­ 46 Charles City area students share $47,650 in scholarships

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Forty-six Charles City-area upcoming high school graduates took home shares of $47,650 in scholarships Wednesday evening at the annual Charles City Area Dollars for Scholars awards presentation.

The event, held at Trinity United Methodist Church, handed out total awards ranging from $500 to $2,500, representing more than 40 individual companies, organizations and scholarship funds, as well as Dollars for Scholars own fundraising efforts.

Melanie Johanningmeier, vice president of the area Dollars for Scholars group, was the emcee for the evening, and said Wednesday night’s awards brought the tallies to $277,725 given to 12,431 students since the group was started 29 years ago, in 1966, including almost $278,000 to 306 students in the last six years.

Students from Charles City High School, Carrie Lane High School, Floyd Gospel Lighthouse Academy, and area homeschooled students are eligible to apply, she said.

Johanningmeier explained that the applications for Dollars for Scholars are scored anonymously in the areas of academic achievement, leadership, school activities, community service and work experience.

“Scholarships are awarded blindly using student numbers while following any eligibility criteria of the individual scholarship,” she said.

Scholarship winners were:

• Jadyn Van Horn – $2,500 ($2,000 Charles City Area Dollars for Scholars Board Scholarship; $500 Cambrex Charles City Inc. Scholarship).
• Carter Haberkorn – $2,100 ($1,000 Logan Luft Memorial Scholarship; $500 Diversified Fastening Scholarship; $600 Dorothy Hook Memorial Scholarship).
• Elizabeth Gassman – $2,000 ($2,000 Freund for the Arts Scholarship).
• Quinn Heidebrink – $2,000 ($1,500 Charles City Area Dollars for Scholars Founders Scholarship; $500 Charles City Lions Club Scholarship).
• Addison Tracey – $2,000 ($2,000 Freund for the Arts Scholarship).
• Payton Hadley – $1,750 ($1,000 NextEra Energy Resources Scholarship; $750 CCHS Class of 1974 Scholarship).
• Gabriella Deverell – $1,500 ($1,000 Charles City Area Dollars for Scholars Scholarship; $500 American Family Insurance Scholarship).
• Alexander Graeser – $1,500 ($1,000 Kip and Judy Hauser Scholarship; $250 Otto’s Oasis Scholarship; $250 Stephen Davidson Memorial Scholarship).
• Natalie King – $1,500 ($1,000 Charles Theatre Scholarship; $500 First Citizens Bank Scholarship ).
• Nicholas Williams – $1,500 ($1,500 Dean Vokes Memorial Scholarship ).
• Kylie Parsons – $1,300 ($1; 000 NextEra Energy Resources Scholarship; $300 Family Community Credit Union Scholarship).
• Isabelle Vance – $1,300 ($500 Lessin Supply Co. Scholarship; $300 Family Community Credit Union Scholarship; $500 Dollars for Scholars Floyd Endowment Fund Scholarship).
• Abby Assink – $1,100 ($1,000 NextEra Energy Resources Scholarship; $100 Drawing Winner Scholarship).
• Trevor Carolan – $1,100 ($600 First Citizens Bank Staff Scholarship; $500 Ron Hoffman Memorial Scholarship).
• Jenna Aikey – $1,000 ($1,000 Roland & Patricia (Pat) LaBarge Memorial Scholarship).
• Savannah Baldus – $1,000 ($1,000 Charles Theatre Inc. Scholarship).
• Ali Blickenderfer – $1,000 ($1,000 Victor & Phyllis Meyer Scholarship).
• Kylie Blunt – $1,000 ($500 State Farm Insurance, Jeremy Rogstad, Agent Scholarship; $500 Charles City Area Dollars for Scholars Scholarship).
• Emerson Bohlen – $1,000 ($1,000 Louise Huxsol Memorial Scholarship).
• Isabel Crawford – $1,000 ($1,000 NextEra Energy Resources Scholarship).
• Kerstin Kirsch – $1,000 ($1,000 Rich Wielinski Memorial Scholarship).
• Kamden Meek – $1,000 ($1,000 Vincent & Jennifer Huegel Scholarship).
• Lilie Mohring – $1,000 ($1,000 Dorie Schmarzo Music Scholarship).
• Gracie Opp – $1,000 ($1,000 Victor & Phyllis Meyer Scholarship).
• Mya Rimrod – $1,000 ($1,000 NextEra Energy Resources Scholarship).
• Jordin Ritter – $1,000 ($1,000 Dollars for Scholars Floyd Endowment Fund Scholarship ).
• Keaton Ross – $1,000 ($1,000 Steve Shankland Memorial Scholarship).
• Anya Ruzicka – $1,000 ($1,000 CCHS Class of 1969 Scholarship).
• Alexandria Wedeking – $1,000 ($500 Central Park Dentistry; $500 Kayla J. LaBarge Memorial Scholarship).
• Ryder Biwer – $750 ($500 Diversified Fastening Systems Inc. Scholarship; $250 CCHS Class of 1971 Scholarship).
• Natalie Keyes – $750 ($500 Charles City Press Gene Hall Journalism Scholarship; $250 Charles City Area Dollars for Scholars Scholarship).
• Destiny Kolheim – $750 ($500 Cambrex Charles City Inc. Scholarship; $250 Charles City Area Dollars for Scholars Scholarship).
• Barbara Soifer – $750 ($500 L & J Industries Inc. Scholarship; $250 Charles City Area Dollars for Scholars Scholarship).
• Marissa Avelar – $500 ($500 Farm Bureau Financial Services “Leadership Award” Scholarship).
• Laurie Baking – $500 ($500 PEO Chapter JQ Scholarship).
• Shaley Baltes – $500 ($500 Stewart Realty Scholarship).
• Danica Dejongoy – $500 ($500 Ben Lynch Law Scholarship).
• Catherine Field – $500 ($500 Dollars for Scholars Floyd Endowment Fund Scholarship).
• Blake Hoeft – $500 ($500 Elks Lodge No. 418 Scholarship).
• Braxton Lahr – $500 ($500 American Family Insurance Scholarship).
• Tayleigh Lantz – $500 ($500 Hy-Vee Food Store Scholarship).
• Brooklyn Molitor – $500 ($500 Cambrex Charles City Inc. Scholarship).
• Koryn Osier – $500 ($500 Zoetis Scholarship).
• Evelyn Read – $500 ($500 Dollars for Scholars Floyd Endowment Fund Scholarship).
• Xavier Scott – $500 ($500 Cambrex Charles City Inc. Scholarship ).
• Alexandra Wright – $500 ($500 Zoetis Scholarship).

Guest speaker for the evening was Mark Sindlinger, a 1983 Charles City High School graduate and stand-out athlete.

Sindlinger, who won three state heavyweight wrestling titles, was named to the first team All-State Football Squad and qualified for state track in the discus in high school, then went on to play football and wrestle for the University of Iowa, where he started for three years and participated in four bowl games for the Hawkeyes and was part of two Big 10 wrestling championships and placed fourth and sixth in the NCAA tournaments.

Sindlinger said he and his wife, Melanie, both graduated from Charles City High School, lived in a few places after college, but came back to Charles City about 30 years ago. They had three daughters who all graduated from CCHS, including one who came back to Charles City and is working with him now.

“I was fortunate to have parents, teachers, coaches, mentors that challenged me every day as I was growing up here,” Sindlinger said. “As I see all of you tonight, I am grateful for the life lessons of being a Comet. Whatever I was focused on, I always kept it pretty simple. That’s why this isn’t going to take very long.

“I was always learning from others around me, and always trying to improve. I always wanted to learn and try to get better at everything that I did. I still do,” he said.

“When I was in school and in college, I was fortunate to have a lot of great mentors and coaches that helped me improve. I always said I didn’t have a choice, because I was around good people. So they helped me get better,” Sindlinger said.

He said that when he was growing up his parents gave him a block of wood with the words “The secret of success” on it. When the block was opened up it had one word – “work.”

Sindlinger concluded by reading “Oh, the Places You’ll Go,” by Dr. Seuss.

“Congratulations again, and get after it,” he told the students.

Members of the board of the Charles City Area Dollars for Scholars program are President Kathy Herrick, Johanningmeier, co-treasurers Charlie Newman and

Andy Hintgen, Secretary Rachel Page, Kim Wendel, Ammie Joslin, Eric Mayhew, Julie DeBower, Kim Wilson, Christian Kreger, Julie Flood, and student advisory members Paige Pickar and JLynn Wilson.