Cal Bingham – Mercer County High School
$1500 CornCon Scholarship
Cal Bigham is a senior at Mercer County High School in Aledo, Illinois with a 4.02 GPA. He in an Illinois State Scholar, a member of the National Honor Society, and ranked number seven in his class. He enjoys playing his saxophone in all of the Mercer County bands including the community band and jazz band. Cal is also a sound technician at the local Aledo Band Shell and works at the local supermarket, Mercer Market.
While currently undecided on colleges, Cal’s number one choice is Saint Ambrose University where he plans to major in cybersecurity and computer science.
Aspirations: To push the field of cybersecurity and computer science into new territory in order to secure people’s information safely
Ryan Mack – Sherrard High School
$2500 Jeffrey Richland Memorial Scholarship
Ryan is a senior at Sherrard High School with an unweighted GPA of 3.9 and an SAT score of 1250. He is a four year honor roll student, and was Rotary Student of the Month, and has received the Sons of American Revolution award. Ryan is an Eagle Scout, an Illinois State Scholar, an active member of National Honor Society, and a Band Manager for the Sherrard High School Band. He is also a member of the High School track team, Jazz band, Stem Club, and Drama Club.
Although Ryan’s main focus in school is academics, he also enjoys volunteering in the community through Boy Scouts or National Honor Society. He was a co-founder of Sherrard’s Stem Club and was both a builder and a driver for their First Tech Challenge team. Ryan has ran Varsity Track for four years, head soundboard for all SHS productions for three years, and has been the percussion section leader for four years.
In addition, Ryan plans on studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
Aspiration: Ryan aspires to become an engineer so he can develop new technology and take on the challenge of improving our world.
Natalie Davis – United Township High School
$1,000 – QCESC Scholarship
Natalie Davis is a senior at United Township High School. She has a 4.30 weighted GPA and is an Illinois State Scholar. She is also President of Spanish National Honors Society, and captain of the Girl’s Swimming and Diving and Track and Field teams. She is a Junior Rotarian through Interact Club and a member of the National Honors Society and Letterman’s Club. Natalie currently works two jobs as a lifeguard and swim lesson instructor at the YMCA and East Moline Municipal Swimming Pool. Outside of school, she has volunteered for Flying Fish for 5 years teaching disabled kids how to swim. She will be attending the University of Iowa this coming fall to major in Biology and minor in Spanish, with a hope to become a Physician’s Assistant.
Aspiration: In the long run, Natalie wants to help people with their medical needs and teach them how to live better lives.
Colin Wiersema – North Scott Senior High School
$2,500 American Society of Civil Engineers
Colin Wiersema is a Senior at North Scott High School. He is ranked first in high school class with an unweighted 4.0 GPA and 35 ACT Score. Throughout his high school years, Colin has participated in soccer and cross country, becoming varsity team captain in both sports. Additionally, Colin is co-founder and Vice President of North Scott’s Math Club, as well as a member of National Honor Society, and a Leadership Team member of his school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes Huddle. Colin has received numerous accolades and awards including: becoming an AP Scholar, becoming a district winner in the Know Your Constitution Essay Contest, being on the Academic All-State Team for Boys’ Soccer, achieving the AP + Project Lead the Way Achievement Award, and becoming a National Merit Semi-Finalist. Apart from school, Colin enjoys participating in his church as a pianist and member of the youth group.
Colin plans to attend Iowa State University to major in Civil Engineering.
Aspirations: Colin hopes to one day help in the process of designing and building infrastructure that will help people in their daily lives.
Cody Bush – Rockridge High School
$1,000 American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
Cody Bush is a senior at Rockridge High School with a 3.94 GPA. He has have participated in Football, Basketball, Baseball, FFA, Student Council, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Crime Prevention. He was a co-captain on the football and basketball team, as well as serving his FFA Chapter as President. Outside of school he enjoys working as a farm hand for a local farmer, as well as working on his family farm when he is not busy. In Cody’s spare time he enjoys modifying his ATV and then taking it off-road trail riding in Wisconsin.
Next fall Cody plans on attending the University of Wisconsin-Platteville to major in Mechanical Engineering. With this degree, he plans on getting a job with a major agricultural manufacturer in their experimental division as a specialist in testing and improving farm equipment.
Cody Neeper-Burris – Davenport West High School
$1000 Iowa State University
Cody Neeper-Burris is a senior at Davenport West High School. She has a 3.6 GPA and scored a 27 on her ACT. She has been a part of the INSPIRE Program’s Engineering Pathway for the past three years and is currently enrolled in the capstone course. She currently serves as Outreach Lead for FTC Robotics team #5466, the Combustible Lemons, and was a part of the 2016-17 World Champion team during her rookie season. Cody is also a part of FRC Robotics team #6317 Disruptive Innovation and was her team’s 2018 Dean’s List Nominee. In addition, she has served as a mentor for four FLL and FLL Jr. teams in Davenport Schools. Along with the West Robotics program, Cody traveled to Kaiserslautern, Germany as a part of the STEM Youth Exchange this summer. She is also a member of West High’s Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam, serving on the Communications team. Along with this, Cody has also been a part of National Honors Society, Ecology Club, and Band during her high school career.
Cody plans to attend Iowa State University to major in Mechanical Engineering.
She wants to work in renewable energy and continue to promote STEM education for all by continuing to volunteer for FIRST.
Travis Hughes – Fulton High School
$2500 University of Wisconsin – Platteville
Travis Hughes is a senior at Fulton High School with a 3.42 GPA. He is a member of the National Honor Society. Travis is also a three-sport athlete lettering in basketball, golf, and track. Travis has also been named to the Academic All-Conference team 4 times. In his community, Travis has stayed active by being in the Boy Scouts and earning his Eagle Scout recognition this past fall. Throughout high school, Travis has spent his summers working first at BJ Auto in Fulton, Illinois. He helped as an assistant mechanic learning how things worked. Then this past summer Travis Worked as a cook at the Clinton Lumberkings where he learned how to meet deadlines and work with people to accomplish all tasks.
Travis plans on attending the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in the fall and to major in Mechanical Engineering.
Andrew Wiedenmann – Illinois Math and Science Academy
$2500 QCESC Scholarship
Andrew Wiedenmann is a senior at the Illinois Math and Science Academy (IMSA) in Aurora, Illinois, a residential, selective admissions public STEM school that recruits from across the state. He currently resides in Coal Valley, Illinois. He has a GPA of 3.95 and an ACT score of 35. At IMSA, Andrew is involved with ALLIES, a STEM outreach program that runs inquiry based workshops for area elementary-aged children. He is also a member of FRC team 2022 Titan Robotics.
Outside of the classroom, Andrew is a member of the cross country and track teams at IMSA. Achieving the Rank of Eagle Scout in 2017, Andrew is an active member of his Boy Scout troop 123 out of Orion, Illinois. He completed a year-long internship with Packed With Purpose, a Chicago-based corporate gifting start up.
Next fall, Andrew plans on attending the Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.
Aspiration: Make businesses more productive and efficient with technology
Aleah Kossan – Davenport Central High School
$1,000 University of Iowa
Aleah is a senior at Davenport Central High School. She will graduate with
honors in June 2019 with a 3.94 GPA. Aleah is a member of National
Honor Society, Executive Officer of JROTC, and president of German Club.
She has received the Superior Junior Cadet Decoration Award from the
Department of the Army in 2017 and 2018, and the Army Corps of
Engineers Scholastic Achievement award all four years of high school. She
has also received a Davenport Central Scholastic Achievement varsity
letter and a JROTC Scholastic Achievement varsity letter. She volunteers
at the Madison Food Pantry, Tori’s Art of Hope, and the Village in Bloom
Festival.
At the University of Iowa, Aleah plans to pursue a major in Biomedical
Engineering. She aspires to use her degree to help improve the quality of
life for others.
Varun Vedula – Pleasant Valley High School
$1,500 IEEE
Varun Vedula is a senior at Pleasant Valley High School, with a 3.98 un-weighted GPA and an ACT score of 35. Varun is a four-year honor roll student and has taken numerous AP and college classes. He is a AP Scholar and a member of his school’s National Honor Society. As the president of the Astronomy Club at Pleasant Valley, Varun enjoys stargazing and learning about the universe
Varun is also a heavy participant in robotics. He is the project manager on FIRST Tech Challenge Team 8813, The Winter Soldiers and a team leader on FIRST Robotics Competition Team 648, Flaming Squirrels. Last year, Varun’s FTC team won the top award at the state competition, allowing them to compete at the world competition. He has been a part of robotics for 9 years and plans to continue his passion as a career
Varun is planning to pursue a degree in Computer Engineering at an undecided university
Aspiration: Varun plans to create his own robotics startup company one day
Jamie Trentz – Pleasant Valley High School
$1,000 Society of American Military Engineers
Jamie Trentz is a senior at Pleasant Valley High School with a grade point average of 4.35 and an ACT score of 33. He has been on the Academic Excellence Honor Roll every semester. Throughout high school he has participated in football, soccer, baseball, bowling, tennis, and track. Jamie was on the All-MAC Academic Team for football, tennis, and bowling and received All-District Honorable Mention for football his senior year. He is a member of the National Honors Society and Astronomy Club. Jamie volunteers with the Bettendorf Family Museum, Habitat for Humanity, Saint John Vianney Church, and has helped out with coaching at youth football camps for the Pleasant Valley Football Team. He has also served as a tutor for Spanish at his high school.
During his time at Pleasant Valley Jamie completed Project Lead The Way courses and participated in Battle of the Bridges, QCESC Trebuchet Egg Throw, and QCESC Cardboard Boat Race along with several AP and honors courses. He is currently employed part time at the Bettendorf Hy-Vee.
Jamie will be attending the University of Iowa this fall to pursue a degree in Civil Engineering.
Aspirations: Jamie plans to continue his education in order to receive his master’s degree and become a Civil Engineer. He wants to use his skills to improve America’s infrastructure.
Nathaniel Stout – Sterling High School
$2,000 Exelon Corporation
Nathaniel Stout is a senior at Sterling High School. He is a National Honor Society member, Illinois State Scholar, and the captain of FIRST Robotics Team 6651 Golden Bots. Nathaniel has a weighted GPA of 4.22 and an ACT score of 30. He also participates in golf, tennis, band, choir, musical theater, bowling, math team, and the chess team. where he helped lead the team to the 2A State title this month as senior captain. Outside of school, Nathaniel is a member of the Dixon Coin Club, and an active member in his church, Sterling First Church of the Nazarene, where he plays drum set and trombone in the praise band and is a delegate for his youth group. Nathaniel has worked for a local construction company for the past 5 years during the summer months and plays in the Sterling Municipal Band. The few moments that Nathaniel is not doing any of his activities he loves to read, listen to/play music, or be outdoors.
Nathaniel plans on pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering, where he is waiting on acceptance from the United States Air Force Academy. Plan “b” is between St. Ambrose University in the Quad Cities, or his church affiliated Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais,
Aspiration: Nathaniel wants to design and build the next generation of aircrafts focusing on reusable energy power.
Brandon Seamer – Davenport West High School
$1,000 University of Iowa
Brandon Seamer is a Davenport West High School student with an ACT Score 32. He is a captain of his FIRST Robotics Competition team at Davenport West High School and was a member of FTC Team 5466 and FTC Team 10547 throughout his high school career. He is in an administrative role of the Davenport West Kenya Water Initiative. Brandon participates in numerous STEM events annually. He also is interested in 3D modeling, innovation, and programming.
Brandon plans to study Mechanical Engineering at the University of Iowa this coming fall semester.
Aspirations: Brandon hopes to work as a Mechanical Engineer at KENT Feeds in Muscatine.
Alexa Christiansen – Davenport West High School
$2,500 National Defense Industrial Association
Alexa Christiansen is a senior at Davenport West High School, scored a 33 on her ACT, has a 3.86 GPA, and is the Project Administrator of FTC #10547 and FRC #6317. She is also Sustainability Lead of the Davenport West Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam.
Despite taking 4 PLTW Engineering, 5 AP, and several other college-level classes, Alexa has found time to participate in Art Club, National Honor Society, the West Youth Voice Council, FTC robotics, FRC robotics, and a Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam during her high school experience. She has also been working as a computer-aided drafter/designer for the last two years at Deck Supply Services and has hundreds of hours of community service.
In 2016-2017, she was apart of both the Inspire Award winning FTC team and a Rookie All-Star winning FRC team during the St. Louis world championships. In 2017-2018, she was a Dean’s List award finalist and attended the FRC world championship in Detroit, MI. In 2018-2019, she is a Youth Mental Health Ambassador, the project administrator of two highly competitive FIRST teams, and will be presenting at Eurkea!Fest with her Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam in June. Throughout all of her years at Davenport West High, she has worked to advocate for and serve her peers and communities all over the world.
In fall of 2019, Alexa is planning to attend the University of Iowa to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Aspiration: Alexa wants to inspire everyone like she has been inspired by others. Leadership is an act of service: it is equal parts dedication to improving yourself, your teammates, and your community. She wishes to exemplify this definition.