Education Foundation News

In honor of Merlin & Ann Magneson, a fund has been established through the SWCC Education Foundation to donate toolboxes to SWCC auto collision repair/refinish graduates. During the first year of the program, the Magneson family generously provided toolboxes to five 2023 grads.

The W.D. and Shirley Schafer-Ray Educational Trust awarded more than $273,000 to 45 local students, 28 being Southwestern Community College (SWCC) students, for the 2023-24 academic year.

May 12, 2022, CRESTON, Iowa—Southwestern Community College (SWCC) auto collision repair/refinish student Grant Van Nostrand of Clarinda was honored as the 2022 SWCC Gordon Bills Auto Body Scholarship recipient during an informal presentation held on Thursday, May 12, at 9 a.m., in the college’s automotive department, located in the SWCC Instructional Center.

May 9, 2022, CRESTON, Iowa—Southwestern Community College (SWCC) auto collision repair/refinish student Lukas Moore of Emerson was honored as the 2022 SWCC Tech Achiever during a ceremony held on Wednesday, May 4, at 10 a.m., in the college’s automotive department, located in the SWCC Instructional Center.

The Creston Rotary announced and honored students selected as 2022-23 Southwestern Community College (SWCC) scholarship recipients on Monday, April 25, 2022, at 12 p.m., during a luncheon at A&G Steakhouse in Creston.

Southwestern Community College (SWCC) has a variety of scholarship opportunities available to new and returning students for the 2022-23 academic year.

Greater Regional Health (GRH) recently committed to a gift of $50,000 for the purpose of establishing an endowment through Southwestern Community College’s Education Foundation in memory of longtime college administrator and men’s basketball coach William “Bill” Taylor, who passed away in 2019.

The Education Foundation scholarship application for the Spring 2022 semester is open! All new and returning students for spring 2022 semester are encouraged to apply!

On Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021, at 6 p.m., the Southwestern Community College Education Foundation brought together foundation donors and student scholarship recipients for a formal dinner and program in the Student Center gymnasium.

April 22, 2021, CRESTON, Iowa—Southwestern Community College (SWCC) auto collision repair/refinish student Sergio Sandoval of Osceola was honored as a SWCC Tech Achiever during a ceremony held on Thursday, April 15, 2021, in the college’s automotive department. The presentation happened during SWCC’s Pay it Forward Week, an annual event on campus that promotes kindness and giving.

Southwestern Community College (SWCC) has a variety of scholarship opportunities available to new and returning students for the 2021-22 academic year.

High school seniors who are headed directly to Southwestern Community College (SWCC) for the fall 2021 semester now have an additional scholarship possibility to consider applying for this spring. This scholarship has the potential to allow the recipient/s to graduate debt-free at the end of four years of college!

The Bright Scholars of Iowa Award is given to qualifying Iowa high school seniors who are strong academically but may lack the financial means to enable them to earn a college degree. Students must maintain full-time enrollment in an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science program at SWCC with the intent to transfer to a four-year Regent institution in the state of Iowa.  

During the 2019-20 academic year, Southwestern Community College's Education Foundation is raising funds to increase the size of the college’s Agriculture Program Endowment. This endowment, which was established in 2008, is in place to offer scholarships to students in Southwestern's ag programs.

The Southwestern Community College (SWCC) Education Foundation scholarship application for spring 2020 semester is open! The application may be completed online at www.swcciowa.edu/scholarships. The application deadline is Dec. 1, 2019.  

Students who are eligible to apply for spring scholarships include students who are new to Southwestern, as well as returning students who were not awarded a scholarship for the fall 2019 semester. The application and supporting materials must be submitted by Dec. 1, 2019, at 5 p.m. CST. Scholarships awarded must be utilized at Southwestern Community College during the 2019-20 academic year.

Questions regarding scholarships may be directed to Cait Maitlen, executive director of the SWCC Education Foundation. Spring 2020 semester at SWCC starts on Monday, Jan. 13, 2020.

For the first time, Southwestern’s Education Foundation is offering a summer application deadline for fall 2019 scholarships. Students taking classes during the fall 2019 semester, who have not already received a scholarship from the SWCC Education Foundation, are eligible to apply. The application deadline is August 1, 2019!

Please head to www.swcciowa.edu/scholarships to apply!

The Creston Rotary announced and honored the students selected as 2019-20 Southwestern Community College (SWCC) scholarship recipients on Monday, April 29, 2019, 12 p.m., at a luncheon at Greater Regional Medical Center in Creston.

For the second year in a row, the LifePoint Assembly of God Church, in Osceola, donated to the Southwestern Community College (SWCC) Education Foundation for the purpose of scholarships to assist Osceola Center students who are completing the High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED).

The Education Foundation scholarship deadline for spring 2019 semester is Dec. 1, 2018. The scholarship application may be completed online and is available on the Scholarships webpage.

Students who are eligible to apply for spring scholarships include students who are new to Southwestern, as well as returning students who were not awarded a scholarship for the fall 2018 semester.

Questions regarding scholarships may be directed to Cait Maitlen, executive director of the SWCC Education Foundation. Spring 2019 semester at SWCC starts on Monday, Jan. 14, 2019.

The SWCC Education Foundation’s 2018 Donor-Scholar Dinner was held Wednesday, Nov. 7, at 6 p.m., in the Student Center gymnasium. There were approximately 150 people in attendance.

The annual event provides opportunities for student scholarship recipients to express gratitude to the donors of their scholarships, as well as a time for celebration of the academic success of the college’s students.

The evening was kicked off by Education Foundation Executive Director Cait Maitlen. Following her opening remarks, Maitlen introduced Meredith Dohmen, director of scholarships for the Bright Foundation, an Iowa Foundation that has been a generous scholarship donor at SWCC for a number of years. Dohmen awarded medallions to the college’s 2018 Bright Scholar award recipients Katelyn Belding, freshman of Lenox, and Hannah Pollard, freshman of Woodburn.

Student speakers for the evening included Josie Jones, sophomore of Mount Ayr; Jesper Holke-Farnam, sophomore of Grundy Center; and Isaac Wignall, sophomore of Creston.

The event was catered by The Windrow in Creston.

Students and instructors from Southwestern Community College's automotive programs took time from their schedules to pose for a photo to thank the Iowa Automobile Dealers Foundation for Education (IADA) for a $5,700 grant awarded to SWCC for the purchase of a refrigerant recovery machine.

Two Southwestern Community College (SWCC) students— Jacob Kinyon, second-year automotive repair technology student, of Corning, and Jamie Young, second-year auto collision repair/refinish student, of Humeston—recently benefitted from the generosity of a former SWCC student.

Creston, IA--The Creston Kiwanis Club honored four Creston High School students/graduates, who have been selected to receive the club's 2018-19 Southwestern Community College (SWCC) scholarships, at their regular meeting on Tues., May 8, 2018, at The Windrow restaurant in Creston.

The Life Point Assembly of God Church recently donated $300 to the Southwestern Community College Education Foundation for the purpose of scholarships to assist students, at the Osceola Center, who are completing the High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED).

The SWCC Education Foundation’s annual Donor-Scholar Dinner was held on the evening of Monday, Nov. 13, 2017, in the Student Center gymnasium. The evening provided a wonderful expression of gratitude for foundation donors, as well as celebration for the academic successes of the college’s students.

A team representing the Southwestern Community College athletics department golfed in the annual T-Fred Memorial Golf Tournament held on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017, at Nishna Hills Golf Club in Atlantic.

Atlantic developers Don and Austin Sonntag, grandfather/grandson duo and owners of Sonntag Development, LLC, recently donated $5,000 to Southwestern Community College’s Education Foundation to be utilized for student scholarships.  Don would like to challenge businesses and other entities in the college’s region to match the donation in order to build the number of scholarships available to Southwestern’s students.

On March 8, 2016, Ron Cain, former Southwestern Community College math instructor, donated a da Vinci XYZ model 3-D printer to the college's math and physics department.  Wade Sick, math and physics instructor, accepted the donation on behalf of the college.

Ed and Marge Naven of Creston, formerly of Lenox, donated funds for the purchase of a drone for Southwestern Community College (SWCC) in Creston to utilize for educational and marketing purposes.  The drone, a DJI Phantom 3 Professional, includes a camera giving SWCC the ability to complete aerial filming.  The Navens have been long-time supporters of the college.  

SWCC employees (L to R in photo) Lindsay Stumpff, Tracey Evans, Beth Kulow, and Kenny Namanny participated in the T-Fred Memorial Golf Tournament, in memory of former SWCC student Trevor Frederickson, on Sat., August 8, in Atlantic.

July 8, 2015, Des Moines, IOWA -  Elevate Advanced Manufacturing, a non-profit initiative spreading the word about gainful career opportunities in manufacturing, has awarded 10-$500 scholarships to recent Iowa high school graduates entering manufacturing-related courses of study at Iowa’s 15 community colleges.  Jesse Shepherd of Creston, who will attend Southwestern Community College in the fall, is one of the recipients.

Winners of the 2015 Creston Rotary Scholarships to Southwestern Community College (SWCC) were recently announced at a luncheon at Greater Regional Medical Center in Creston.  Twelve students, all either current seniors or graduates of Creston High School, were awarded $300 scholarships to the college through the Southwestern Community College Education Foundation (EF).

“The Education Foundation congratulates these outstanding recipients,” Beth Kulow, executive director of the SWCC EF stated.  “We are extremely appreciative of the continued support and generosity of the Creston Rotary.”

The Education Foundation hosted the college’s annual Donor Scholar Dinner Tues., November 4, starting at 6 p.m., in room 180 of the Instructional Center.  This event provides opportunities for the SWCC scholarship recipients to meet the donors who provided the funding for their scholarships through the college’s Education Foundation.

The Southwestern Community College Education Foundation will soon provide scholarship funding to students through the Wichhart Family Endowment.  The endowment was established by Bob and Venita Wichhart. Bob, a former Southwestern student, grew up in Creston.

Beginning fall 2014, a scholarship will be awarded annually to a nontraditional student showing financial need.  The Wichharts are excited about what these scholarships will mean to SWCC students.

On Tuesday, May 7, the Creston Kiwanis Club presented Creston High School senior Garrett Abell with the Mickey Finn Education Scholarship. 

Abell will attend college this fall at Southwestern Community College with a major in nursing.  He is the son of Scott and Mendy Abell of Cromwell.

The late-Mickey Finn was a long-time Kiwanis member and well-known Creston business owner.  Finn’s family, including his wife, Karon, established this annual scholarship through the Southwestern Community College Education Foundation to honor his memory.

Pictured at right:  Karon Finn, Education Foundation donor; Garrett Abell, Creston High School senior and scholarship recipient; and Dr. Matt Thompson, executive director of the SWCC Education Foundation.

Carol King, daughter of the late Evelyn Reed, recently established the Evelyn Reed Memorial Scholarship, through the Southwestern Community College (SWCC) Education Foundation, in memory of her mom. 

With these funds, two scholarships will be awarded to non-traditional aged SWCC students who demonstrate financial need.  Preference will be given to education majors with an interest in teaching mathematics. 

Reed was a long-time math educator in the Orient and Creston school districts and King is currently a math educator at Creston Middle School.  King was inspired to give these scholarships to help students continue their education no matter their age.

Pictured at right:  Dr. Matt Thompson, SWCC Education Foundation executive director, and Carol King, Education Foundation donor.