Hope Brecht, a graduate of Belle Plaine Community High School, has been awarded the Cylinder Express Scholarship through the Iowa Grocers Education Foundation for the 2019-2020 academic year. Brecht was chosen for the $500 scholarship from an applicant pool of more than 400 students. There were 89 recipients who received scholarships totaling $160,600 this year.

IGEF scholarships are awarded to sons and daughters of full-time employees whose firms are members of the Iowa Grocery Industry Association, a state trade association that represents the food industry, including chain and independent supermarkets, convenience stores, suppliers, wholesalers, brokers, manufacturers and distributors. Young adults who work for an IGIA member company (either full-time or part-time) are eligible as well. Brecht, who is majoring in agribusiness & international agriculture and will be a freshman at Iowa State University this fall, received the Cylinder Express Scholarship as an employee of Belle Plaine Country Foods.

Scholarships are awarded based primarily upon academic achievements, extracurricular activities, community service and special recognition.

“The IGEF scholarship program provides us with an opportunity to recognize the outstanding academic achievements of individuals who have connections to the grocery industry. We are honored to help these deserving young people to obtain a college education and make their life dreams a reality,” says Michelle Hurd, president of the Iowa Grocery Industry Association. 

Scholarships are provided by an endowment fund established by the Iowa Grocers Education Foundation and its supporters.

“We are grateful to the many corporate sponsors and donors,” Hurd adds, “who participate annually in the Foundation process to make these scholarships possible.”

Since 2001, the IGEF has helped more than 1,500 youth obtain a post-secondary education, awarding 1,589 scholarships, totaling more than $2.3 million.