Iowa Credit Union Foundation Awards $23,000 to Scholarship Winners

April 27, 2023

DES MOINES – The Iowa Credit Union Foundation (ICUF) recently awarded scholarships to eight high school students and four post-high school students as recipients of its Warren A. Morrow Memorial Scholarship.

The scholarship program is in memory of the late Warren Morrow and is open to credit union members pursuing or completing post-secondary education.

This year's post-high school recipients are: 

• $2,000 to Maria Gonzalez, a member of MEMBERS1st Community Credit Union who currently attends Marshalltown Community College
• $2,000 to Aura Panduro Orellana, a member of Dupaco Community Credit Union who currently attends Coe College
• $2,000 to Nathan Ung, a member of First Class Community Credit Union who currently attends Iowa State University
• $2,000 to Junrey Camilan, a member of Community 1st Credit Union who currently attends Indian Hills Community College

This year's eight high school senior recipients are: 

• $3,000 to Sophia Woods, a member of Veridian Credit Union and a graduating senior at Cedar Falls High School, Cedar Falls, IA
• $3,000 to Tyler Miers, a member of Linn Area Credit Union and a graduating senior at John F. Kennedy High School, Cedar Rapids, IA    
• $2,000 to Jena Edwards, a member of DuTrac Community Credit Union and a graduating senior at Central DeWitt High School, DeWitt, IA
• $2,000 to Alyssa Gauss, a member of IH Mississippi Valley Credit Union and a graduating senior at Pleasant Valley High School, Bettendorf, IA
• $1,500 to Lucas Osterhaus, a member of First Federal Credit Union and a graduating senior at Xavier High School, Marion, IA
• $1,500 to Camryn Matheny, a member of Affinity Credit Union and a graduating senior at Ankeny Centennial High School, Ankeny, IA
• $1,000 to Jazmine Iglesias, a member of Greater Iowa Credit Union and a graduating senior at Denison High School, Denison, IA
• $1,000 to Max Burt, a member of CENT Credit Union and a graduating senior at Newman Catholic High School, Mason City, IA

Applicants completed an online entry form and answered an essay question. This year’s question was:

Today’s students are pursuing their education in a fragile, post-Covid economy. Describe how this financial reality has shaped your educational plans, and how you will utilize your credit union as you pursue those plans.  Consider sharing personal examples in this essay.

“Every year, the Iowa Credit Union Foundation awards the Warren A. Morrow Memorial Scholarships to credit union members pursuing or completing post-secondary education,” said Ena Babic Barnes, Executive Director, ICUF. “This year’s scholarship finalists creatively described ways to work with their credit union on how to make their educational plans a reality.”

Founded in 1995 as the philanthropic arm of the Iowa Credit Union League (ICUL), ICUF’s mission is guided by the credit union philosophy of ‘people helping people’. ICUF achieves this through its various programs, grants and scholarships. For more information, visit www.IowaCreditUnionFoundation.org.