BETTENDORF, IOWA (February 25, 2020) — 13 Quad City area high-school seniors with plans to study STEM were awarded $25,000 in scholarships. The Scholarships were awarded at the Quad City Engineering and Science Council's (QCESC) 58th Annual STEM Celebration held Thursday, February 20, at the Putnam Museum and Science Center. The event celebrates, supports networking, and showcases the great Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Professionals, Educators, and the next generation of STEM professionals in the Quad Cities region. The event was held during National Engineers Week (E-week).

Since 1994, the Quad City Engineering and Science Council with its member societies, local businesses, and regional universities have annually together provided one-time scholarships to high-school seniors studying STEM at an accredited four-year college or university. Applicants are Quad City area residents in the Illinois Counties of Carroll, Henry, Knox, Lee, Mercer, Rock Island, or Whiteside, or in the Iowa Counties of Clinton, Scott, Muscatine, or Louisa.

This year the QCESC for the first time, included a scholarship for students pursuing a career in the skilled trades and technical vocations. Industry has identified a critical shortage of these STEM skills. Morrison Institute of Technology provided the funding for this scholarship.

QCESC 2020 Scholarship Recipients

Grace Bjustrom, North Scott High School

$1,000 American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers

Grace Bjustrom is a senior at North Scott High School, and ranked number one in her class with an unweighted 4.0 GPA. She is also duly enrolled at Scott Community College and on the President's List. Throughout her four years of high school, she has been active in bowling, golf, trap shooting, National Honor Society, FFA, 4H, and her local youth group. She has a four-year varsity letter in golf and bowling attending state individually in 2018. As president, she has led her FFA chapter from never being ranked to the top 3% in the nation and received the chapter's 1st and 2nd state championships in 61 years of history.

Bjustrom has also been involved in the State Science and Technology Fair of Iowa and received an honorable mention in the category of engineering. She was selected to attend the 2018 World Food Prize Global Youth Institute due to her research on water scarcity in Ethiopia. Between balancing schoolwork, activities, volunteering, and her job at the Freight House Farmers Market, Grace enjoys designing websites for businesses in the community. She has a passion for agriculture and wants to design and develop equipment that can advance the farmer's ability to produce more food on less land. In the fall, she plans on attending Iowa State University to major in agricultural engineering and minor in marketing.

Aspirations: Bjustrom is passionate about finding a solution to solving the daunting global problems of food-scarcity arising in the agricultural industry by 2050, needing to feed 10 billion people.

Bailee MergenMuscatine High School

$2,000 — America Society of Civil Engineers

Bailee Mergen is a senior at Muscatine High School with a 4.6 GPA. She is a member of National Honor Society, Muscatine's varsity show-choir group, River City Rhythm, and the Muscatine Dance Team, in which she was co-captain of her senior year. She volunteers through the United Way and is a member at Wesley United Methodist Church, where she assists in Sunday school classrooms. She is an AP Scholar with Distinction and has earned her silver cord by volunteering in her community. She has taken PLTW classes which introduced her to different career paths within the engineering field. Mergen is finalizing her AP Capstone project that focuses on gaps in interest in engineering at an elementary level, why this is an issue, and ways to address the divide. She intends on attending the University of Wisconsin-Platteville to earn a degree in civil engineering with transportation and municipal emphases.

Aspiration: Mergen hopes to pursue a career in transportation in order to help increase the efficiency and safety of our transportation system.

Seth Hoffman, Muscatine High School

$2,500 — Jeffrey Richland Memorial Scholarship

Seth Hoffman is a member of the National Honor Society with a 4.17 weighted GPA, driven by completing eight AP courses. Hoffman is currently employed at HNI Corporation as a Product Design Engineer (intern) via Muscatine High School's Work Based Learning (WBL) program. Based on course selection and success in his WBL position, Hoffman has earned the designation of "Scholar of Industrial Engineering and Technology". Hoffman has been very active in cross-country, tennis, and especially FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) — serving his robotics team as "Team Captain" for 3 years and "DriveTeam" member for 4 years. Seth has served younger students for many years as a youth leader at his church. Nearly three years ago, Hoffman founded a non-profit effort "Ramps and Pathways to STEM!", raising $26,000+ to fund both teacher professional-development training and the placement of inquiry-based STEM 'kits' in the school district's kindergarten and pre-kindergarten classrooms. After being diagnosed as dyslexic during his 11th grade year, Hoffman began researching the learning disorder and discovered dyslexic-friendly fonts. Hoffman used those fonts and invented specialized letter-puzzles for pre-kindergarten students. Impacted by teen suicide in his community, Hoffman created brief "Your Body is Amazing!" videos, for use with elementary age students, which promote self-confidence and positive body-image by marveling at the great scientific wonders of the human body.

Hoffman plans to major in engineering at Iowa State University beginning this fall.

Aspiration: Hoffman's dream is to be an engineer that works on interesting professional projects yet always makes time to serve others along the way.

Jarod Raber, Moline High School

$2000 — Society of American Military Engineers

Jarod Raber is a senior at Moline High School. He has maintained top ten class ranking all four years with a current weighted GPA of 4.77. He is an Illinois State Scholar and National Honor Society member. Outside of academics, Raber played soccer all four years, basketball for two years and was a team captain for both sports. In soccer, he was awarded WB6 All Conference Academic Team, WB6 All Conference Second Team and Dispatch/Argus All Star Team. He is also involved with Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Link Crew, Rotary Club, student-led Bible study and intramural sports.

Raber is a member of Christ the King Catholic Church and volunteers for the Salvation Army and Riverbend Food Bank. In his spare time, he enjoys making music.

In the fall he will be attending Bradley University and will major in Civil Engineering.

Aspiration: Raber hopes to utilize his passion in music and educational talents to inspire and lead future generations.

Luis Vargas, Sterling High School

$2,500 — University of Wisconsin Platteville

Vargas is a senior at Sterling High School with a GPA of 4.02 and an SAT score of 1290. He is a member of the Leadership Program and has participated in Varsity Soccer as a junior and senior. Vargas has been recognized as an All Conference Academic player during both seasons playing soccer. He has also been recognized by his local Rotary Club for outstanding academic achievement. Vargas plans to attend the University of Wisconsin in Platteville and major in computer engineering.

Aspiration: Vargas hopes to become a computer hardware engineer and improve the technology we use every day.

Colton Bishop, Sherrard High School

$1,000 — Morrison Tech

Colton Bishop is a Senior at Sherrard High School. Bishop is a member of the FFA and is involved with the Media Club as well as the Robotics Club. Bishop serves as a mentor to the Robotics Team at Sherrard. Through his years at Sherrard, Bishop has taken several Architectural and Mechanical Engineering classes. Bishop is an official member of the Matherville Fire Dept and trains for several hours each week.

Aspiration: Bishop's dream career would be to work as a designer in the engineering department at one of the aerospace companies that partner with Morrison Tech.

Nate Ahlers, Newman Central Catholic High School

$2,500 — National Defense Industrial Association

Nate Ahlers is a senior at Newman Central Catholic High School in Sterling, Illinois. He is ranked second in his class with a 4.43 GPA. Ahlers earned a 35 on the ACT and scored a 36 within the STEM section of the test. He is an Illinois State Scholar and a member of National Honor Society. As a student, he is involved in football, track and field, Math Team, and Key Club. During his senior year of football, Ahlers won a state championship, was first team all-area in four positions, and was named a member of the academic all-state team. In an effort to fight childhood cancer, he also partnered with Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation and raised over $3,500 through his efforts on the football field.

Ahlers plans to attend a four-year university and major in either mechanical engineering or aerospace engineering. After receiving his bachelor's degree, he also wants to pursue a master's degree in engineering.

Aspirations: Ahlers wants to use his skills as an engineer to have a direct impact on the industry.

Drew Hecox, Abingdon-Avon High School

$2,000 — America Society of Civil Engineers

Drew Hecox is a senior at Abingdon-Avon High School with a weighted GPA of 4.3. He is a four-year honor roll student and is dual enrolled at Carl Sandburg College, where he is on the Dean's List with an unweighted GPA of 4.0. Hecox has participated in football, basketball, and the National Honor Society during his years in high school. The former in which, this past year, he earned the privilege of team captain. He is also an Illinois State Scholar, Phi Theta Kappa member, and a nominee for Academic All-State. Outside of the classroom, Hecox enjoys volunteering at his local church and working on his grandfather's farm.

This fall, Hecox plans to attend a four-year university to pursue a major in Civil Engineering.

Aspiration: Hecox wants to be an innovator in designing, building, and managing local and state infrastructure systems.

Brian Forret, Calamus Wheatland High School

$1,000 — Iowa State University

Brian Forret has a 4.00 unweighted GPA and is ranked number 1 in his class at Calamus Wheatland High School. He scored a 27 on his ACT. During high school, he has been involved in Student Council, National Honor Society, and FFA.  He has also been the president of his 4H club and a class officer, along with being a member of the basketball and baseball teams and plays trombone in the instrumental, jazz and pep bands. Outside of the school day, he works for his family mowing business, Forret Mowing, and on their family farm. After graduation, Forret will be pursuing a mechanical engineering degree from Iowa State University this fall. His dream is to work in the experimental department at John Deere. 

Aspiration: Forret's love of agriculture, math, and science came from his late father who passed away from cancer this past June. With this love, he plans on creating new farm machinery that is more efficient for small family farmers and to be able to use that equipment on his own family farm.

Ezekial Wynsma, Davenport Central High School

$2,500 — Quad City Engineering and Science Council

Ezekiel (Zeke) Wynsma is a senior at Davenport Central High School. He has a GPA of 4.0 and a ACT test score of 33. He is co-captain of his school's FTC Robotics team, the Central Processing Units, which was a state qualifying team in 2019. He is also an active member of the National Honor Society and Scholastic Bowl. He has played viola in his school orchestra since he was in fourth grade. He was a member of the mock trial team for three years and qualified for state twice. He also received the Outstanding Achievement Award by the Central High School science department in 2018. In his spare time, he likes to play board games like Catan with friends and read science fiction. Wynsma hopes to attend St. Olaf College to study physics and mathematics. 

Aspiration: Wynsma hopes to eventually earn a PhD in physics and inspire people to pursue careers in the sciences and mathematics.

Max Crowley, Pleasant Valley High School

$1,000 — University of Iowa

Max Crowley is a senior at Pleasant Valley High School with a GPA of 3.8. Throughout the last four years he has participated in baseball, tennis, and football where he earned All-District Academic Team. He has taken numerous AP and honors courses, and currently is dual enrolled at Scott Community College. Crowley has also job shadowed at American Prosthetics and Orthotics, and will soon be starting an internship at John Deere for his Engineering Academy course. Crowley is currently volunteering at Genesis Medical Hospital and has also put in numerous hours through organizations such as Our Lady of Lourdes, QC marathon, and BPV Youth Baseball Association. Crowley is also currently employed at High 5 Lanes and Games within the TBK Bank Sports Complex.

Crowley plans to attend the University of Iowa this fall and major in Biomedical Engineering.

Aspiration: Crowley hopes to obtain an engineering job where he can design prosthetic limbs to. improve the lives of others.

Sofia Mojica, Moline High School

$1,000 — University of Iowa

Sofia Mojica is a senior at Moline Sr. High School. On a 4.0 scale, Mojica has maintained a 3.8 grade point average. Mojica is a member of the National Honor Society at Moline High School. She is also involved in Tennis, Latinos Unidos, Soccer, QC Minority Partnership, and Minority Leaders of Tomorrow. Mojica is not only active with school and school-related activities but also outside of school. She sits on the High School Advisory Board for Quad Cities My Sister's Keeper. Mojica is also involved in 4-H Teens as Teachers, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers volunteer, Lights on for Leming instructor, Altar server at her church, and a community Volunteer for the Deere Butterworth Foundation. Mojica plans to attend the University of Iowa this fall majoring in Computer Engineering.

Aspirations: Mojica has the goal of majoring in computer engineering in order to develop high-quality products (laptops, computers, etc) that are much more affordable for first generation college bound students.

Cooper Lovell, West Liberty High School

$2,000 — Exelon Corporation

Cooper Lovell is a senior at West Liberty High School. He is in the top 5% of his class with a weighted GPA of 4.18 and an ACT composite score of 33. He has been in the dual-language program at West Liberty since kindergarten. For the past four years he has been involved in marching band and concert band, in which he plays percussion and also jazz band and show band in which he plays bass. He was a percussion section leader during his junior year. Cooper has attended honor bands at St Ambrose his junior and sophomore year and Coe College his freshman year. He has been a member of Tri-M Music Honor Society since 2019, participated in soccer the past three years, and baseball in 2016 and 2017. He has been on the principal's honor roll and received both academic and band letters each year of high school. Lovell has worked for Casey's as a cashier for the past two years and was a lifeguard at the Kimberly park pool during the summer of 2017. 

He will attend Iowa State University this fall to major in mechanical engineering.

Aspirations: Lovell hopes to use his degree in mechanical engineering to design technology that will improve and ease people's jobs and lives.

Quad City Engineering & Science Council (QCESC), founded in 1962 is a non-profit 501c3 organization dedicated to advancing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) in the greater Quad Cities Region. Information about our organization can be found at https://qcesc.org.

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