Scholarship Program

CONGRATULATIONS SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

It was a record setting year as more than 80 banks participated, 76 applications were received and $4,000 will be awarded in scholarship money. Half of the money is given to bank customer applicants and the remaining is given to bank employee children. A HUGE thank you goes to the independent selection committee as each application was examined, scored and considered. They had an extremely difficult task of narrowing the winners to seven.

Qualifications to receive a scholarship were: GPA of 3.0 or greater; be accepted at a Colorado college or university as a full-time student; have an account or their parents have an account at an IBC member bank for at least six months; and complete an essay question and application. An independent committee composed of IBC members and associate members selected the scholarship winners. The committee was comprised of: Steve Hogan, Vista Bank, Colorado Springs; Colleen Schwarz, The Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, Denver; David Lewien, Global Village Systems, Englewood; Dan Baker, Total Bank Technology Solutions, Denver; and Tom Menk, Menk & Associates, Wheat Ridge. Applicants were judged on their essay question response to: "What new product or service other than Internet banking should your bank offer in the future and why?" and on their academic performance, extra curricular activities, and references.

Jared Bryant, sponsored by First National Bank in Yuma received a $1,000 scholarship. Tom Hubbard, sponsored by First National Bank in Limon, Clayton Unrein sponsored by First National Bank in Fleming; Sasha Easton sponsored by the Centennial Bank in Pueblo, Adam Martin sponsored by Colorado Community Bank in Milliken, Randall Williams sponsored by Valley State Bank in Lamar; and Carolyn Houser sponsored by North Park State Bank in Walden each received $500 scholarships. The committee had such a difficult time selecting a $1,000 winner in the bank customer category, they awarded four $500 scholarships.

The scholarship application and essays will be available for review at the IBC's 28th Annual Convention at the Copper Mountain Resort in Copper Mountain, September 13 - 15, 2001. The overwhelming response to the essay questions was to educate high school students about financial responsibilities, i.e. balancing checkbooks, paying back credit card debt, how to apply for a loan, how to establish credit, how to read a credit report etc.