13th Annual Clifford A. Rae Winners Announced
Eighteen Buena Vista University students have been selected for the Clifford A. Rae Academic Achievement Award for the 2023 academic year.
Nine Buena Vista University business students and nine science students have been named as the 2023 Clifford A. Rae Academic Achievement Award winners. The annual awards, which can range up to $9,800, are presented to three academically high-performing BVU business and science students in each of their second, third, and fourth years of school.
These awards were created 12 years ago by two separate $750,000 endowments from the Siebens Foundation, established by Dr. Harold Walter Siebens. They are named after the longtime advisor and counsel to the Siebens Foundation, Clifford A. Rae.
The competitive program, which rewards business and science students who excel in their academic pursuits, is open to students who live in Iowa or adjacent states and meet certain financial need guidelines. Students may receive the award more than once during their time at BVU.
These awards often help students offset the personal costs associated with completing an internship or experiential learning initiative, providing them with opportunities they otherwise would not be able to experience.
The nine students who earned the award from the Harold Walter Siebens School of Business are:
Second-year winners: Halley Joel, an accounting and Spanish double-major from Stuart, Iowa; Christian Voss, a business major from Everly, Iowa; and Kiera Altwine, an accounting major from Tabor, South Dakota.
Third-year winners: Libby Birdsell, an accounting and business double-major from Sioux City, Iowa; Puritie Smith, a business major from Jolley, Iowa; and Joe Langbein, an agricultural business major from Sac City, Iowa.
Fourth-year winners: Brock Jordan, a corporate mathematics and accounting double-major from Newton, Iowa; Taylor DeMey, an accounting major from Alta, Iowa; and Lauryn Teel, a business major from Whiting, Iowa.
The nine students who earned the award from the School of Science are:
Second-year winners: Octavio Sanchez, a mathematics major from Storm Lake, Iowa; Danika Demers, a biomedical sciences and Spanish double-major from Storm Lake, Iowa; and Zachary Sigler, a rehabilitation health sciences major from Dallas Center, Iowa.
Third-year winners: Jarett Rodriguez, a biomedical sciences major from Spencer, Iowa; Olivia Grooters, an agricultural science and agricultural education double-major from Sanborn, Iowa; and Lillian Hoffman, a biology and pre-vet major from Ida Grove, Iowa.
Fourth-year winners: Abby Sorgdrager, a biology and agricultural science double-major from Cherokee, Iowa; Shekina Mwamba, a biology major from Alta, Iowa; and Vinh Nguyen, a biology and agricultural science double-major from Greenfield, Iowa.