Banterra Student of the Month: Bo Brockett
INA, Ill. (April 17, 2025) — Join Rend Lake College in celebrating one of their students each month, sponsored by Banterra Bank. These students are selected based on their GPA, as well as their campus and community involvement. The April Student of the Month is Bo Brockett (Benton).
Brockett is a sophomore in the agricultural business program. He was nominated for the student of the month honor for his outstanding work as a student, and his drive for trying new opportunities that come his way. Brockett recently presented a research trial to the On-Farm Precision Experimentation (OFPE) program in Denver, Colo. To read more about Brockett's experience with OFPE, click here.
"Bo has been an outstanding student ambassador," said Hillary Halsey, Recruitment & Student Success Specialist and leader of the student ambassadors. "He is always the first to volunteer, consistently giving engaging and informative campus tours and going above and beyond to make prospective students feel welcome."
"Bo is a smart, thoughtful and diligent student who cares about his education," said Dr. Elizabeth Bailey-Smith, RLC Speech Professor. "He takes advantage of opportunities that come his way to become a better student, learn as many skills and gain new knowledge as possible."
"Bo is such a wonderful student to have in class. His sense of humor is the best and he is so full of life," said Kathy Helmers, Agriculture Professor. "I love how he interacts with all of classmates and he is not afraid to do something out of his comfort zone. He is very deserving of this award."
RLC is delighted to see Brockett recognized for his upstanding character–not only by our faculty and staff, but also by members of our community, such as CEO of Banterra Bank Jeff May.
“Banterra was happy to partner with Rend Lake College for the naming rights of an upcoming renovated sports facility, the Banterra Sports Complex, because we are two organizations that are committed to supporting Southern Illinois and our youth,” said May. “As part of that partnership, we are honored to sponsor a Student of the Month program which recognizes an outstanding RLC student each month for their achievements.”
The Game Plan is an opportunity to renovate and expand the facilities within the Waugh Gymnasium on the RLC campus. Banterra Bank acquired naming rights of the gym and will hence forth be known as The Banterra Sports Complex, which is RLC’s largest corporate naming rights agreement to date. Renovations of the Banterra Sports Complex began in fall 2024 and are expected to be completed by fall of 2025.
About the Banterra Sports Complex
The planned Banterra Sports Complex at Rend Lake College will include the existing James “Hummer” Waugh Gymnasium as well as a new addition to the space. Waugh Gymnasium is one of the original buildings on the college’s campus and in 1995 was named after Waugh, a long-time coach and educator with nearly 50 combined athletic seasons to his credit when he retired. In addition to the gym, it includes athletic offices and locker rooms.
