SOLON — Senior year is a hectic time for high school students and their families. Students are busy not only with completing their graduation requirements but also participating in activities such as athletics and fine arts in an effort to make their last year the best and most memorable it can be. At the same time, they are more or less expected to make plans for their future – college or university, two years or four, a major, maybe a minor, possibly a track to advanced degrees later, military service, trade school, an apprenticeship, or even working for a few years and then deciding on further education.
And then, if post-secondary education is in the plans, there is the question of how to pay for it with scholarships being one way to help defray the ever-increasing cost of higher education. But which scholarship(s) to apply for? For some, selecting a scholarship can be as daunting a task as deciding on a college or major.
“Years ago the high school held a scholarship fair and it gave the opportunity for the students to actually come in, go table-to-table to each of the scholarships offered and get some one-on-one information. That process has gone away with technology. So, with that process no longer available to the students,” said City Administrator Cami Rasmussen, who sits on the board of the Solon Area Community Foundation (SACF).
Indeed, the Solon High School’s website has a page (https://sites.google.com/solon.k12.ia.us/solon-hs-counseling/scholarship-information) dedicated to scholarships including types, how to search for the right scholarship(s), how to apply, and a listing of available scholarships including how to apply, requirements, and very specific deadlines.
Two local scholarships students may not be aware of or might overlook thinking they have no chance of qualifying for, for whatever reason, are administered by the SACF.
Paula Sears, Executive Vice President for Bridge Bank, and fellow SACF Board member, explained the scholarships and how every Solon High School student has a fair shot at consideration.
“We administer two scholarships that are open to all students who are seeking to pursue post-secondary education, and that can look like a two or four-year college, an apprenticeship, or trade school. We’ll look at a military enlistment with college deferment.
(A college deferment, in relation to military service, puts college education on hold. When a student is accepted into a college or university, they can ask for a deferment to delay their enrollment, which allows the student to complete military service or other obligations before starting college studies.)
“We’re even open to something that maybe we haven’t even seen yet if it is some sort of post-secondary education, we’ll take a look at that.
Busting the myths for the Solon Area Community Foundation Scholarship
“We want to bust that myth that you had to be going to college to even think about applying for a scholarship,” said Sears. “We have a metric that we’re looking at with many different qualifying things. So primarily, we want to see that they’re motivated and invested in their future, but also looking back at where they came from and what Solon has done for them and have them reflect on their time in Solon.”
Part of the scholarship requires them to write an essay based on any of the many projects the SACF has been a part of over the years, and how it has impacted them.
“They might choose the SRNA, the Library, something that we’ve had a hand in,” said Sears.
GPA, in this case, isn’t a deal-breaker
“GPA is a small portion (of the scoring metrics), said Sears, “we look at other things too such as extracurricular activities or maybe committees that they’ve sat on. But we also recognize that not everybody gets the opportunity…they might be working to save money toward college or working to help their family’s finances. So, we look at employment and things they’ve been involved in outside of school.”
Extracurricular activities don’t have to be in school, she added. Sears explained the committee looks at all activities the applicant is involved in to see if they are investing in themselves, their community, and their future.
SACF Scholarships – three awarded per year
Three scholarships are awarded, at $750 each, per year. Last year however, there was a tie resulting in a fourth scholarship being awarded, explained Sears. SACF scholarships can be applied to traditional colleges or universities, community colleges, trade schools, and even apprenticeships.
“We really want to make sure that regardless of what your path is…not everyone wants college as their next step, and we’re in a society now where we’re seeing so many avenues that weren’t there before,” said Rasmussen. “Trying to get students into the workforce and work-ready faster is just a huge initiative in Iowa in general. So maybe as an apprentice, you have to have a set of tools. That would qualify (for a scholarship). We’re really just trying to broaden the scope and provide the graduating seniors, whatever path they’re choosing, scholarships that they have access to.”
The Doris Looney Scholarship – help for future healthcare providers
Doris Looney bequeathed money for the SCAF to disperse to students interested in pursuing a career in healthcare.
“She worked at the University of Iowa in healthcare and that was a passion of hers,” explained Sears, “So we honor that by administering a $4,000 scholarship (in her name) that is tiered over four years.” And a student doesn’t have to be planning on nursing school or medical school; allied healthcare professions also qualify such as EMT/Paramedic, CNA, or even speech pathology. “Anything in healthcare,” Sears said. “If you’re interested in healthcare you should take a look at this. It can be a two-year program, a four-year program, we’re open to anybody who’s interested in that.
Applicants for the Doris Looney Scholarship also must write an essay on why they want to go into healthcare as a profession and why they feel deserving of the scholarship.
April 1, 2025, is the deadline
Both the SACF and Doris Looney scholarships have a Tuesday, April 1, 2025, deadline. All applications are done online through the SACF website (www.solonareacf.org).
“The SACF is truly for the betterment of the Solon community, and the group is looking to invest in people who are going to go out and use their life to better the world,” said Rasmussen. “That’s really what the foundation of these scholarships are. We want to see that these students, whether they’re working, whether they’re doing school activities, or some other activities, that they’re engaged in their future. That means they’re going to be engaged citizens wherever they are out in the world. We want to help them on their journey.”
2024 SACF Scholarship recipients
Jamison Grimm
Ashley Hummel
Mia Stahle
Peyton Pentico
2024 Doris Looney Scholarship recipient
Kate Richards
About the Solon Area Community Foundation
The Solon Area Community Foundation (SACF) was founded in 1981 and is a nonprofit organization established for, and dedicated to, supporting Solon’s future through developing and supporting a wide variety of youth and community projects to benefit the Solon area. SACF is supported 100% through donations and accepts requests for funding a variety of community projects with the goal of having a broad impact.
Some examples of projects SACF has made investments in include:
• Municipal sign and flagpole in the city park at Hwy. 1 and Main Street (including a time capsule) with similar markers on the south and north entrances to Solon on Hwy. 1
• The North Shore Trail between Solon and Lake Macbride State Park.
• Construction of the Solon Public Library in 1998.
• Initial grading (1999) for the Solon Recreation and Nature Area (SRNA).
• Investment in 2011 for the scoreboard and sound system for the then-new Spartan Stadium.
• Donation for the creation of the Johnson County Freedom Rock, located next to the Solon Veterans Memorial (2015).
• Donation in 2016 toward painting the Solon water tower.
• Donation in 2019 for the new Solon Firehouse project.
For more information on the Solon Area Community Foundation, go to www.solonareacf.org.