Willmar, Minn. – The Willmar Area Community Foundation (WACF), in conjunction with CommunityGiving, is pleased to announce the scholarship recipients for this 2025-2026 school year. Through 14 scholarship funds, collectively $95,2000 was awarded to 59 students to support their post secondary education.
“Scholarships show students that our community believes in their abilities and is invested in their success. Thanks to our donors, financial support opens doors to education and helps students achieve their dreams,” said Sara Carlson, Executive Director of the WACF.
Scholarship applications open on December 1 for the following year and can be found at www.communitygiving.org/apply-for-scholarships.
The following students received scholarships:
Jennie-O Golden Excellence Scholarship Fund ($6,000 each):
- Allyson Adrian, Albany High School
- Anessa Redepenning, Melrose Area High School
Willmar Civic Scholarship Association: Dorothy Brown Scholarship Fund ($10,000 each):
- Avery Jo Olson, Willmar High School
- Ella Wilson, Willmar High School
Harold E. Bjur Scholarship Fund ($2,000 each):
- Marcus Forsythe, ACGC High School
- Caleb Petersen, ACGC High School
- Brooke Schultz, ACGC High School
Dorothy Timm Meili Scholarship Fund ($1,000 each):
- Ingrid Bunn, Willmar High School
- Brandon Escalon-Valladares, Willmar High School
Marv Otto Scholarship Fund ($1,000 each):
- Aaliyah Carlson, ACGC High School
- Jesus Posada, ACGC High School
- Kayla Reuss, New London-Spicer High School
Virginia Grussendorf Memorial Scholarship Fund:
- Corah Meschke, Walker-Hackensack-Akeley High School ($1,500)
- Ella Noyes, Moorhead High School ($700)
Dr. Austin and Muriel McCarthy Family Scholarship ($1,000):
- Braeden Fagerlie, Willmar High School
Kandiyohi County Farm Bureau Scholarship Fund ($1,000):
- Allison VanNurden, New London-Spicer High School
Josh Palke Scholarship Fund ($1,000 each):
- Samantha Andol, MACCRAY High School
- Tobyn Dalle, MACCRAY High School
- Ryan Marcus, MACCRAY High School
New London-Spicer Alumni Scholarship Fund ($1,000):
- Abbigail Knudsen, New London-Spicer High School
Adams Family Scholarship Fund ($1,000 each):
- Marcus Forsythe, ACGC High School
- Mackenzie Powers, ACGC High School
- Brooke Schultz, ACGC High School
Adams Educational Foundation Scholarship Fund ($1,000 each):
- Annie Mathison, Willmar High School
- Luke McCleary, Willmar High School
- Aundreya Munoz, Willmar High School
- Perla Ocampo, Willmar High School
- Isaiah Vazquez, Willmar High School
Elaine M. Adams Scholarship Fund ($1,000 each):
- Lucas Anderson, Willmar High School
- Karina Diaz, Willmar High School
- Brandon Escalon-Valladares, Willmar High School
- Zakaria Farah, Willmar High School
- Lidia Herrejon, Willmar High School
- Lily Isaacson, Willmar High School
- Samantha Mejia, Willmar High School
- Aundreya Munoz, Willmar High School
- Vince Nacabuan, Willmar High School
- Moo So, Willmar High School
Jennie-O Continuing Education Scholarship Fund ($1,000 each):
- John Adascheck, Cumberland High School (WI)
- Adna Ali, Faribault High School
- Dahir Ali, Faribault High School
- Marissa Alonzo, Willmar High School
- Eden Andres, Pierz Healy High School
- Aubrea Bloom, Detroit Lakes High School
- Gisel Chavez, Pelican Rapids High School
- Anthony Checco de Souza, De Souza Academy (Pelican Rapids)
- Nayeli Diaz, Pelican Rapids High School
- Safia Diriye, Faribault High School
- Kaafiyo Hassan, Barron High School (WI)
- Rashid Ibrahim, Faribault High School
- Ayanle Ibrahim, Faribault High School
- Mohamed Ibrahim, Faribault High School
- Tucker Johnson, ACGC High School
- Cadence Loftus, Barron High School (WI)
- Karlee Mace, Detroit Lakes High School
- Hunter Moore, Swanville High School
- Lily Peterson, Swanville High School
- Jennifer Raya Berrera, Sauk Centre High School
- Kayla Reuss, New London-Spicer High School
- Cooper Roering, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa High School
- Yoselyn Urbano Moreno, Pelican Rapids High School
- Melany Villagomez, Pelican Rapids High School
- Aronrankisy Yel, Faribault High School
- Hailey Zavala, Pelican Rapids High School
The Willmar Area Community Foundation (WACF) attracts and administers charitable funds for the benefit of the local Willmar area. Since 1998, WACF has grown to $33.3 million in assets and awarded $18.3 million in grants to nonprofits. The WACF is governed by a local board of directors and is a partner of CommunityGiving, which is a network of community foundations united under a single framework to create efficiencies that maximize the impact of our donors. Collectively, CommunityGiving administers over 1,300 funds totaling over $283 million in assets. Learn more at CommunityGiving.org/Willmar.