2026 Scholarship Recipients
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The Impact of Changing Lives
At Moline Regional Community Foundation, we’re proud to help students take the next step in their education. Whether you’re headed to college, a trade program, or a professional certification in fields like agriculture, culinary arts, education, and more, we’re here to help you build a bright future. One application is all it takes to get started. Mark your calendar: the application Portal is now open and closes on March 5, 2027. Don’t wait! Apply today and take the first step toward your goals.
Aden Blome
Actuarial Science
BIll E. Mockmore Scholarship
Aden has always been driven by curiosity, whether he is watching documentaries or digging into history in his free time. That love of learning has propelled him to the top of his class. He sees mathematics not as a chore but as an engaging series of puzzles. His natural problem-solving instincts led him to Actuarial Science, where every equation carries real-world consequences.
Charli Moore
Dentistry
Bill E. Mockmore Scholarship
Charli’s path to dentistry sharpened through volunteering and shadowing at Myotech Dental Center. There she discovered that the profession is about far more than repairing teeth. It is about helping people feel confident enough to laugh, speak, and express who they truly are. The blend of science, skill, artistry, and compassion she saw there matched her own identity perfectly.
Dejah Royse
Civil Engineering
Bill E. Mockmore Scholarship
Dejah’s passion for engineering began in childhood, when she spent countless hours building cities in Minecraft. A visit to Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry, with its robotics displays and hands-on STEM activities, left a lasting spark. She first pursued teaching and, through job shadowing, gained deep respect for educators. In time, she realized that civil engineering, designing the roads, bridges, and systems that help communities thrive, better fit her strengths and ambitions.
Monserrat Ruiz
Biomedical Engineering (Prosthetics)
Bill E. Mockmore Scholarship
A chance encounter at a local ice cream shop changed how Monserrat sees engineering. She watched a man experiencing homelessness navigate daily life without a prosthetic, and the image stayed with her. Today, she sees engineering to restore dignity, freedom, and opportunity, not just build devices. Her goal is to design prosthetics that are functional, durable, and affordable, so that mobility is a right available to everyone regardless of income.
Alhouseny Bah
Medicine / Healthcare
Clement T. Hanson Scholarship
Alhouseny grew up voraciously curious and worried that choosing a career would mean giving up every other subject he loved. After years of reflection, he made peace with healthcare as his path. He realized medicine lets him draw on history, critical thinking, and science while putting knowledge to direct, meaningful use. He views the analytical mindset that history teaches as an asset, not a sacrifice.
Tristan Baxter
Environmental Law
Clement T. Hanson Scholarship
Tristan’s journey to law began in AP Government, a class that felt like “the world’s secrets being revealed.” A debate project, where he researched, argued, and won, confirmed something he hadn’t yet named: he loves advocacy. Building an argument, finding facts in unexpected places, and defending a position felt like play rather than work. He left that classroom knowing exactly what he wanted to do, and he now sets his sights on environmental law.
Naga Sai Dhiraj Kasam
Computer Science & Physics / Climate Prediction
Clement T. Hanson Scholarship
Naga’s story begins with monsoon storms in Hyderabad: power outages, anxious waits for a father delayed in flooded traffic, and a compound wall collapsing in heavy rain while his family’s partially built house trembled nearby. Those experiences revealed the gap between human ambition and environmental reality. They now fuel his pursuit of a Computer Science and Physics degree at UIUC. There he intends to build next-generation climate prediction software.
Bryan Viyegbe
Business / Accounting
Clement T. Hanson Scholarship
Two pivotal summers shaped Bryan’s career direction. A city internship with Moline’s Business Administration Branch showed him how decisions made behind a desk ripple into everyday community life. A Gateway program at the University of Iowa then placed him on a consulting team for a local small business. The late-night collaboration, slide decks, and camaraderie confirmed that business is where he belongs.
Sophia Kelley
Project Management
D.A.R.E. Scholarship
Sophia’s defining quality emerged on a pool deck her freshman year, when she pretended to be confident while presenting herself to twenty strangers in swimsuits, and it worked. That moment became a personal philosophy: act first, think later. She began joining clubs and taking on leadership roles. Along the way, she discovered that managing people and projects doesn’t just come naturally to her; it energizes her. Those strengths now point her toward a career in project management.
Braeden Rittenhouse
Mechanical Engineering / Biomechanics
D.A.R.E. Scholarship
Braeden’s motivation is rooted in watching his grandmother lose the ability to walk to worsening neuropathy. That experience made the potential of engineering suddenly vivid and urgent. To him, innovation in prosthetics and assistive devices is not merely a technical exercise; it is the difference between living independently and being confined. He hopes to help create those solutions through mechanical engineering and biomechanics.
Karen Martinez Hernandez
Biomedical Engineering
Dolores A. Hulse-Dilulio Scholarship
Karen started as a five-year-old who wanted to be an explorer, then an astronaut. After discovering her fear of heights at a theme park, she decided she would rather be the person who builds the rocket. Joining her middle school robotics team gave her hands-on problem-solving experience. That experience confirmed that engineering was her path, and she now pursues biomedical engineering.
Leonardo Moreno
Nursing (Registered Nurse)
Doug Reynolds Rotary Scholarship
Leonardo’s passion for nursing began in his freshman Intro to Health Occupations class, where his teacher’s stories of patient care captivated him. That spark set a trajectory he has followed ever since. He completed a CNA course at Black Hawk College and is steadily moving toward his dream of becoming a Registered Nurse. He describes the goal not just as a career ambition but as a reflection of his family’s values.
Edyn Keisel
Moline High School
Dental Hygiene
Edyn has always been drawn to helping people feel comfortable and confident. Her own positive experiences as a dental patient showed her how powerful that can be in a clinical setting. She noticed that the hygienists who made the biggest difference were not only skilled but also kind, communicative, and genuinely interested in making an uncomfortable situation feel manageable. That is the kind of practitioner she wants to be.
Abby Greenlee
Biochemistry / Medical Research
Jack Dye Scholarship
Abby’s direction was set the summer after her first year at a University of Illinois molecular biology camp, where she made bacteria glow in the dark with a spliced gene. What hooked her was the potential: the same techniques underpin cancer treatments, vaccines, and therapies for genetic diseases. She loves the hands-on laboratory environment and the disciplined, analytical thinking it demands. She is also dedicated to expanding access to STEM, especially for girls and students from underprivileged schools. Through the Maine Women in STEM Club, she organizes science experiments for elementary students, and she plans to keep serving her community long after graduation.
Eleanor Kuk
Psychiatry
Lee Womack Scholarship
Eleanor had her first panic attack at age eight, not knowing what anxiety was, only that she felt alone and scared. Years of therapy gave her tools and language for her inner life, and she now wants to be the psychiatrist she once needed. She is intellectually fascinated by the biological foundations of mental illness, from neurotransmitter imbalances to how treatments affect different brains. In fall 2026, she enrolls in UIUC’s nationally recognized psychology program on the pre-health track. She brings academic rigor, a sharp intellect, and a hard-earned empathy that will make patients feel truly safe.
Jackson Windus
Music Education / Band Director
Hazel Van Arsdale Scholarship
Jackson has been teaching music for years, coaching trumpet sections, directing friend groups before competitions, and helping wide-eyed fifth graders hold their instruments for the first time. Each experience left him with the same deep sense of fulfillment. The moment that sealed his path came as he watched a boy open a clarinet case for the first time, jaw dropping and eyes sparkling. Jackson now plans to become a band director, creating that moment for hundreds of young musicians.
Emily Finley
Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)
Ina Duncan Banks Scholarship
Emily has always pushed herself academically, athletically, and professionally. Pharmacy emerged as the career that best channels that drive into meaningful service. What draws her most is the bridge between medical knowledge and patient understanding. When someone receives a new prescription, they often feel overwhelmed, and Emily wants to be the pharmacist who demystifies that experience and gives patients real confidence in their own care.
Mei McDermott
Music Education
Ina Duncan Banks Scholarship
Mei’s love of music is inseparable from the people it has brought into her life: her best friend, her string quartet, and the teachers who shaped her. Her high school orchestra director stands out above all. He gave her instruments to take home, encouraged her to join every possible ensemble, and modeled generous, student-centered teaching. That example is the kind of educator she intends to become.
Mei’s love of music is inseparable from the people it has brought into her life: her best friend, her string quartet, and the teachers who shaped her. Her high school orchestra director stands out above all. He gave her instruments to take home, encouraged her to join every possible ensemble, and modeled generous, student-centered teaching. That example is the kind of educator she intends to become.
Moo Law La Say
Public Health / International Education
Ina Duncan Banks Scholarship
Moo Law La Say was born in Thailand and arrived in the United States as a refugee at the age of eight. Her family always made sure she had food and the means to educate herself. But she watched childhood friends lose access to schooling because of financial hardship, and one friend had to drop out entirely to work. Those memories have stayed with her. They continue to fuel her dedication to public health and international education.
Rowan Smith
Forensic Accounting
Ina Duncan Banks Scholarship
Rowan grew up in a household where money was handled thoughtfully and transparently. Her father taught her the difference between saving and spending and, later, how investing can make money grow. Those early lessons sparked a curiosity about financial systems beyond the household. That curiosity led her to accounting, which she found appealing for its precision, ethical dimensions, and surprisingly diverse career paths. She now plans to pursue forensic accounting.
Juan Alonzo
Diesel Mechanics
Joe Wasson Memorial Scholarship
Juan has always loved working with his hands and has been drawn to cars; it is simply part of who he is. When he took an Auto Mechanics class in 2024, curiosity quickly became a calling. He found that diagnosing a problem, fixing it, and watching a customer drive away happy was the highlight of his day. That feeling made it easy for him to picture a career in the trade, and he now pursues diesel mechanics.
Lucero Rodriguez
Diesel Mechanics
Labor & Delivery Nursing
Lucero came to nursing through her own experience as a patient, watching the nurses who cared for her during labor and delivery. She felt seen and steadied in one of the most vulnerable moments of her life. One nurse held her hand before a C-section and told her to focus on the baby she would soon hold, an act of kindness Lucero says she will carry forever. Her motivation is far from abstract: she knows childbirth is unpredictable, emotionally intense, and deeply personal. As a labor and delivery nurse, she aspires to be that presence for other mothers.
Stella Pottebaum
Labor & Delivery Nursing
Lee McAllister Memorial Scholarship & Page and Sandra Bellinger Scholarship
Stella was pulled out of class for speech therapy throughout elementary school, and she loved every session. She treasured the games, the growth, and the steady progress as she worked to fix her lisp. She spent her free time pretending to teach imaginary classes on a whiteboard, already sensing that teaching and helping people communicate was her calling. She has found her place in speech-language pathology, drawn to a field that stretches from NICU infants to nursing home residents. Her dream is to create a welcoming classroom of games and creative activities, the kind of space she once walked into as a child.
Chelsea Bitner
Sherrard High School
Nonprofit Management
Chelsea is resolute about avoiding a career that amasses wealth without meaning or one spent in a cubicle doing tasks that lack significance. Instead, she aspires to build a life centered on service, a goal she has pursued since high school. She realized volunteering alone wouldn’t fulfill it; she wants to create and manage organizations that foster selflessness across entire communities. She was inspired by volunteering with New Kingdom Trailriders, a therapeutic horseback riding program for individuals with disabilities. There she learned empathy, accountability, and leadership, and saw the profound change a nonprofit can make in people’s lives.
Ella Anderson
Field of Study: Agricultural Studies
Martin Ryan Agriculture Scholarship
Recipient of the Sherrard Academic Foundation Scholarship and Sherrard High School’s 2025 graduating class, plans to study business and prepare to inherit her family’s legacy as the fifth‑generation owner of B&B Hardware in Milan, IL. “There is nothing more I want to do than make my grandfather proud.” We are honored to support Aaliyah’s aspirations as she prepares to lead the family business into the future.
Taylor Dietrich
Agricultural Business
Martin Ryan Agriculture Scholarship
Taylor comes from a small town where agriculture was more than an industry; it was the essence of community life. That background instilled a deep respect for the land and an understanding that farming is closely tied to economic vitality, ecological balance, and nourishing families. In high school, she joined FFA, which gave her a framework that matched her values. It also deepened her understanding of how the agricultural business truly works. She now pursues agricultural business.
Mason Gray
Agricultural Science / Law Enforcement
Martin Ryan Agriculture Scholarship
Recipient of the Sherrard Academic Foundation Scholarship and Sherrard High School’s 2025 graduating class, plans to study business and prepare to inherit her family’s legacy as the fifth‑generation owner of B&B Hardware in Milan, IL. “There is nothing more I want to do than make my grandfather proud.” We are honored to support Aaliyah’s aspirations as she prepares to lead the family business into the future.
Luke Jungmann
Agricultural Technology
Martin Ryan Agriculture Scholarship
Luke grew up on a multi-generation family farm in western Illinois, where agriculture was daily life and daily responsibility, not an interest but a given. In March 2020, he built his own personal computer as a 4-H project. During the pandemic, that machine became a window to the world and sparked a deepening fascination with technology. Realizing that agriculture and technology can work together became the organizing insight behind his choice of agricultural technology.
Ryan Lower
Construction Management / Farming
Martin Ryan Agriculture Scholarship
Ryan is the sixth generation of a farming family, and he doesn’t take that heritage lightly. He is also clear-eyed about modern agriculture’s economics: stepping straight into full-time farming after high school isn’t financially realistic. He needs a path that builds capital while keeping him connected to the land and the trades. Construction management is his answer, developing the leadership, problem-solving, and technical skills that translate directly into managing a farming operation.
Tanner McKeag
Agricultural Business
Martin Ryan Agriculture Scholarship
Tanner’s expertise in agriculture was cultivated through hands-on experience. At Onken Farms, he saw how daily operational choices can significantly affect profitability. Working alongside his father in swine production at DeClerck Farms taught him precision, record-keeping, and animal welfare standards. Through 4-H, he built leadership, communication, and community skills that matter as much as technical know-how. He is excited about the growing role of technology in agriculture, including drone-applied fungicide, a precise method that minimizes waste while improving crop protection.
Courtney Thomas
Agricultural Education
Martin Ryan Agriculture Scholarship
Courtney’s journey into agriculture began with FFA, at first without a clear sense of what lay ahead. It soon became transformative. Her pivotal moment came while competing in Conduct of Chapter Meetings, when stepping out of her comfort zone revealed a passion for learning about agriculture, teaching others, collaborating, and leading with assurance. From there, she embraced every FFA opportunity, from agricultural literacy events to teaching at elementary schools to competitive contests. She now pursues a career in agricultural education.
Angel Afetse
Nursing (Culturally Competent Care)
Moline High School Class of 1959 Scholarship
Angel grew up hearing her Togolese elders ask, “Are you taking care of your education?”, a question that carried the weight of immigrant sacrifice and unfinished opportunity. She watched her parents, particularly her mother, face discrimination and language barriers in the workplace. She also saw the Ewe language quickly set aside at home, in the belief that assimilation was the price of survival. Those experiences gave her both purpose and urgency. She now pursues nursing centered on culturally competent care, determined to help change a system that still pushes difference away.
Brenna Hemphill
Radiation Therapy
Moline High School Class of 1959 Scholarship
Brenna’s life has been marked by cancer, from losing a great-aunt to lung cancer when she was seven to repeatedly watching people she loves receive life-changing diagnoses. Those losses did not scare her away from the medical field; they drew her toward it. She is pursuing radiation therapy, where she can join a team that offers compassion and hope in people’s hardest moments. She sees this career as a way to honor everyone she has lost and support everyone still fighting.
Eli Terstriep
Chemical Engineering
Moline High School Class of 1959 Scholarship
Eli’s interest in chemical engineering began sophomore year with a question that has stayed with him: how do microscopic interactions shape the visible world, and how can they be redesigned to solve real problems? He is especially drawn to sustainable industrial processes, where one efficiency improvement can ripple outward into meaningful environmental impact. He is also interested in developing new materials at the intersection of energy, biotechnology, and sustainability. He looks forward to testing his ideas in the lab.
Riana Daniels
Physician Assistant
Moline High School Class of 1965 Scholarship
Riana’s understanding of leadership was shaped during summers in Japan, where she attended a local school without speaking the language. Classmates quietly showed her how to clean the floor, and teachers ate lunch at student tables and jogged alongside them during morning exercise. Those experiences taught her that genuine leadership lives in action and shared effort, not authority. She has applied that lesson to everything since, and the compassion and collaboration she witnessed inspired her to pursue healthcare.
Lucas Nelson
Cybersecurity
Ronald Inskeep Scholarship
Lucas has pursued his interests in programming, engineering, and cybersecurity from an early age through advanced coursework, summer camps, and hands-on learning. He has applied his skills by conducting penetration testing, competing in Capture the Flag competitions, and leading his team at the CornCon Cybersecurity Conference. A four-year member of the Moline High School baseball program and a cross-country athlete, he is known as a dependable teammate. Coach Schimmel says Lucas shows up prepared, competes with integrity, and puts the team first. He plans to join The Data Mine learning community as he pursues a career in cybersecurity.
Lucas Nelson
Cybersecurity
Ronald Inskeep Scholarship
Lucas has pursued his interests in programming, engineering, and cybersecurity from an early age through advanced coursework, summer camps, and hands-on learning. He has applied his skills by conducting penetration testing, competing in Capture the Flag competitions, and leading his team at the CornCon Cybersecurity Conference. A four-year member of the Moline High School baseball program and a cross-country athlete, he is known as a dependable teammate. Coach Schimmel says Lucas shows up prepared, competes with integrity, and puts the team first. He plans to join The Data Mine learning community as he pursues a career in cybersecurity.
Grace Bohnert
Occupational Therapy
Sherrard Academic Foundation Scholarship
Grace discovered her passion for occupational therapy while assisting her mother in a kindergarten classroom for years. She saw many children struggling with fine motor skills, sensory regulation, and social interactions, and felt helpless without the resources to support them. She realized occupational therapy can help children reach their full potential. She is also interested in geriatric occupational therapy, inspired by her grandparents as they have aged. Her grandmother’s world has narrowed to her bed and oxygen, and her grandfather has lost golfing and yard work after decades of an active life.
Michaela Brown
Social Work
Sherrard Academic Foundation Scholarship
Two pivotal experiences led Michaela to social work. At twelve, she lost her brother Connor, a lively spirit on the surface who was quietly struggling in ways she didn’t recognize until it was too late. His passing taught her that silence is often the most desperate call for help and that lacking a safe place to express oneself can be a form of harm. Her own later challenges with mental health deepened that belief. They have given her both empathy and real insight into what recovery looks like.
David Browning
Mechanical Engineering
Serrard Academic Foundation Scholarship
Since childhood, David has had a knack for taking things apart to understand how they work, from Rube Goldberg machines to broken appliances. Three years on his school’s FIRST Tech Challenge robotics team gave him hands-on experience in every aspect of robot design and build. It also showed him that design is where his true passion lies. For the past two years, he has designed the team’s key mechanisms and taught himself computer-aided design to model them digitally. He is eager to continue his journey in mechanical engineering.
Victoria Browning
Physical Therapy (DPT)
Sherrard Academic Foundation Scholarship
As a child, Victoria played doctor, diagnosing her parents with ear infections and inventing mystery medicines that cured everything instantly. She has never liked the thought of anyone being in discomfort, a trait that has grown into a genuine calling. In junior year anatomy and physiology, she found the form that calling would take. Physical therapy lets her combine her love of understanding the body with hands-on work helping people regain movement and quality of life.
Ryan Butz
Criminology / Human Trafficking Investigation
Sherrard Academic Foundation Scholarship
Ryan has long been fascinated by crime documentaries, true crime, and how investigators think. Only recently did that interest crystallize into a concrete goal: becoming a human trafficking investigator. She will study both criminology and psychology, believing that understanding how traffickers think, not just what they do, is key to preventing exploitation and dismantling networks. The possibility of rescuing someone or protecting a child gives her a sense of purpose. If no one is willing to do this work, she asks, then who?
Ava Egel
Biomedical Engineering / Army Flight Nursing
Sherrard Academic Foundation Scholarship
Ava wants to join the U.S. Army through a service academy, earn a degree in biomedical engineering, and serve as a Black Hawk helicopter flight nurse. Her desire to serve was ignited at a Veterans Day ceremony, where she watched children admiring veterans and felt called to become someone future generations could look up to. The loss of her father deepened her resolve, and she is determined that no child should endure the pain she did. For her, the flight nurse role symbolizes a promise to an injured soldier: they will make it home. A leadership and ethics award from the U.S. Military sent her back to Sherrard confident that she can make a difference.
Lacey Gardner
Aerospace Engineering / Naval Officer
Sherrard Academic Foundation Scholarship
Lacey was inspired from a young age by her grandfather’s WWII fighter jet models, which led her to ask how something small can hold such power and how design changes affect flight. Those questions, along with her talent for math and physics, led her to aerospace engineering, where she focuses on advancing military aircraft. Her decision also reflects her grandfather’s Navy service, which exemplified courage and camaraderie. She hopes to serve as a naval officer, leading sailors while contributing technically. In doing so, she aims to honor her grandfather and contribute to national defense.
Dawson Liggett
Electrical Line Work
Sherrard Academic Foundation Scholarship
Dawson grew up in a small town where people look out for each other, and he has always admired those who show up when things go wrong. Electrical linemen do exactly that, working through storms and outages when communities need them most. That is the work he wants to do, and his acceptance into Midwest Line College makes it feel genuinely within reach. He describes leadership as being steady and present even when you can’t make the big plays. He plans to bring that lesson to a trade that runs on teamwork and reliability.
Megan Mackin
Mechanical Engineering
Sherrard Academic Foundation Scholarship
Megan’s engineering instincts were built not in a classroom but on the property where she grew up. She built sheds with her dad, wired a tall pull barn from a scissor lift despite a fear of heights, and turned oil changes into full conversations about how engines work. Operating tractors and gators became second nature. Every project taught her something about design, structure, and the satisfaction of understanding how things really work. She is now pursuing mechanical engineering.
Jasmyn McCray
Neonatology
Sherrard Academic Foundation Scholarship
Jasmyn has known for as long as she can remember that she wanted to work with babies, but a crisis turned that instinct into a vocation. When she was ten, her twin siblings were born, and her baby brother quickly developed severe breathing complications. The weeks he spent in the hospital, with the family unable to visit and her mother consumed by fear and exhaustion, were among the hardest in her life. Watching the medical team fight for her brother and finally bring him home shaped everything that followed. She now pursues neonatology.
Olivia Szpek
Nursing (Pediatric Critical Care / CRNA)
Sherrard Academic Foundation Scholarship
Olivia was always high-achieving, collecting honors, certifications, and AP credits, in part because academic accomplishment was her one constant through a childhood of frequent moves. When her parents divorced during her sophomore year, she temporarily lost that anchor and wondered why equations and grammar mattered at all. She found a clearer sense of purpose. She didn’t want instability to shape her future, so she rebuilt her focus around something that mattered. That focus now points her toward nursing, with goals in pediatric critical care and as a CRNA.
Grace Tucker
Mechanical Engineering
Sherrard Academic Foundation Scholarship
Two remarkable teachers and her father have shaped Grace’s journey into mechanical engineering. In AP Biology with Mrs. Dekeyrel, she learned to use visuals and patterns to grasp complex systems while helping classmates do the same. In AP Calculus with Mr. Fritch, she discovered that struggling to understand something at first isn’t failure, but the starting point. She learned that breaking challenges into manageable steps is the key to solving both calculus problems and life’s hurdles. Together, these experiences made her a learner who thrives on tackling challenges.
Luke Werner
Ministry / Pastor
Stephanie Godke Memorial Scholarship
Luke’s path toward pastoral ministry solidified at a Christ in Youth MOVE camp, where he watched leaders passionately invest in young people’s faith journeys. Their dedication was both inspiring and thought-provoking. These leaders didn’t just teach; they embodied their beliefs, showing that faith is a daily, active decision lived out through relationships and presence. The experience led him to reflect on how he could make a similar impact. For Luke, becoming a pastor is more than a career choice; it is a calling.
Lillian Prather
Art / Interior Design
Srikanth Yerra Memorial Scholarship
For as long as she can remember, art has been Lillian’s sanctuary, her means of expression, and her greatest source of confidence. In difficult moments, when she felt unheard or isolated, drawing and designing let her voice feelings that were hard to say aloud. When she first won an award at a school art show, she felt a profound sense of achievement. She realized she was genuinely skilled at something, and that recognition meant a great deal to her. She now pursues art and interior design.
Lindsey Newman
Pediatric Nursing / Flight Nursing
Stan Woods Scholarship
Lindsey’s path toward nursing became clear during her mother’s month-long stay in an oncology unit. One nurse, Haley, cared for not only her mother but the entire family, with unwavering warmth and expertise. In that hospital room, Lindsey thought, “I aspire to be someone’s Haley.” That ambition reflects more than a wish for a nursing career. It is a commitment to being a source of light during someone’s most challenging moments.
Iphe Carr
Nursing / CRNA
Tiffany Chapman Memorial Scholarship
Iphe’s path into nursing was solidified through her high school CNA program and hands-on experience at a local nursing home. There, she learned that healthcare goes beyond medical procedures; it means acknowledging people during their most vulnerable moments. Building trust with residents and being a reliable presence in times of uncertainty gave her the clearest sense of purpose she has felt. Her long-term goal is to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. She is captivated by the role’s precision, deep anatomical knowledge, and responsibility for helping patients feel safe before daunting procedures.
Gabriella Gusse
Forensic Psychology / Criminal Profiling
VanSpeybroeck Family Scholarship
Gabriella has always been fascinated by how people think and why they act the way they do, and how the same brain can produce such different behaviors depending on circumstances. That curiosity deepened in her psychology class at Alleman, where a simple question- which branch of psychology would you choose? led her back to a lifelong interest in criminal behavior and neurological differences. She wants to understand not just what criminals do but the patterns and motivations behind their choices. Her goal is to work with the FBI in criminal profiling, piecing together personality traits and behavioral patterns from crime scenes. In that work, she hopes to contribute to teams that bring closure to cases that might otherwise go unsolved.