May 5, 2010
Scholarships and Mini-Grants awarded to students and teachers
ANKENY, IOWA (Wednesday, May 5, 2010) – Six Prairie Trail residents will each be awarded the first installment of their $10,000 scholarship to attend a college of their choice. In addition, two Ankeny High School students will be awarded $1,000 scholarships to attend college. Dennis Albaugh, president of D.R.A Properties, L.C., and developer of the Prairie Trail community has established the Prairie Trail Scholarship Fund that provides funds for residents of Prairie Trail to pursue a higher education. Albaugh and his wife Susan will present the scholarships at a special ceremony held at 5:30 PM at Dean Park Shelter in the Prairie Trail Community.
“The members of the Prairie Trail Community recognize the value of investing in the education of youth in our state and opening their eyes to the opportunities in Iowa,” said Albaugh, a 1970 DMACC graduate. “Education is an important part of every person’s life and we look forward to building on the education these students receive. I am proud to be a part of such a fine program and watching the successes of the 2010 recipients.”
Chad Ryan, a current student at Wheaton College and resident of the Prairie Trail community will accept a scholarship along with neighborhood resident and University of Iowa sophomore Jonathan Dahlman. Emilie Katter, a student at UNI, and Abigail Archer, currently a student at DMACC in Ankeny, and Anna Archer a student at Hawkeye Community, will receive their scholarships alongside Courtney Ryan, an Iowa State grad and substitute teacher working on a masters degree. Two Ankeny High School students, Elle Wignall and Katherine Hermann, will also receive $1,000 scholarships from Prairie Trail Scholarship Fund.
Through the Prairie Trail Scholarship initiative, students who live within the Prairie Trail Community, under development just northwest of DMACC’s Ankeny Campus, receive first priority for scholarship funds; however any students who attends a high school in Ankeny that wish to enroll in an Iowa-based college or university are eligible to apply.
To support education in Ankeny, the fund will also award two separate mini-grants to Ankeny Community School District and Ankeny Christian Academy. The mini-grants are funded up to $2,500 per grant, and will support initiatives in the classroom to enhance student academic performance or unique programming in the district.
Prairie Trail is a 1,000-acre planned community located in Ankeny, Iowa. It’s a tapestry of diverse and distinctive homes, tree-lined streets, and neighborhood stores, nearby offices, schools, parks and greenbelts. At the center of Prairie Trail will be situated a traditional town square, including a variety of restaurants, retail boutiques and businesses, surrounding a central park and amphitheater. Prairie Trail will afford a variety of complementary housing options designed to create a vibrant, energetic community. For further details, go to www.prairietrailankeny.com.
The Prairie Trail Scholarship Fund is a unique opportunity to benefit the residents of the neighborhood and schools in Ankeny. The fund, established through the generosity of Dennis & Susan Albaugh and administered by the DMACC Foundation, demonstrates the family’s commitment to education and to the community of Ankeny. Scholarship applicants will be eligible for a maximum lifetime award of $10,000. Preference will be given to students who reside in the Prairie Trail Development, as well as to those students who choose an institution based in Iowa. Additionally, mini-grants for academic performance will be available for educators teaching in an Ankeny school. Mini-grants will be a maximum of $2,500 per award. Funding for the scholarship program is generated by a 1/2 of 1% fee on the transfer of all real property within Prairie Trail. The Albaugh Family committed $100,000 as the initial deposit into the fund and with additional contributions the fund has grown to over $210,366. As real estate continues to transfer in this area, the fund will become self-sustainable.