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Charles City students rewarded with Dollars for Scholars

  • Karissa Jensen, Charles City Senior, with Lisa Gardner after receiving her scholarship certificate for $2,500 from the Charles City Area Dollars for Scholars. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Emilee Bilharz, Charles City senior with Lisa Garden after receiving the $1,500 Charles City Area Dollars for Scholars Scholarship. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Abby Milligan, Charles City senior, with Lisa Garden after receiving the $1,000 Dean Vokes Memorial Scholarship. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Kennedi Rowland, Charles City senior, with Phyllis Meyer. Rowland received the $1,000 Victor and Phyllis Meyer Scholarship. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Lisa Garden with Charles City seniors and recipients of the $1,000 Floyd Endowment Scholarships, Mary Field, Madison Naumen, Mackenzie Teeter and Drew Wendland. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Charles City seniors, Katelyn Foster and Adam Steward were recipients of the $1,000 Charles Theatre, Inc. Scholarships. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Charles City senior Nathan Lasher recipient of the $950 Anthony (Bud) and Norma Rotting haus Memorial Scholarship with Frank Rottinghaus and Sen. Rita Hart-D Clinton. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Mija Cotton, Charles City senior and recipient of the $650 First Citizens Bank Staff Scholarship with Cathy Rottinghaus. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Charles City seniors Rebecca Tierney and Sierra Walker both received the $500 Zoetis Scholarships with Jeff Field. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Charles City seniors, Jacob Greenzweig, recipient of the $500 scholarship in Memory of 2016 ISU Graduate TJ Houdek given by Dorothy and (Ervin) Solberg, and Alysha Bilharz, recipient of the $500 TJ Houdek Memorial Scholarship with Linda Solberg. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Charles City seniors, Joshua Livingood, recipient of the $500 Shirley Jacobson Scholarship, and Genevieve Wandro, recipient of the $500 Prichard Law Office Scholarship. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Drew Mitchell, Charles City senior and recipient of the $500 L & J Industries, Inc. Scholarship with Lisa Garden. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Jocelyn Lewis, Charles City senior and recipient of the $500 Kip and Judy Hauser Scholarship with Judy Hauser. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Charles City seniors Bryce Hamm, recipient of the $500 Hy-Vee Scholarship and Aaron Maloy, recipient of the $500 Jackson Street Press Scholarship. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Alexander Koehler Charles City senior and recipient of the $500 Founder's Scholarship with Stewart Coulson, Founder of Dollars for Scholars. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Charles City seniors Bailey Mitchell and Sarah Turpen are both recipients of the $500 Exchange Club of Charles City Scholarships. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Madison Nauman Charles City senior and recipient of the $500 Dr. Val Lyons Scholarship. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Charles City seniors Isaac Wink and Abby Milligan, recipients of the $500 Comet Athletic Scholarship with Lisa Garden. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Charles City seniors, Kelsi Crooks, recipient of the $500 Charles City Press Scholarship, Bailee Wilts, recipient of the $500 Class of 1969 Scholarship and Sara Marin recipient of the $500 Class of 1979 Scholarship. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Charles City seniors, Morgan Kellogg, Hannah Menken, MacKenzie Teeter and Shantel Van Hauen, Recipients of the $500 Charles City Area Dollars for Scholars Scholarships with Lisa Gardens. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Emma Heidebrink, Charles City senior, and recipient of the $500 Cambrex Charles City, Inc. Scholarship. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Lukas Hillegas, Charles City senior and recipient of the $400 C.A.R. Club Scholarship. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Brenden Kvernevig, Charles City senior, recipient of the $300 Lessin Supply Company Scholarship. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Jacob Greenzweig, Charles City senior, recipient of the $300 Kronlage and Pump, CPA's Scholarship with John Olson. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Sara Martin, Charles City senior, and recipient of the $300 Family Community Credit Union Scholarship. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Charles City seniors, Allyson Effle, Rosa Gastelum, Kristyn Pellymonter and MacKenzie Thomas, all recipients of the $300 Charles City Rotary Club Scholarships with Rotarian Randy Weihs. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Caroline Groesbeck, Charles City senior and recipient of the $250 Stephen Davidson Memorial Scholarship. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Charles City seniors, Mary Field, Chelsea Lumley and Mason Meyer recipients of the $250 First Citizens Bank Scholarship with Cathy Rottinghaus. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Charles City seniors, Ravyn Knecht, Drew Wendland and Nika Babtsov, recipients of the $250 Charles City Area Dollars for Scholars Scholarships with Donna Koebrick. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Nika Babtsov, Charles City senior and recipient of the $250 Quality Home Computer Repair Scholarship with the couple presenting the scholarship. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.

  • Alyssa Singleton, Charles City senior, received a Dollars for Scholars $250 scholarship with Lisa Garden. Contributed photo.

By Thomas Nelson, tnelson@charlescitypress.com

The Charles City Area Dollars for Scholars awarded $32,100 worth of scholarships to Charles City seniors during a Sunday night ceremony.

The annual ceremony highlighted students and rewarded them with various scholarships for their future higher education.

The main purpose of Dollars for Scholars is to help with the rising cost of tuition and give students an extra boost of confidence, said Ryan Venz, Charles City Area Dollars for Scholars president.

Dollars for Scholars began in the spring of 1996. All of the scholarships are local.

Students interested in receiving one of the scholarships went through an application process which included their grades, work experience, volunteer experience, activities that they’re involved in at school and they submitted an essay.

Students also mentioned any unusual circumstances that might affect them, along with references.

Scholar applications are then scored.

“We actually score everything anonymously,” Venz said. “So we are not able to see any names.”

The scholarships offered differ in ways from what field the student intends to go into, to what their class rank is, Venz said.

“When we go through and are actually awarding (scholarships) that’s when we really tie those scholarships to the right recipients,” Venz said.

Venz isn’t just the president of Dollars Scholars, he is also a a recipient as well.

“I was born and raised in Charles City, my wife is too, we’re both board members,” Venz said. “We were both recipients of Dollars for Scholars.”

Paying it forward and helping an organization that gave to Venz and his wife is important to them, he said.

“Any dollar amount truly helps, and its one less dollar that you have to take out of your saving, or take a student loan for,” Venz said. “I was thankfully able to pay for my first two years of college through scholarships.”

Scholarships also give you an incentive to keep your grades up, Venz said.

During the ceremony, Iowa state Sen. Rita Hart, D-Clinton, talked about the need for scholarships for students and spoke of her parents, Anthony (Bud) and Norma Rottinghaus, who have a memorial scholarship in their name.

The students who received awards are: Nika Babtsov, Ravyn Knecht, Alyssa Singleton, Drew Wendland, Mary Field, Chelsea Lumley, Caroline Groesbeck, Allyson Effle, Rosa Gastelum, Kristyn Pelllymonter, Mackenzie Thomas, Sara Martin, Jacob Greenzweig, Brenden Kvernevig, Lukas Hillegas, Emma Heidebrink, Morgan Kellogg, Hannah Menken, Mackenzie Teeter, Shantel Van Hauen, Kelsi Crooks, Bailee Wilts, Abby Milligan, Isaac Wink, Madison Nauman, Bailey Mitchell, Sarah Turpen, Mason Meyer, Alexander Koehler, Bryce Hamm, Aaron Maloy, Jocelyn Lewis, Drew Mitchell, Genevieve Wandro, Joshua Livingood, Alysha Bilharz, Rebecca Tierney, Sierra Walker, Mija Cotton, Nathan Lasher, Katelyn Foster, Adam Stewart, Madison Davis, Kennedi Rowlands, Emilee Bilharz, and Karissa Jensen.

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