Iowa West Foundation announces recipients of Opportunity Scholarships

College Access Program graduates also receive completion scholarships

(Council Bluffs, IA) The Iowa West Foundation has awarded Opportunity Scholarships totaling $400,000 to 25 southwest Iowa students who will begin college in the 2015-2016 academic year. Each student will receive a $16,000 scholarship to be used over four years at the college or university of their choice for tuition and fees.

More than half of the Opportunity Scholars graduated from the College Access Program (CAP), an Iowa West Foundation funded program implemented by AIM at Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson high schools in the Council Bluffs Community School District. CAP is a four-year program for students who have shown potential to improve their school performance and become the first in their family to attend college. Six graduating high school students who completed the CAP program but were not awarded Opportunity Scholarships received $1,000 completion scholarships.

“These scholarships will assist first-generation students in fulfilling their dreams to attend college, and we wish them well in their future careers,” said Pete Tulipana, President and CEO of the Iowa West Foundation.

Tulipana noted that this would be the final year that Opportunity Scholarships would be awarded and that the Foundation’s support of CAP will sunset in 2018 due to the launch of Pottawattamie Promise earlier this spring. A $5.3 million Iowa West Foundation initiative in partnership with the AKSARBEN and Peter Kiewit Foundations, Pottawattamie Promise addresses barriers to college access and success in higher education with a three-year pilot program that offers full-ride scholarships to Iowa Western Community College and wraparound support services. Beginning this fall, the first cohort of 45 students made up of current seniors from the Council Bluffs Community and Riverside school districts will pursue their post-secondary educational opportunity of choice. Students also will be provided campus housing as part of their scholarships.

“Our Board seeks to make a transformational impact with Pottawattamie Promise,” Tulipana said. “It has the potential to reach 400 students throughout the county each year by 2020, which would have a significant impact on the region’s future workforce.”

Past and present students receiving Opportunity Scholarships will continue to receive funding for the duration of the college careers. A list of 2015 recipients is as follows:

Iowa West Foundation’s 2015 Opportunity Scholarship recipients

• Kendra Bowe, Thomas Jefferson High School, University of Missouri, (Respiratory Therapy)
• Scott Brown, Abraham Lincoln High School, University of California at Los Angeles,
(Pre-Human Biology)
• Jessica Butcher, A-H-S-T High School, University of Nebraska-Omaha, (Athletic Training)
• Daniel Cano Pargas, Abraham Lincoln High School, Washington University-St. Louis, (Mechanical Engineering)
• Jessica Contreras, Abraham Lincoln High School, University of Nebraska-Omaha, (Business Administration)
• Taylor Doble, Thomas Jefferson High School, University of Iowa, (Nursing)
• Annie Duncan, Thomas Jefferson High School, University of Iowa, (Education)
• Ashley Ellsworth, Underwood High School, University of Northern Iowa, (Psychology)
• Valeria Espinoza, Abraham Lincoln High School, University of Nebraska-Omaha, (undecided)
• Tiffany Ferrer, Abraham Lincoln High School, Iowa Western Community College, (Psychology)
• Haley Fischer, Tri-Center High School, Northwest Missouri State University, (Agriculture)
• Loren Hemiller, Thomas Jefferson High School, Briar Cliff University, (undecided)
• Dominika Jedinak, Lewis Central High School, University of Nebraska-Omaha, (Accounting)
• Marissa Kay, A-H-S-T High School, Simpson College, (Forensic Science/Biochemistry)
• Trevor Long, Thomas Jefferson High School, University of Nebraska-Omaha, (Elementary Education)
• Samantha Magnuson, Underwood High School, Iowa Western Community College, (undecided)
• Madchen Petry, Abraham Lincoln High School, University of Nebraska-Omaha, (Aviation)
• Saffron Quarve, Abraham Lincoln High School, Buena Vista University, (Elementary Education)
• Abigail Ross, Thomas Jefferson High School, Buena Vista University, (Psychology/Biology)
• Emery Sandoval, Thomas Jefferson High School, Briar Cliff University, (Athletic Training)
• Teleigha Starks, Thomas Jefferson High School, University of Iowa, (Physical Therapy)
• Zane Taylor, Thomas Jefferson High School, Iowa State University, (Engineering)
• JadeLynn Townsend, Thomas Jefferson High School, Clarkson College, (Nursing)
• Ashley Wilkins, Thomas Jefferson High School, Morningside College, (Early Education)
• Tobey Yates, Underwood High School, United States Military Academy at West Point, (Chemistry)

Iowa West Foundation’s 2015-2016 one-year CAP Scholarship recipients:

• Joseph Bonner, Abraham Lincoln High School, Iowa Western Community College
• Caitlynn Chapman, Thomas Jefferson High School, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Shannon Hunt, Abraham Lincoln High School, Iowa Western Community College
• Catherine Richardson, Thomas Jefferson High School, Hamline University
• Brittney Snipes, Thomas Jefferson High School, Metropolitan Community College
• Erin Stuckey, Abraham Lincoln High School, Iowa State University