Scholarship The Iowa Onsite Wastewater Association offers scholarships to a high school senior wanting to attend a college or a trade school on a part-time or full-time basis OR a student attending college or a trade school on a part-time or full-time basis now. You are eligible if you are a student and employed by an IOWWA member firm or related to an IOWWA member firm employee and attending or planning on attending a college NOW. The application for the 2013 school year can be downloaded from the "Documents & Files section of this page. The filing deadline is April 15, 2012. If you prefer that the application be emailed to you, please email shirley@avinsandinc.com.
All applications MUST include the following to be considered for the Scholarship:
1) Completed Application
2) Letters of Recommendation
3) School Transcripts
4) Photo of Yourself
Seven students with connections to IOWWA received $500.00 scholarships for the 2011-2012 academic year. They are Melissa Arkfeld of Panama; Jenna Bird of Adel, Maria Deike of Plainfield; Nick Hennessy of New Hampton; Nathan Harthoorn of Pella; Jeffrey Schmidt of Oxford and Zachary Toben of Parkersburg.
While $5.00 of member dues goes directly into the scholarship program, the following people and companies have made special donations this year to enable IOWWA to honor additional students.
Randy Liddle, Liddle-Ebert Ltd. Farm Drainage of Plainfield
Kendall and Natalie Moorman, Moorman Construction, Inc. of Baxter in memory of their son Jake
Steve Whitaker, Municipal Supply of Des Moines |
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Melissa Arkfeld - Melissa is a 2011 graduate of Harlan Community High School, where she maintained a 3.15 GPA while taking such classes as college accounting, introduction to entrepreneurship and general chemistry. She’s been active for four years in groups that include Student Council, Key Club and Best Buddies, and she played a key role in her school group performing at the most recent national gathering of Business Professionals of America (BPA). As a volunteer she’s been involved in service projects for Meals on Wheels, Open Door Mission, trash collection, church efforts and making and delivering gifts to hospitalized children. Melissa is the daughter of Shirley and Jayme Arkfeld of Panama. Jayme’s plumbing company is Arkfeld Water Services. Since 2007 Melissa has worked 10 hours per week for that firm and averaged 20 hours per week working in Panama at Norma Jean’s as a cook, waitress and dishwasher. Her references exclaim about her work ethic, character, integrity and passion to make herself—and the world— better. She will attend AIB College of Business in Des Moines.
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Jenna Bird - After one year of studying at Iowa State University, Jenna Bird is maintaining a 3.24 GPA and majoring in apparel merchandising, design and production. She also added child and family services as a second major. A 2010 graduate of Adel-Desota-Minburn High School and a recipient of a 2010 IOWWA scholarship winner, Jenna is the first person to be honored with a second-year scholarship from the association. She is the daughter of Sally and Chad Bird of Adel and the granddaughter of Doug Bird, sanitarian in Bremer County and IOWWA past president. At ISU Jenna is part of Lyrica, a women’s choir, and has taken Tai Kwon Do for the first time. This summer she spent two months in Israel on a mission trip with Reign Ministries. Jenna wasn’t employed during her freshman year in order to concentrate on her studies, but when home she continued to work at Dahl’s, her employer during high school. She hopes to be working at Dahl’s new store in Ames during her sophomore year. |
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Maria Deike - Non-traditional student Maria Deike is the single mother of a six-year-old. She enrolled in Upper Iowa University in January of 2010 and plans to graduate in the spring of 2012. Life and a “roller coaster…of work experiences” have focused Maria on a helping-profession job in the social work or the human services field. Eventually she would like to pursue a master’s degree in counseling. A 1999 graduate of Plainfield High School who attended Kirkwood Community College for two years, Maria performed active duty in the Army from 2002 to 2005. She worked for two years of Dietz Construction in Nashua (2006-2008) and a year for Coca-Cola Enterprises in Mason City (2008-2009). Since 2006 she has been in the Iowa National Guard as a Sergeant E-5 in charge of the welding section of the unit; Maria earned her welding certification in 2002. She has been involved in cleanup and relief services following natural disasters in Charles City (2007 blizzard), Waterloo, Oskaloosa (both 2008 flooding) and Parkersburg (2008 tornado). The daughter of Mary Ann and Kenn Deike (Deike Excavating in Plainfield), Maria has been working for her father’s firm for two years as a ditch guide and skid loader operator. She also has held organizational and secretarial responsibilities.
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Nathan Harthoorn - At the age of eight, Nathan Harthoorn began learning the value of teamwork, staying organized and building a reputation as a reliable, trustworthy and diligent worker—all at Pella Precast Products, Inc., the business of his parents, Krista and Steve Harthoorn. In the office, his mother would busy him with tasks appropriate for his age, and when she would find him daydreaming, she’d ask how his work was going. “I would untruthfully respond that it was going well, but truthfully I was hardly getting much done,” says Nathan. Over the years of working with his parents, Nathan learned the importance of working hard, following directions, and thinking ahead on the job site “because that makes things run more smoothly and gets projects done more efficiently.” Nathan also spent time working at his grandfather’s DeKalb and Asgrow seed distribution business and for the past few years, working Saturdays for Van Maanen Electric, Inc. in Sully.
A 2011 graduate of Lynnville-Sully High School with 3.022 GPA, Nathan is studying marine biology at Iowa State University this fall. And, no surprise after years of being on the job and going to school, he plans to work part time to help pay for school.
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Nick Hennessy - With his eye on construction engineering degree and a specialty in mechanical engineering, Nick Hennessy is enrolled at Iowa State University this fall. A 2011, 4.0 graduate of New Hampton High School – number one in his class, Nick’s been president of the National Honor Society and Business Achievement Club; a sports’ letterman who’s participated in football (Iowa Football Coaches Association academic all-state team, Class 2A), basketball and golf; and a participant in American Legion Hawkeye Boys State. Since 2008 he has worked as a plumber’s assistant at Mick Gage Plumbing and Heating for five hours a week during the school year and 45 to 50 hours in the summer. Nick says he’s received many forms of education—beyond HVAC, plumbing and septic systems—and noted the time he snapped a jack on a trailer and “expected an earful.” But Gage simply told him that if he was working then he would be making mistakes. It was a lesson in being a responsible, hardworking and respectable person. “I think that was one of the most important things I have learned,” says Nick, the son of Kim and Ralph Hennessy. Ralph is a dispatcher for Mick Gage Plumbing and Heating in New Hampton.
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Jeffrey Schmidt - Loras College student Jeffrey Schmidt of Oxford is the son of Michele and Charles Schmidt. Charles is an environmental consultant at VSP Engineering in Coralville and IOWWA vice president. Working as a seasonal onsite wastewater assistant at VSP Engineering from 2005 to 2009, Jeffrey participated in soil analysis and site evaluations for onsite residential services. A 2009 graduate of Clear Creek-Amana High School, Jeffrey is starting this third year at Loras, where he is majoring in criminal justice. He also is a hard-working member and leader of the track and field team. Jeffrey’s high school, college and work references describe his excellent work ethic, giving personality, commitment to success, maturity and respect for others. During the school year Jeffrey is an Aramark kitchen worker at Loras and this summer is a teacher assistant at Graceland Daycare in Tiffin. He will be in the Marine Corps as a Lieutenant for at least four years after graduation; he then plans to be a teacher or a police officer. Jeffrey is financing his education through a Loras grant, the U.S. Military, student loans, work/study program and now, a scholarship from IOWWA.
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Zachary Toben - The number one graduate of the 2011 class at Aplington-Parkersburg High School is IOWWA scholarship winner Zachary Toben, son of Kevin (Toben Drainage, LLC) and Jill Toben. Zach also received a Distinguished Scholar Award from the University of Northern Iowa, the Constantine Curris Award and fund from the Aplington-Parkersburg Dollars for Scholars program. He is majoring in computer science this fall at UNI and would like to put his degree—and maybe a master’s degree—to work in his home state. Zach, who was secretary of his school’s National Honor Society and past president of the Bethel Lutheran Youth Group, also was captain of the football squad and a member of the all-state football team (Class 1A). In his frontline personnel position at Iowa State Bank since April, 2009, Zach has worked up to 10 hours a week during the school year and up to 25 in the summer. He’s praised as responsible, intelligent and personable, as well as able to maintain customer satisfaction and having a gift of creativity. “I’ve learned how to deal with all kinds of people in an appropriate manner,” says Zach. He also has averaged 10 to 20 hours of summer employment as a laborer with Toben Drainage, LLC. That job has taught him a variety of skills, including working with concrete and installing septic systems. His father says, “From an early age he has always wanted to invent things and learn how things work.”
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