MADISON – The Wisconsin Bankers Foundation is pleased to announce that four Wisconsin students have each been selected to receive a $2,000 scholarship. These scholarships are awarded annually to help current students further their education at a Wisconsin state-accredited college, university, or state-operated technical school.
This year, the Foundation expanded the eligibility requirements to allow more students to participate in the program. The 2020 Spring Scholarships were available to any Wisconsin high school senior, and also to current college students and adults pursuing higher education who are employed by member banks. Previously, applications were only accepted from students who are bank employees at a Wisconsin Bankers Association member bank, or who have a parent or guardian employed at a member bank.
For the 2020 scholarships, a selection committee made up of bankers chose the four winners from a pool of over 80 applicants from across Wisconsin. Applications were evaluated based on the students’ academic success, an essay, and a description of what financial literacy means to them, among other criteria. “Congratulations to these amazing young people,” said Foundation Executive Director Mike Semmann. “They all have a very bright future ahead, and the Foundation is proud to help make that future a reality.”
The four scholarship recipients are:
- Carla Garten just graduated from eAchieve Academy Virtual School (Waukesha School District). She will be attending Carroll College to study music therapy.
- Abigail (Abby) George is currently pursuing agricultural science and agricultural marketing and communications degrees with a minor in animal science at UW-River Falls. Her mother, Patty, is an agricultural loan office at Alliance Bank, Mondovi.
- Brianna Gilbert is a teller and customer service representative at Royal Bank in Lone Rock. She will be attending UW-Whitewater and wants to become a certified public accountant.
- Emily Vorpahl just graduated from Random Lake High School and will be attending UW-Madison with a career goal of becoming a business or financial administrator at a healthcare facility. Her mother, Lina, is a loan servicer at Port Washington State Bank.
The Foundation typically begins accepting scholarship applications in early spring each year. For more information, please visit WisbankFoundation.org/Scholarships.
