By: OLIVIA ALLEN
Source: Moline Dispatch and Rock Island Argus, Ill. (TNS)
On Monday, 20 high school seniors from Davenport received a life-changing surprise.
As the inaugural cohort of John Deere Scholars, these students are headed to the University of Iowa — with 90% of their four-year tuition covered.
“This opportunity gives so many of us a chance at fulfilling our dreams,” said Kahli Bradley, a recipient from West High School.
Launched this past June, the Deere Scholars program comes via an innovative, three-year partnership between the John Deere Foundation and Davenport schools. The program will award a total of 60 four-year scholarships — 20 recipients each year — with Deere investing $6.6 million. Additional funding sources, such as campus employment, will cover the remaining 10% of scholarship recipients’ tuition.
Students respond to Deere scholarships
Recipients were notified in a surprise ceremony Monday morning, many with their families in attendance. The students were told they were meeting for a mandatory, “informational” meeting.
“I was like, ‘What could this possibly be?’ … When we walked through and saw the banners and stuff, I thought, ‘This doesn’t look like an informative thing,’” said Kamryn Benson, a John Deere Scholar from Central.
She said the announcement didn’t truly “hit her” until she read the letter given to each recipient. Then the emotions flowed.
“It’s crazy — I never thought I’d get here,” particularly as a first-generation college student, Benson said, noting how costly college tuition is. “I don’t have words right now.”
Bradley said the announcement started to “sink in” after seeing her parents’ emotional reactions in the crowd.
“The more I looked around, it really started to sink in that our lives are changing,” she said.
She, and many others, cried at the announcement.
The Deere Scholars program aims to bridge the gap to higher education for students with demonstrated financial need. The inaugural cohort was chosen out of 41 applicants across all four Davenport high schools.
Beckham Hughes, another recipient from Central, described his reaction as “surprised, but relieved.”
“I’m just really really grateful to have this opportunity,” he said. “I’ve had my mind set on the University of Iowa for the last year.”
Having moved to the area from North Carolina last school year, Hughes said he didn’t know much about the state’s higher education options. But after one visit to campus, he knew the U of I was right for him “immediately.”
“I want to go into civil engineering,” he said, adding he’s thankful to have participated in the Deere Scholars prep course with his fellow recipients. “I’m glad to be going into college with a community of people I know already.”
To apply for the Deere Scholars program, students must have already gained acceptance to the U of I; participate in the program’s college prep course; submit a FAFSA application, essay, two letters of recommendation and participate in an interview with university officials. As part of the prep course, students visited campus.
“This is where I want to go if I can go anywhere,” Benson said of her experience.
How are Deere scholarships awarded?
An evaluation committee with both U of I and Davenport school officials determines the annual scholarship recipients.
Bradley, hoping to pursue the medical field, said she had already applied for scholarships before the Deere Scholars program but was “really relying on this one.”
In addition to the program’s financial aid, Deere Scholars will have access to academic support, mentorship programs, field experiences and networking opportunities in their intended field of study.
“We can really just experience everything and dive deeper without being held back,” by financial barriers, Bradley said.
Students will also be eligible for emergency funds for unforeseen needs that often cause low-income students to leave college.
Cunell Burrage, a recipient from North, said he was “super close to giving up” on college at one point.
“I was fighting through a lot of adversity,” he said, adding he wondered if he’d have to take “a different route” to earning his degree, delay his enrollment or forego college altogether. “I wasn’t sure exactly what I was going to do after high school.”
Burrage said while he had discussed football scholarship offers in the past, he began to lose interest in continuing athletics after high school. Thanks to the Deere Scholars program, that weight is off his shoulders.
“It’s definitely a huge blessing,” he said. “This opportunity is really big for me, and all the other (recipients). It’s helping a lot of people change our lives.”
Burrage and his father, Kyle, wished to thank Davenport schools, the Deere Foundation and the U of I for their efforts in turning the opportunity into reality. The latter also gave kudos to his son’s hard work in pursuing the Deere Scholars program, noting many late nights and early mornings dedicated to studying.
Burrage is also dually-enrolled in North’s associate’s degree program; earned all-district football accolades this season and has worked at Hy-Vee for the past three years.
“He’s worked really hard. … He took full advantage of the opportunity he was given, and he didn’t slip one bit. He busted his head (and) busted his butt,” Kyle Burrage said. “When he was a little kid, he’d go to sleep with an Iowa football. … This is just a great feeling.”
As a lifelong Hawkeye fan, Cunell Burrage is excited to get the full U of I experience next fall.
“I can’t wait to just be like, directly there and around all that energy,” he said, adding the proximity to Kinnick Stadium is another perk.
Burrage encourages other students to apply for the Deere Scholars program, adding the required prep course doesn’t take up “too much” time amid his busy high school workload.
“It helped me gain a better understanding of college and FAFSA and how all that works, which I didn’t know much about prior to this,” he said. “It’s definitely worth it.”
Bradley agreed, noting how the course helped her to better map out her future.
“Everybody in the program was so nice; it was such an amazing experience,” she said.
With her post-secondary plans now squared away, Bradley said she’s most excited for “college itself” — though having her best friend, another Deere Scholar, as her roommate helps.
“Iowa has so many programs for different interests, there’s something for everyone there,” she said. “I’m really just excited for all of us.”
As he prepares to make the college transition, Burrage is glad to know other Davenport students will have the same kinds of life-changing opportunity moving forward.
“Eventually, I feel like this is going to build something big,” in terms of creating opportunity for local students, he said.
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