Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) recently awarded an NIU student, Leo Castillo, with $500 for a logo he designed for the organization.

The ISAC recently changed it’s name from Illinois State Scholarship Commission. Because of this change, the organization was in need of a new logo, said Bob Klement of ISAC.

Castillo, who is an art major, said he heard about flyers in the art building promoting the competition. The logo deals with financial aid for higher education.

Castillo said he got the idea from the ISAC’s description of what it does to help people who are in need of financial aid. It took one day for Castillo to complete the logo, he says.

Castillo said he hopes that the logo will help his career later on. He is interested in visual communication, and plans to keep the logo in his portfolio.

The contest was judged by three art professionals, two from Springfield and one from Chicago. The top three were ranked by the ISAC’s employees to select the number-one choice.

Klement said this is the first competition of its sort, but the organization might have something planned in the spring for high school or junior high students.