Two Iowa High Schoolers Win Money for College at the State Fair

Each Is Awarded $500 to Pursue Education

WEST DES MOINES, IOWA (Sept. 9, 2009) — Two Iowa high school students won $500

each for their college education through a drawing conducted by the Iowa College Access

Network®

(ICAN) at this year’s Iowa State Fair.

Emily Kratovil, a senior at Cedar Rapids Washington, and Jake Schrodt, a junior at

Martensdale-St. Mary’s, had their names drawn from nearly 1,800 entries to win the

scholarships. ICAN will distribute the money directly to their respective colleges to pay for

tuition and fees when Kratovil and Schrodt enter college.

“I just assumed a ton of people were entering. I guess I was lucky,” said Kratovil, who plans

to go into pre-med at a small liberal arts college. “[The money] will just help to pay for

college, which is so expensive; even though it’s not a ton of money, every little bit helps.”

Shrodt, who hasn’t decided on a college or major yet, shared Kratovil’s feelings. “I was

surprised and very excited [about winning],” he said.

“Both of these students are doing the right things to succeed in college,” said Juan Garcia,

manager of ICAN. “They’re both very active in their schools and communities, and they

understand the expense of a college education and are proactive about finding funds. It’s

fun to award them money to help them pursue their dreams.” Garcia added that all students who plan to continue their education after high school

shouldn’t hesitate to apply for scholarships. “More students than ever are looking for funding

for college. It’s a sign of the times. But opportunities are out there. You never know when

something as simple as dropping your name in a box at the state fair will help you.”

Students looking for college scholarships can start with the free scholarship search on

ICAN’s Web site, www.ICANsucceed.org. The site also offers plenty of advice on how to

plan for, apply to, pay for and succeed in education.