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Merrills Continue Scholarship

Local residents Darwin and Becky Merrill started a scholarship at Marshalltown Community College two years ago, because they see MCC as a great asset to the area, particularly for students who cannot easily fund post-secondary education with savings, grants or scholarships. The first two years of selecting the recipients has been a rewarding experience for Becky, who reads the essays and often speaks to the applicants to get to know them.

There will be four Darwin & Becky Merrill Scholarships available for 2021-2022, with each scholarship being $2,500, which is approximately enough to pay for 12 credit hours at MCC. To be eligible, the applicants should be registering full-time at MCC, have a 3.0 GPA, be a Marshall County high school senior or graduate, and demonstrate financial need. Preference will be given to students who show interaction with their community through activities and volunteerism. The priority deadline to be considered is May 1, 2021. Review of candidates will begin at that time, and any late applications will be considered if there are not four recipients selected from the on-time applicants.

Applications are online at marshalltowncommunitycollegefoundation.org/apply, or contact your high school counselors’ office or MCC Foundation at (641) 844-5747. You will also be expected to include a transcript (may be unofficial) to show GPA, and write a short essay describing how this scholarship would be instrumental in helping you achieve your personal and employment goals.

As always, donors wishing to contribute to or establish scholarship funds are encouraged to contact MCC Foundation Executive Director Carol Geil for more information at 641-844-5747 or carol.geil@iavalley.edu. Gifts to the MCC Foundation are always tax-exempt!

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6th Annual Medina Family Scholarships Awarded

In a year that has seen a great deal of hardship for the country and particularly our derecho-ravaged community, one instance of good fortune has emerged. Through the generosity of many supporters of Alfonso Medina’s ‘No Love, No Tacos’ campaign and the Medina family businesses, this year 14 recipients will receive $500 Medina Family Scholarships, totaling $7,000 in awards!
“I am very humbled by all the support received locally, nationwide and abroad to make this possible. I want to thank everyone who has shown support by either calling us, dining-in, ordering carry-out and purchasing our No Love, No Tacos merchandise. Thanks to you all, we can continue to invest back into the community that helps keep our doors open. Keeping our money locally, while providing and easing the opportunity for students to attend our community college, and pursue higher education, has been very rewarding. Please stay safe, wear a mask, and make healthy decisions as we work together to overcome this global virus pandemic affecting us all. To support and donate to our mission and non-profit, please visit nolovenotacos.org ” Alfonso Medina, Jr. says. This scholarship is funded by two family-owned businesses in town, La Carreta Mexican Grill and El Portal Mexican Restaurant.
Recipients selected this year include Brenda Piedra, Makayla Backen, Ramon Regalado, Diana Guzman Carrillo, Citlaly Armas Duarte, Alondra Mares, Mung Piang, Grisel Chavez-Rodriguez, Weston Durman, Maritza Patricio, Darlene Smith, Alyssa Wenner, Thea Larsson, and Marisela Zamora. Students submitted essays about “What the American Dream Means to Me.”
Medina congratulated the students and told those in attendance that he insists on the essay because he loves to write and really enjoys reading the submitted essays. This year he was fortunate to be able to award so many more students than in the past, where there were two recipients chosen.

Pictured from left to right: first row Bertha Medina, Alfonso Medina, Vanessa Pérez and Marcos Medina. Second row Marisela Zamora, Citlaly Armas, Darlene Smith and Diana Guzman Carrillo. Third row: Alyssa Wenner, Ramon Regalado, Mung Piang and Weston Durman. Not pictured are Brenda Piedra, Makayla Backen, Alondra Mares, Grisel Chavez-Rodriguez, Maritza Patricio and Thea Larsson.

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Medina Family Expands Scholarships

MARSHALLTOWN – In addition to being a successful Marshalltown restaurateur, Alfonso Medina has a knack for food-based mottos. For some time now, the Medina businesses have boasted “Burritos for Books,” where a share of profits from the restaurants funds scholarships they offer at Marshalltown Community College. The Medina Family Scholarship has provided $400 to two students each year, with selection based on essays submitted on “The American Dream.”

For Medina, his American Dream is not just his business ownership, but also exercising right to free speech to bring about positive change. Following some negative comments, he used social media to proclaim #NoLoveNoTacos. Social media followers reposted and retweeted, creating something of a viral movement. From there, his business sense took over: he had t-shirts made with the #NoLoveNoTacos motto, and dedicated the proceeds to the Medina Family Scholarship. Not just a local phenomenon, orders for the shirts have come from all over the United States. His motto took off so well that Medina recently provided $4,000 toward Medina Family Scholarships at Marshalltown Community College for this year!

Any Marshalltown Community College student can be considered for a Medina Family Scholarship simply by submitting an essay on “The American Dream: What It Means To Me” to the MCC Foundation office, Room 103 on campus, or emailing the essay to Carol Geil at carol.geil@iavalley.edu. The selection process will begin soon, so submit your essay before Oct. 30 to be considered for part of $4,000 to be awarded!

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Schaudt Awarded MCC Ambassador of the Year Title

On August 15, 2017, IVCCD Chancellor Dr. Chris Duree presented the Outstanding Service Award for MCC Ambassador of the Year to Gary Schaudt, President of the Marshalltown Community College Foundation Board. The nomination read, in part:

“Gary has been steadfast in his commitment to bringing greater public awareness to both the College and the MCC Foundation’s mission for financially supporting students at MCC. Through his active involvement with the Chamber, he has continued to draw attention to MCC, including lobbying for and succeeding in getting the College included in the Marshalltown Educators Day for the first time in over 30 years. Further, he has consistently combined the message of our community college system’s importance in supporting the business community in his meetings with legislators on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce.”