Dozens of scholarships and awards totaling in the hundreds of thousands of dollars greeted graduating seniors on Tuesday, May 3, as West Liberty High School held its annual Senior Awards Night at the West Liberty High School gymnasium.
Principal Brenda Arthur-Miller greeted parents, friends, teachers, guests and students for the presentations.
Winning the Alberta Kelly Scholarships presented by Lynne Sasmazer of the West Liberty Community School District Foundation was Reynolds Heath and Charles Thrasher.
Rachel Aird had a big night as she won the American Citizenship Award from Beth Legue and Alec Fowler, the Hills Bank Leadership Grant presented by Stephanie Paulsen, the Iowa’s Governor’s Award from Andrae Shultice, the Iowa State Engineering Merit Scholarship from Kyle Steffen and the Quad City Engineering and Science Council STEM scholarship.
Vanessa Vargas also had a big night as she claimed the Iowa State University Norma Scott Lloyd Memorial Scholarship, the ISU Dorothy Siberell Kolls General Scholarship, the ISU Benjamin/Mericle Family Fund and the Liberty Communications Scholarship from Justin Stinson.
The Alberta Kelly Scholarship, awarded through the school district foundation by Lynne Sasmazer, was awarded to Reynolds Heath and Charles Thrasher.
Sailor Hall won the AmeriCorps Education Award given to her by Andrea Schultice while the American Legion Auxiliary Post 509 of West Liberty awarded three scholarships to Madison Alke, Grace Evans and Alyssa Harned, handed out by Gwen Kessler.
The West Liberty Aquarius Club’s Mary Larson handed out scholarships to Grave Evans and Charlie Thrasher while Madison Sherer won the Bishop Educational Trust Scholarship.
Getting five scholarships from Buena Vista University, awarded by Brenda Arthur-Miller, was Daniel Zeman, who earned a visit grant, ESports scholarship, music scholarship, multicultural scholarship and a presidential scholarship.
Caleb Wulf also claimed a number of honors including winning the Bernie Saggau Award, presented by Arthur-Miller, as well as the Comets Baseball Club scholarship from Jason Cassady and the Rob Black “Comet” Scholarship, presented by Gus Garcia. Wulf also won the West Liberty Education Association Scholarship presented by Melia Larson. He also won a Southeastern Community College athletic scholarship for baseball.
Macy Daufeldt won the Drake University Presidential Scholarship as well as a room, board and tuition scholarship to play on the Drake volleyball team. Those awards were presented by Stephanie Paulsen.
Mylei Henderson also claimed the Eastern Iowa Light & Power Scholarship presented by Tom Holz and Alyssa Harned won several scholarships including the Iowa Central Community College Scholarship including student merit, academic foundation scholarship, radiologic technology departmental scholarship and future ready Iowa Last Dollar Scholarship, all presented by Andrea Shultice.
The Iowa State University Multicultural Vision Program Scholarship was claimed by Leo Garcia while Grace Evans won the Joe Lawton Memorial Scholarship through the district foundation.
Jazbeck Lopez claimed the Julie Mosher Memorial Scholarship presented by Mary Grotzky and Briana Simon while the JWJ Farms, Inc. gift was won by Joe Barten and Aisha Murgula.
Charles Thrasher claimed the school Foundation’s Kennedy Brothers Memorial FFA Livestock Proficiency Scholarship while he also won the Marilyn Irey Scholarship, another presented through the Foundation. Thrasher also claimed the Mount Calvary #95 A.F. & A.M. scholarship.
Dora De La Cruz-Martinez won the Foundation’s Ralph and Jean Kirchner Scholarship while she also won a St. Ambrose University Academic Scholarship, claiming the St. Ambrose grant as well as a diversity scholarship, early app award and advantage award to the Davenport University. De La Cruz-Martinex went on to also claim the West Liberty State Bank Scholarship presented by Jason Cassady to Grace Evans as well.
She was also one of the recipients of the West Liberty Lions Club grants presented by Ron Jensen, with Jessica Lopez Martinez, Grace Evans, Daniel Zeman and Joe Barten also getting Lions grants.
De La Cruz-Martinez was also one of nine to win grants from the West Liberty LULAC Countil #310, with Ed Mareno presenting grants as well to Paola Palma, Evany Lopez, Bianca Sanchez, Jazbeck Lopez, Leonardo Garcia, Julissa Espinoza, Aisha Murguia and Yulisa Sanchez.
Jessica Lopez-Martinez and Asael Negrete, as well as De La Cruz-Martinez, was among the three winners of the Latinos Unidoes of West Liberty Scholarship as presented by Luz Martinez.
Winning Upward Bound awards were Dora De La Cruz-Martinez, Adrian Ismael Fransto, Andra Hoang, Evany Xitlaly Lopez, Jessica Marie Lopez-Maritinez, Valeria Madrigal, Aaron Mendex, Aisha Murguia, Asael Negrete, Natalie Rodriguez and Bianca Sanchez.
Sailor Hall also won a presidential award and athletic scholarship for softball from Kirkwood Community College and Jack Mahoney won the Pere Marquette Scholarship from Marquette University in Milwaukee.
Paola Palma won a band scholarship and distinguished scholarship from Mount Mercy College and Benjamin Haskell claimed the Maynard Smith Masonic Trade School scholarship.
Muscatine Community College awarded Connections Scholarships to 18 different seniors including Logan Grandstaff, Bristol Bartenhagen, Grant David, Adrianna Garcia-Vargas, Joel Jacobo, Erick Jacques, Jessica Lopez-Martinez and Ethan Martinez. Also claiming the same honor was Carlos Medrano, Yoanna Mendoza, Felipe Molina, Alina Perdue, Aeiel Quiroz, Desiree Reinhardt, Jose Rojo, Madison Sherere, Jayla Solis and Mallory Wisman.
The Muscatine Community College Foundation Griffin Scholarship was won by Carlos Medrano while the MCC Foundation’s Counselor’s Scholarship was won by Alina Perdue and the MCC Presidential Scholaship was claimed by Grant David. Madison Sherer won the MCC Foundation C Scholarship.
Mylei Henderson won the Muscatine County Farm Bureau Scholarship and Alyssa Harned won the Emma May Pruitt Master Gardener Scholarship presented by Lynn Pruitt.
The Rotary Club of West Liberty presented Dora De La Cruz-Martinez and Asael Negrete scholarships, presented by Ken Brooks, while Paola Palma won the St. Joseph Catholic Church student senior grant, presented by Fr. Guillermo Trevino.
Benjamin Haskell won a Southern Utah University Founders Scholarship and Tyson Fresh Meat Incorporated presented scholarships to Cassandra Aleman, Erick Jacques and Evany Lopez.
Asael Negrete won the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business AIB college of business award as well as the Tippie College of Business Edward Vavra Family scholarship while he also won the U of I Advantage Iowa Award, along with Jacobo Saucedo.
Negrete went on to also win the U of I Iowa Scholars Award along with Charlie Thrasher ans also won the West Liberty Chamber of Commerce Scholarship along with Mylei Henderson.
Madison Alke claimed the Music ensemble scholarship in vocal performance to Wartburg College while also winning their regents scholarship while Jahsiah Galvan-Batie won a scholarship to the University of Northern Iowa for athletics.
The West Liberty Fine Arts Boosters awarded scholarships as presented by Jessica Madsen to Ben Haskell, Daniel Zeman and Madison Alke while Reynolds Heath won the Fire Arts Boosters Tim Atkinson Memorial Scholarship.
Asael Negrete and Jessica Lopez-Martinez won West Liberty Student Council scholarships while Cynthia Sanchez was awarded the West Liberty Chapter TTT Scholarship, presented by Darci Watts.
Evany Lopex and Aaron Mendez won West Liberty DreamCatchers Scholaships as presented by Dr. Carol Moreno and Grace Evens claimed the William Penn Dance Scholaship.