May 18th, 2020, Pittsgrove, NJ. Mike and Becky Iaconelli, co-founders of The Ike Foundation®, announce the recipients of the fourth annual Ike Foundation® College Scholarship Awards.
2020 brought in the largest scholarship applicant pool to date. Over 80 high school seniors from across the country with an earned GPA of at least 3.0 and a proven contribution to outdoor conservation submitted applications. Students were required to submit letters of recommendation along with their transcript and an essay that answered the following question:
‘Most foundations are started because of a personal connection. What life events relating to the outdoors have taken place for you to want to share your experience to help others? How would you create a foundation based on your own life experiences relating to the outdoors and what would your mission statement be?’
The Ike Foundation® trustees conducted a blind review of all applications and essays and scored submissions based on a pre-defined point system. Winners of The Ike Foundation® College Scholarships are:
The Ike Foundation® lost an original member of its team this year. Brenda Butenewicz shared in the vision of engaging underprivileged youth in the sport of fishing and being in the outdoors. Butenewicz was a biology teacher and passionate photographer, taking many pictures at early Ike Foundation® events. The Ike Foundation® has created The Purple Memorial Scholarship in honor of Brenda Butenwicz and her passion for biology, the outdoors and photography.
The recipient of the Purple Memorial Scholarship is Alyssa Neumann.
The nation’s COVID-19 health crisis has changed the landscape of public events, but The Ike Foundation® is committed to its mission by remaining flexible and adjusting to the current conditions.
The Ike Foundation® appreciates the generous donations from individuals and sponsors, including Toyota, Abu Garcia, Bass Cat Boats, Hobie, Yamaha, Flambeau, Rapala and many, many more. See a full list of sponsors.