Education

by Alaina Gebel

May 16 of this year, eight members of the Little Switzerland FFA Chapter at Waukon High School under the guidance of advisor Jessica O’Connor traveled to Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo to participate in the Northeast District Agronomy Career Development Event (CDE). The team of Alaina Gebel, Olivia Marti, Ethan Palmer and Sarah Stock brought home team champion honors with Gebel placing as the champion individual for the event. Waukon’s second agronomy team of Mallory Berns, Ethan Gibbs, Kendra Gibbs and Caleb Helgerson brought home a fourth-place finish overall out of 29 teams and 116 individuals participating in the contest.

The National FFA Organization has awarded a pair of scholarships to Waukon High School 2023 graduated senior Alaina Gebel, a member of the Little Switzerland FFA Chapter at Waukon High. Gebel plans to use the scholarship funding to pursue a degree in Agricultural Education and Agronomy at Iowa State University in Ames.

The awards include a $1,500 scholarship from Grow Ag Leaders from the Bayer Fund, and the second scholarship, in the amount of $5,000, is a part of the Robert and Pauline Wells Scholarship. The funding for the National FFA scholarship program comes from individuals, businesses and corporate sponsors to encourage excellence and enable students to pursue their educational goals. Scholarships support either two-year or four-year degrees, as well as vocational programs, and range in size from $500 to full tuition for four years.

Each year Northeast District and Iowa FFA officers plan and facilitate Chapter Officer Leadership Training (COLT) Conferences for FFA members in the Northeast District. Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo welcomed FFA chapters from all over the Northeast District Friday, June 9, including several from the Little Switzerland FFA Chapter at Waukon High School.

While at Hawkeye Community College June 9, district and state officers led four interactive workshops for FFA Chapter leaders, many of whom are officers, for the annual COLT Conference. The workshops facilitated were local FFA Chapter programs focused in the areas of advocating for the agriculture industry, connecting with stakeholders, recruiting for the local chapter, and working as a cohesive team. FFA leaders also received training relative to their specific officer duties within the local chapter.

FFA members from across the state of Iowa celebrated success when they gathered for the 95th Iowa FFA Leadership Conference April 16-18 this spring at Iowa State University’s Hilton Coliseum in Ames. The Iowa FFA State Leadership Conference is one the largest of its kind in the National FFA Organization. Various Little Switzerland FFA members from Waukon High School attended the annual conference to participate in a number of events and to also receive a variety of awards and recognition earned throughout the past year.

by Mercedes Wilkins, Chapter Reporter

April 29 of this year, members of the Little Switzerland FFA chapter at Waukon High School held their annual banquet to recognize members for their achievements over the past FFA year. They also took time to recognize the businesses and individuals who served their chapter through their time, dedication and talents.

The first award was presented to recognize members who sold fruit, meat and cheese during the chapter’s annual fruit sale last fall. The proceeds from this sale are used to fund various activities that FFA members participate in throughout the year. Second-place fruit seller was Dalton Ellickson and first-place seller was Alaina Gebel.

by Brianne Grimstad

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Board of Directors met for its regular monthly meeting Monday, June 19 in the Waukon High School cafeteria. Board member Brent Beyer was absent.

Under the Consent Agenda, the board approved the following personnel: Tim Bulman, volunteer middle school football coach; Kate-Leigh Wilson, volunteer cheer coach; Edwin Frick, assistant varsity boys basketball coach; Steve Welper, bus driver; Sofia Acosta and Dallas Howe as elementary paraprofessionals; an increase in hours for elementary paraprofessionals Carrie Etten, Amanda Willoughby and Stephanie Iverson; and Katrina Collins, Kindergarten teacher. The board accepted the following resignations: Paul Farley, bus driver; Ed Wikan, bus driver; and Clint Miller, SPED route driver.

Student loans are often in the headlines, but the most important information for families with college students is knowing how student loan options compare to each other, according to an Iowa nonprofit loan provider.

“We always encourage students to use savings and earnings, and other financial aid options like grants, scholarships and work-study, before borrowing,” said Steve McCullough, president and CEO of Iowa Student Loan (ISL) Education Lending. “Once those options are exhausted, families should consider federal loans for students and private loans offered by nonprofits like ISL Education Lending.”

For families that will have a new college freshman next year, there is never a bad time to look for scholarships that will help offset the cost of furthering a family member’s education. Scholarships are considered “gift aid,” meaning that they do not need to be repaid at a later date. Some are one-time awards that can be used while a family’s college savings continues to grow; others are renewable as long as the student remains eligible within the qualification guidelines of the particular scholarship.

There will always be a need for skilled people to do electrical work, professional and safe wiring for homes, businesses, rental properties and public infrastructure. Two programs at Northeast Iowa Community College - Commercial/Residential Electrician and Industrial Electrician - provide students with the training and knowledge needed to thrive in this critical industry.

As part of their learning, students in the programs cross-train with Carpentry students each year to construct a new house in the community from foundation to roofing and finish work. The experiential learning integrated into the program provides many of the best real-world, hands-on lessons, said Reilly Reader, a May 2019 Industrial Electrician graduate.

by Christine Hensley, Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation Board Chair

After high school graduation, your student will face many new experiences beyond academics and social situations. At Iowa Student Loan (ISL) Education Lending, we know that preparation for the next step helps students increase their chances of graduation, finding a job and successfully repaying any student loans.

1. Plan for medical emergencies. Parents may not have access to health information or be able to make medical decisions for incapacitated students who are 18 or older, no matter who carries the insurance and pays the bills. You may want to have your student properly complete, sign and have notarized official medical power of attorney and medical information release forms that you can easily access in case of emergency. In addition, your child should understand when to self-treat, visit a clinic or specialist, or go to the emergency room.