Knox students with local nonprofit organizations, allowing them to engage in meaningful projects and support community needs.
The relaunch involves partnerships with three key organizations: CASA of Western Central Illinois, the Galesburg Public Library, and Thrive Community Day Services.
"Our former colleague Elvith Santoyo-McNaught '13 was integral in connecting some of the organizations at the start of the relaunch," Associate Director of Career Exploration and External Relations Tiffany Springer said. "The organizations were connected to Knox through the initial KnoxCorps program, or through the work of staff in preparing for the relaunch. This is a fantastic opportunity for the nonprofit and Knox."
One way to grow the program is by unburdening the nonprofit expenses. KnoxCorps fellows are paid through Knox with wages coming from student employment, so the nonprofit gets a dedicated, skilled worker, and does not have to find the means in their budget to pay them. Knox students get a wage for their time, energy, and expertise, working for all parties.
"I can't wait to see what this year and the relaunch look like; we already had a former KnoxCorps Fellow come back and be a panelist speaker at the Forever Fire event," Springer said. "They were able to talk about the unique opportunity this is for a KnoxCorps Fellow, and the KnoxCorps Fellows were able to connect with a KnoxCorps alumni, which is also beneficial."
To be part of the program, students were selected through an application and interview process to become KnoxCorps Fellows. The Fellows work up to 10 hours per week on-site at their host organization during the 2025-26 academic year. This year, four Fellows will be part of the program.
"We had 13 applicants to be Fellows, all were very skilled," said Assistant Director of Knox Career Experience Rachel Russell. "It was a very competitive and thorough process, so we're excited to see how the program goes."
This year's KnoxCorp fellows are:
Azal Jameel '26, KnoxCorp Fellow at CASA of West Central Illinois
Abhinay Madarapu '28, Skills Lab KnoxCorps Fellow at Galesburg Public Library
Siena Adwere-Boamah '25, KnoxCorps Fellow at Thrive Community Service
Phoebe Amiri '26, Archives KnoxCorps Fellow at Galesburg Public Library
The program provides Fellows with high impact and immersive work experience in a non-profit environment and allows them to work off campus in tandem with their studies. It keeps the footprint of the program regional and accessible. "It is very nice to leverage our local community, a majority of our students do not have transportation, so it's good to provide an experience that allows them access close to campus," Springer said. "They don't have to adjust their class schedule for this work, the schedule is all integrated, and students can interact with the greater Galesburg community and build beneficial relationships."
"We have a lot of valued nonprofits and businesses within the Galesburg area and Knox County, our region is quite diverse. Our work with KnoxCorps can also provide opportunities to collaborate with Carl Sandburg College, Monmouth College, Galesburg School District 205, and GAVC from a workforce standpoint, so we have good networks we can partner with to create and build a unique experience for our students."
KnoxCorps is not only a program that is popular with Galesburg non-profits, but also those who have gone through the program.
"I loved doing KnoxCorp work! On top of providing great internship opportunities, I felt like KnoxCorps was a great way to get off campus and get involved in the community," said Knox College alum Cianja Bone '23, who did their KnoxCorps experience at The Orpheum in 2022. "I don't think I would have even known about all the cool community events and opportunities going on in Galesburg if it weren't for KnoxCorps. It was also really nice to have the support of the College while exploring professional opportunities and projects in the workplace."
The program begins its relaunch on September 22, with a week's worth of meetings and prep work. Starting October 1, students begin their on-site work until the end of Spring Term 2026.
"This is a unique program for Knox and the greater Galesburg community because of its thoughtfulness and potential," Springer said. "The partnerships lay the foundation for collaboration with the nonprofits within the area. There's a desire to provide these amazing opportunities for our students and the fact that they can do it in their home community is awesome. This experience can be done with their rigorous academic schedule as well. This is a unique program and an opportunity we are proud to provide for students."
The focus for the relaunch was to start small, but Springer admits the KnoxCorps program has goals to expand and is already gaining momentum locally and beyond.
"It's caught the attention of several other organizations, so it's 'how can we engage from a career center standpoint and continue to build relations with employers and organizations, not just locally but throughout the state and nationally," she said. "We have a good plan to follow . . . hopefully, we can grow for the 2026-2027 academic year and double our offerings. People in the community are excited, the KnoxCorps Fellows and hosts are excited, and we are ready to see where the relaunch can go under the leadership of President McGadney, other partners at the College, and in the community. "
The program not only has immediate impact on the community, but pays future dividends for participants.
"I actually tracked from my KnoxCorps internship into another more in-depth internship at The Orpheum and from there I tracked into a part time and eventually full time job," Bone said. "Now, three and a half years after my original internship, and two years after graduating, I am the manager of marketing and development at The Orpheum. Getting to start building those foundational skills and making connections as a Knox student really set me up well to find greater success as a graduate."
