Each year Central College hosts Scholar Days, where students interview with faculty and complete a group discussion, to select the new full-tuition scholarship recipients.

Top scholars are selected from students who participate in Central’s Scholar Day events held in the fall and winter of each year. The admission team reviews the students’ transcripts, academic rigor, involvement in the community and school, and their Scholar Day interview. The full-tuition recipients this year averaged a GPA of 3.967, and these students will receive the scholarship for up to four years if they maintain their academic excellence.

The incoming students who were selected for the scholarships include:

• Boaz Clark, Story City, Iowa, pursuing an elementary education major, who attended Roland-Story High School, recipient of the H.S. Kuyper Scholarship.
• Brie FitzGerald, Dallas Center, Iowa, pursuing an occupational therapy (pre-professional) major, who attended Dallas Center-Grimes High School, recipient of the Joan Kuyper Farver Scholarship.
• Delaney Hefke, Aurora, Illinois, pursuing an elementary education major, who attended Rosary High School, recipient of the P.H. Kuyper Scholarship.
• Tate Jirovsky, Grundy Center, Iowa, pursuing a law (pre-professional) major, who attended Grundy Center High School, recipient of the Pella Rolscreen Scholarship.
• Ella Jumper, Ankeny, Iowa, pursuing a strength and conditioning major, who attended Ankeny High School, recipient of the Pella Rolscreen Scholarship.
• Cody Klein, Newton, Iowa, pursuing a kinesiology major, who attended Newton High School, recipient of the Thomas Ross Smith scholarship.
• Crew Klingner, Williamsburg, Iowa, exploring major options, who attended Williamsburg High School, recipient of the Pella Rolscreen Scholarship.
• Teagen Peiffer, Ankeny, Iowa, pursuing a business management major, who attended Ankeny High School, recipient of the new Shirley and Dirk Van Zante Scholarship.
• Eli Rouse, Madrid, Iowa, pursuing an engineering major, who attended Ballard High School, recipient of the Pella Corporation Engineering Scholarship.
• Amber Timmer, San Diego, California, pursuing an accounting major, who attended Mount Carmel High School, recipient of the Pella Rolscreen Scholarship.

Peter H. Kuyper founded Rolscreen Company, known today as Pella Corporation, in 1925. Pella Corporation, the Rolscreen Foundation and the shareholder family has provided Central students with financial assistance through scholarships since 1952, supporting eight different scholarships for new incoming students this year. The scholarships include four Pella Rolscreen Scholarships, the Joan Kuyper Farver Scholarship, the P.H. Kuyper Scholarship, the H.S. Kuyper Scholarship and the Pella Corporation Engineering Scholarship.

Fred Maytag founded Maytag Company in Newton, Iowa. In 2021, the Fred Maytag Family Foundation established the Thomas Ross Smith Scholarship for students from Iowa pursuing a career in a STEM-related field. The scholarship honors an inspirational friend of the Maytag family, who also worked at the Maytag Company for decades as an electrical engineer.

The estate of Shirley and Dirk Van Zante ’52 funded this scholarship for students with a tie to Iowa. Dirk grew up in Pella, where his father, Dick Van Zante, was a lawyer. After graduating from Central, Van Zante earned a law degree in 1955 and practiced law at Van Zante and Klyn with his father. While working in Pella, Van Zante served as the Pella city attorney.