First class of John Deere Scholars at the University of Iowa honored

Quad Cities community, business and education leaders recently helped celebrate the inaugural 20-member class of University of Iowa John Deere Scholars.

Those scholars were honored this week during a dinner and formal presentation at John Deere World Headquarters in Moline.

In March, the first-ever John Deere Scholars were announced during a surprise event at the Davenport Community Schools Administrative Service Center. The partnership was first publicly announced in June 2024. 

The recipients were chosen from a pool of 41 applications from students at the Davenport high schools. Each applicant had to participate in the high school program, be accepted at the University of Iowa, submit a FAFSA application, demonstrate financial need, submit an essay, provide two letters of recommendation, and have an interview with U of I representatives. 

John Deere’s innovative $6.6 million, six-year partnership with the university and the Davenport

Community School District aims to enhance access to higher education for Davenport high school students.

The program commenced last fall with college preparatory courses tailored for any senior interested in attending college. It was offered to students at Davenport Central, North, West and MidCity high schools. Katie Licht, the program’s director at U of I, has collaborated with school counselors to deliver the courses. 

The program provides training to develop leadership skills and assists students in navigating the financial aid and admissions processes as they apply to institutions, including the U of I.

Each scholarship covers 90% of the total cost to attend the state university. The remaining 10% will be covered by additional funding sources, such as work-study. 

The program, funded by Deere, will award a total of 60 four-year scholarships to the University of Iowa over three years.

The local University of Iowa John Deere Scholars are:

• Davenport Central High School: Emma Banks, Kamryn Benson, Ava DeCook, Beckham Hughes, Ella Strader and Benie Toko.
• Davenport West: Samyr Andilog, Kahli Bradley, Alejandra Herrera, Emily Johnson, Mary Anna Le and Olivia Pizano.
• Davenport North: Cunell Burrage, Jordan Cheesman, Lizet Diaz, Morgan Hirsch, Abdur Rahmaan Howard, Abigail Johnson, Tracey Morgan and Jessica Oboh.