Cultivate Power, Generate Capital pledge $150,000 for BHC scholarship
Black Hawk College students from Mercer County benefit from a new scholarship created by a $150,000 pledge from Cultivate Power, a solar farm development company, and Generate Capital, a sustainable investment and operating company.
Pictured: Greg Ryckaert, Zenaida Landeros, Veronica Moffitt, Kiera Gavin, Dr. Jeremy Thomas, Annette Essary, Robert Essary, Dalton Nyman and David Dyer
“When completed, the Goldenrod Solar Project will provide access to solar energy for Mercer County area businesses and residents, and this scholarship is an opportunity for us to support the community in another way,” said Kiera Gavin, senior development manager for Cultivate Power.
Earlier this year, Cultivate Power donated $10,000 to endow a new Goldenrod Solar Scholarship for students at the college’s Quad-Cities Campus. Next year, an endowment will be established for students at the college’s East Campus.
Cultivate Power also donated $2,500 so two students could each receive a scholarship of $1,250 for Fall 2024.
The first recipients are Sandra Avila of Viola, an East Campus student pursuing an Associate in Applied Science-Agribusiness Management, and Veronica Moffitt of Aledo, a Quad-Cites Campus student pursuing an Associate in Science.
After earning her degree, Moffitt intends to pursue a bachelor’s degree and work in health care. “I want to use the scholarship to further my education to help the communities around us. By working in the medical field, I am able to achieve that goal,” Moffitt wrote in her scholarship application.
After earning her degree, Avila plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree and work in the agriculture industry. “I had really good role models,” Avila wrote in her scholarship application. “And I plan on making my mentors and parents proud that I will do great things in the future because of them.”
Generate owns and will operate the 39-acre solar farm north of Viola, developed by Cultivate Power. In the future, Generate will fund the future installments of the Goldenrod Solar Scholarship which may be used for tuition, fees, books and other educational expenses. Eligible recipients must reside in Mercer County, with preference given to students pursuing studies in agriculture or STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields.
“We are thrilled to partner with Cultivate Power and Generate Capital in providing this transformative scholarship for Mercer County students,” Dr. Jeremy Thomas, president of Black Hawk College. “Thanks to their generous gift, Mercer County students will have greater access to higher education at both our Quad-Cities and East campuses,” he said.
The remainder of the $150,000 donation will be donated over 12 years to the college’s two foundations. Students from both campuses are eligible for the Goldenrod Solar Scholarship.
“We recognize many students from Mercer County attend both Black Hawk College campuses to further their education, and we are excited to be supporting students on that journey,” Gavin said.
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