Central College has received a $50,000 distribution from the Noel Cover Foundation of Cozad, Nebraska, to support scholarships for students.

Central is one of four colleges to receive regular gifts from the foundation and the only Iowa institution represented. Since the early 1970s, Central has received $1.436 million in support from the Noel Cover Foundation’s distributions, leading to 317 scholarships for 141 students.

“We are so thankful for the longstanding relationship and support the Noel Cover Foundation has given to Central and our students,” says Sunny Gonzales Eighmy, Central’s vice president for advancement and a 1999 alumna. “This generosity goes beyond opening doors for students. It enables them to do a world of good for their communities, during their time at Central and in their lives following graduation.”

The foundation provides scholarships and loan funds to needy, deserving and promising young men who are residents of Colorado, Iowa, Wyoming or Nebraska who attend one of the following colleges: Central College (Iowa), University of Denver (Colorado), St. Olaf College (Minnesota) and Hastings College (Nebraska). Recipients must be studying in fields related to science, scientific research, mechanical engineering and craftsmanship, medicine research or social science.

The Noel Cover Foundation student scholarship recipients for 2023-24 are:

Owen Brase, Class of 2026 biology major, from Mount Vernon, Iowa.
Shale Chapel, Class of 2024 biology major, from Pella, Iowa.
Keegan De Zeeuw, Class of 2027 engineering major, from Sibley, Iowa.
Isaiah Friedrichsen, Class of 2027 biology major, from Perry, Iowa.
Robert Groves, Class of 2024 biochemistry and biology major, from Grinnell, Iowa.
Cody Hall, Class of 2024 engineering major, from Bondurant, Iowa.
Dean Kimball, Class of 2024 biology major, from Norwalk, Iowa.
Logan Linkvis, Class of 2024 engineering major, from West Des Moines, Iowa.
Grant Miller, Class of 2026 biology major, from Norwalk, Iowa.
Spencer Taylor, Class of 2026 engineering major, from Norwalk, Iowa.
Carson White, Class of 2027 engineering major, from Hampton, Iowa.
Gabriel Wilson, Class of 2024 biochemistry and biology major, from Altoona, Iowa.
Luis Velazco, Class of 2025 computer science major, from Scranton, Iowa.
Noel Cover was a farmer and rancher in the Cozad area. He and his wife, Nellie, believed in education, despite having no children. The foundation was established after Noel’s passing to benefit students. Earnings from the foundation are derived from the annual revenue generated by approximately 1,000 acres of irrigated farmland near Cozad.