Community Scholarships

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By The Quad-City Times | Monday, July 17, 2006 | No comments posted

Dollars for Scholars

The Davenport chapter of Iowa Dollars for Scholars awarded $4,000 to eight Davenport seniors at awards ceremonies in each high school during May.

Scholarship recipients are: Samuel Alvarado, Lakesha Branigan, Alicia Villareal and Jonathan Yackley, all from North High School; Jenna Frederick and Colin Schroeder, both from Central High School; and Thao Nhu Kieu and Adam Peters, both from West High School.

Dollars for Scholars, a program of Scholarship America, is a nationwide network of community-based scholarship foundations that provide financial assistance, academic support, programs and community support for students in their local communities.

Davenport Rotary

The Davenport Rotary Club announced these scholarship winners:

Allison Bengfort, Central High School, daughter of Scott and Linda Bengfort, $15,000. She will attend St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn.

Kirstin Perkins, North High School, daughter of Ronald and Charlene Perkins, $7,500. She will attend the University of Iowa, Iowa City.

Kristin Blough, Assumption High School, daughter of George and Beth Blough. She will attend Drake University, Des Moines.

Phuong Pham, West High School, daughter of Rose Mary Nguyen, $7,500. She will attend St. Ambrose University, Davenport.

Jonathan Yackley, North High School, son of James and Suzanne Yackley, $2,000 technical/vocational scholarship. He will attend Kirkwood Community College to earn his associate’s degree in culinary arts.

Tracy Hester Weisrock

The Tracy Hester Weisrock Scholarship is awarded each year to a senior student athlete from one of the three Davenport public schools who has lettered in a varsity sport and shown academic achievement and community involvement.

This year’s winner of the $6,000 scholarship is Darla Smith, Davenport North High School, daughter of Paul and Janet Smith.

She graduated with a 3.98 grade point average and lettered in soccer, basketball, volleyball and cross country. She was a two-year president of her class, president of the student senate, vice president of the National Honor Society and active in community organizations.

These students are still supported by the scholarship fund: Steven Beckert, Central High School, attending Iowa State University; Anthony Simms, West High School, attending Iowa State University, and Breanna Manders, North High School, attending the University of Iowa.

Eastern Iowa Light

and Power Cooperative

Eastern Iowa Light and Power Cooperative awarded one-year, $1,000 college scholarships to 10 high school seniors and $500 scholarships to five seniors.

This year’s $1,000 scholarships were awarded to:

Chad Christoff, son of Karl and Lori Christoff, Donahue; Travis Jargo, son of Charles and Nancy Jargo, Clinton; Ashley Schroeder, daughter of Ron and Elizabeth Schroeder, Wilton; Amy VanAcker, daughter of Danny and Marion Kay VanAcker, Muscatine; Morgan Mays, son of Mark and Rita Mays, Durant; Erin Samuels, daughter of Ron and Jo Samuels, Stockton; Bridget Shields, daughter of Richard and Kolleen Shields, Iowa City; Eric Wilson, son of Richard and Jackie Wilson, Columbus Junction; Jacob Brueck, son of Kenneth and Teresa Brueck, Burlington; and Candace Wagenbach, daughter of David and Charlene Wagenbach, Burlington.

This year’s $500 scholarship winners are:

Melanee Roberts, daughter of Albert and DeAnna Roberts, DeWitt; Mallory Gritton, daughter of Molly Vitense and Mike and Donna Gritton, Lowden; Brian Chakour, son of Peter and Linda Chakour, Blue Grass; Richard Carroll, son of Mark and Barb Carroll, Columbus Junction; and Marcus Loyd, son of Keith and Susan Loyd, Winfield.

Eastern Iowa Light and Power Cooperative, based in Wilton, serves more than 18,000 members in the rural areas of 12 eastern Iowa counties.

Best Buy Foundation

Best Buy Children’s Foundation awarded scholarships to these area residents:

Zachary Becker, Davenport Central High School, son of Rod and Kathy Becker; Hannah Campbell, Davenport Central High School, daughter of John and Cynthia Campbell; and Rachel Vogel, Alleman High School, daughter of Pete and Julie Vogel.

This year, the Best Buy Children’s Foundation awarded more than $2.4 million to graduating high school seniors across the country.

Scott County Bar

The Scott County Bar Association made four grants of $500 to students from Scott County attending an accredited law school.

This year’s recipients were Shea Newmeister, University of Iowa Law School; Paul Aitken, William Cooley Law School, Lansing, Mich.; Jean Venaglia, Drake University Law School; and Matthew Petersen, St. Louis University School of Law.

Davenport PTA

The Davenport PTA Council awarded vocational/technical scholarships to these students who plan to pursue a two- or three-year hands-on-skill degree:

Andrew Pate, Bettendorf, Central High School, $500, to attend Wyotech in Wyoming, diesel program and business.

Melissa Dodd, Davenport, Kimberly Center East, $400, to attend Scott Community College, general

studies.

Stephanie Kloppenborg, Davenport, Kimberly Center East, $400, to attend Scott Community College,

nursing.

Brian Chakour, Blue Grass, West High School, $400, to attend Scott Community College, hydraulics, pneumatics, electrical

systems.

Marcus White, Davenport, West High School, $400, to attend Scott Community College, automotive and technical.

The selection committee included Gary Blinkinsop, Tom Souhrada, Deb Kaul, Lorie Moyer and Amy Wine.

These area businesses and organizations made the scholarships possible: Arnold’s Body Shop, Build to Suit Inc., Davenport Evening Optimist, Davenport Printing Co., Dahl Ford, Douglas Machine and Engineering Co., Horizon Group, LaFarge North America, Mel Foster Co., Molyneaux Insurance, and Dr. J.D. Moon DDS.

Rock Island County

Farm Bureau

The Rock Island County Farm Bureau Foundation, administering funds for the Wilbert and Carol Keppy Charitable Foundation, awarded $11,000 in college scholarships.

These Farm Bureau member dependents received $4,000 scholarships:

Daniel Riewerts, son of Marlin and Sylvia Riewerts. He will be a junior at the University of Illinois, Champaign, majoring in agricultural business and financial management.

Mark Singley, son of Stephen and Debra Singley. He is a graduate of Orion High School and will attend the University of Illinois College of Engineering.

The foundation also awarded $750 scholarships to these graduating seniors:

Michelle Bollaert, Moline High School, daughter of Brian and Regina Bollaert. She will attend the University of Illinois.

Tori DeClerck, Rockridge High School, daughter of Tom and Tracy DeClerck. She will attend Edgewood College, Madison, Wis.

Kiona Ervin, Moline High School, daughter of Sherry Ervin and Thomas Ervin. She will attend Howard University, Washington, D.C.

Jordan Hohenboken, Riverdale High School, daughter of Elizabeth and Harlan Hohenboken. She will attend Central College, Pella, Iowa.

Scholarship applications are available from the Farm Bureau office after Feb. 1 each year and are open to current Farm Bureau members who have been members for two or more years.

Lee Womack Memorial

Branwen Cromer, a graduate of Moline High School, was chosen to receive a scholarship from the Lee Womack Memorial Scholarship Fund administered through the Moline Foundation. She plans to attend the Kansas City Art Institute.

The Lee Womack Scholarship Fund provides funds to deserving students graduating from Moline High School who plan to obtain a college degree in education. Lee Womack graduated from Moline High School in 1956 and Arizona State University in 1960. He founded Lee Womack Insurance Agency in 1980.

National Merit Scholarships

More than 2,400 winners of Merit Scholarship awards financed by colleges and universities were announced by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

Officials of each college select winners from among finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program who plan to attend their institution. Awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study.

Area recipients included: Alex Seiver, Rock Island High School, University of Alabama; Grant Vermeer, Rock Island High School, Iowa State University; Matthew Lampe, Marquette High School, Bellevue, Iowa, Iowa State University; Sara Christensen, Pleasant Valley High School, Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Ind.; Daniel Congreve, Pleasant Valley High School, Iowa State University; Daniel Finnegan, Pleasant Valley High School, Iowa State University; and Austin Mills, North Scott High School, Eldridge, Iowa, University of Iowa.