$183k Awarded in High School Scholarships

For Immediate Release

Contact:

Nora Nolden, Communications Consultant

[email protected] or (651) 245-6804

Compeer Financial Awards $183k in High School Scholarships

122 high school students receive awards from Compeer

Sun Prairie, Wis., (May 2, 2024) – Compeer Financial’s Fund for Rural America, the Farm Credit cooperative’s giving program, has awarded 122 scholarships to graduating high school students across Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Each high school student received a $1,500 education scholarship. This is the seventh year the Fund for Rural America has presented the scholarship program, which has now awarded 837 scholarships totaling more than $1.2 million. 

“Our scholarship program is clear proof that the future of agriculture and rural America is bright and promising,” said Karen Schieler, senior corporate giving specialist at Compeer Financial. “There’s nothing more exciting than helping high school seniors continue their education and contribute to their community. These students are well-rounded, intelligent and proven leaders in their own unique ways.”

Committees of team members from across the organization reviewed and scored the nearly 400 applications received. Top-scoring applicants in the areas of academic achievement, essay writing and involvement in agriculture and community organizations were awarded the scholarships.

Among this year’s recipients, 80 students are pursuing an agriculture major, with agriculture and animal science being the most popular majors. Recipients also include 15 students pursuing medical professions and nine future teachers. Fourteen percent will be attending a community college or technical school, and the average GPA of the students was an impressive 3.89 on a 4-point scale.

The 122 high school scholarship recipients are:

About the Fund for Rural America

The Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America is the corporate giving program of Compeer Financial, structured to support Compeer Financial’s mission to enrich agriculture and rural America. Compeer Financial’s Board of Directors has dedicated one percent of annual net earnings to support the Fund’s focus areas of agricultural advocacy and development, agriculture education, cooperative initiatives, rural development and community enrichment; and youth engagement. The Fund is managed by a Board of Trustees, made up of team members from Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin and members of the Compeer Financial Board of Directors. More information about opportunities available through the Fund can be found at Compeer.com/giving-back.

About Compeer Financial

Compeer Financial is a member-owned Farm Credit cooperative serving and supporting agriculture and rural communities. The $31.9 billion organization provides loans, leases, risk management and other financial services throughout 144 counties in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Based in the Upper Midwest, Compeer Financial exists to champion the hopes and dreams of rural America, while providing personalized service and expertise to clients and the agriculture industry.

Compeer Financial is the third largest cooperative of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of lending institutions supporting agriculture and rural communities with reliable, consistent credit and financial services. Learn more about Compeer Financial’s scholarship program.

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