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Congratulations 2024 Bright Scholars

Recipients of the Bright Scholars of Iowa, Lois Dale Bright Scholarship, and Bright Scholars Persistence awards.

About the Scholarships

The Bright Foundation funds renewable, last dollar college scholarships covering the full cost of attendance so that recipients have the financial means to graduate on-time, debt-free, prepared to launch careers and give back. Recipients are all high-achieving Iowa high school graduates attending one of the three state universities and must also meet income guidelines. For more information, learn about our scholarships here.

2024 Recipients

Abdisalan "Sudais" Ahmed

Lois Dale Bright Scholar

Iowa State University

Ella Bandy

Bright Scholars of Iowa

University of Iowa

Lexie Bingham

Lois Dale Bright Scholar

University of Iowa

Jessica Burgett

Bright Scholar of Iowa

University of Iowa

Jennifer Cardenas-Hernandez

Lois Dale Bright Scholar

University of Iowa

Clayton Davis

Bright Scholar of Iowa

Iowa State University

Grace Davis

Bright Scholar of Iowa

University of Northern Iowa

Lizbeth Gonzalez Jaramillo

Lois Dale Bright Scholar

University of Northern Iowa

Joanna Guerrero

Bright Scholar of Iowa

University of Iowa

Natalia Guerra-Ceron

Lois Dale Bright Scholar

Iowa State University

Ella Gunn

Bright Scholar Persistence

University of Northern Iowa

Levi Hodge

Bright Scholar of Iowa

University of Northern Iowa

Melanie Ites

Bright Scholar of Iowa

Iowa State University

Amaal Jama

Lois Dale Bright Scholar

University of Iowa

Kimberlin Karnga

Lois Dale Bright Scholar

University of Iowa

Jazmin Maceda

Lois Dale Bright Scholar

University of Iowa

Aleesha Mascarenas

Bright Scholar of Iowa

University of Northern Iowa

Aaron Marino-Moreno

Lois Dale Bright Scholar

Iowa State University

Kethia Mulonda

Lois Dale Bright Scholar

University of Iowa

Fardowsa Mohamed

Lois Dale Bright Scholar

University of Iowa

Penni Owings

Bright Scholar of Iowa

University of Northern Iowa

Shivam Patel

Bright Scholar of Iowa

Iowa State University

Carlos Perez

Bright Scholar Persistence

Iowa State University

Kevin Perez

Lois Dale Bright Scholar

Iowa State University

Abigail Pint

Bright Scholar of Iowa

University of Iowa

Tae'Shaun Presswood

Bright Scholars Persistence

University of Northern Iowa

Alyssa Stille

Bright Scholar of Iowa

University of Iowa

Gianna Schwartz

Bright Scholar of Iowa

University of Northern Iowa

Garrett Thompson

Bright Scholar of Iowa

Iowa State University

Evan Thul

Bright Scholar of Iowa

Iowa State University

Linda Van Sui Dim

Lois Dale Bright Scholar

University of Iowa

MinhUyen Vo

Lois Dale Bright Scholar

University of Iowa

Isabelle Yoder

Bright Scholar of Iowa

University of Iowa

“I am and always will be eternally grateful for what you have done for me and what you’ve done for others. It’s truly amazing how two special people, Lois and Dale Bright, could be so generous in helping others out. I truly aspire to be like them, giving out of generosity and expecting nothing in return. As college rolls on, I get more and more excited to become a teacher of mathematics, not just to teach young adults math, but also to challenge and aspire them to be better people. Without your help though, I am not sure any of that would be possible. For that, I am truly thankful. For now though, I will continue on in college, doing the best I possibly can do and doing my best to represent the Bright Foundation well. Thank you for all you do again, and God Bless.”

“As I finish my sophomore year, I am grateful that I have received the Bright Scholarship to help me achieve my goals. My grades have been good and I am proud that I’ve been making Dean’s List. I attended the Engineering job fair to target companies for a summer internship. After being offered two, I chose Nutra Flo, a liquid fertilizer manufacturer in South Dakota. I’m excited to see what I will learn and how much I know out in the real world of Mechanical Engineering. Thank you again for awarding me the Bright Scholarship. Thanks to the Bright Foundation, I have been able to attend ISU without the burden of deep financial indebtedness. It has allowed me to experience ISU but most importantly, I have been able to study in order to do well in my classes. It is because of the Brights — they had a vision to help young people in Iowa achieve higher education. I am excited to be a part of that vision.”

“My first year in college has been amazing. I was able to get involved with intramural sports, Iowa Wishmakers and Dance Marathon because you took the financial burden off my back and allowed for me to get the most out of my college experience. I’ve been able to focus on school and not worry about working which has allowed me to get the most out of my education. I was also able to fulfill one of my dreams before going to college; I was able to pay for a child’s Make-A-Wish trip to Disney World with my graduation money because of your generosity and covering the expenses of my education. This first year has been great and I cannot wait for the next three years. Thank you Bright Scholars of Iowa!”

“The most valuable part of being a Bright Scholar was experiencing college from a different perspective. I am so grateful for every opportunity and position I was able to hold because I had nothing to worry about and could truly enjoy every moment. Having the freedom to get involved allowed me to further my professional development and give back to the college and community, things I would not have been able to do if I didn’t have the scholarship.”

“I’m a student at DMACC and this award is extremely helpful and appreciated. All this past semester, I’ve been working and going to school while barely making it by. This award will give me the chance to focus on school more. I am so honored to receive it and I am so thankful there are people like you to help college students, like myself, out. I plan on finishing up school and becoming an elementary teacher. The scholarship will help me get one step closer to that goal!”

“During college, the Bright Scholarship allowed me to focus on school instead of working multiple jobs to stay afloat. In my three years since college, the same has been true – instead of being forced to worry about accepting any job just to pay my student loans, I’ve been able to chase (and land) my dream job!”