Every Tuesday and Thursday night, long after the downtown traffic quieted and the cleaning crews made their final rounds, she would sit in a quiet student lounge at the UIU–Des Moines Center, her laptop and notes spread open like a map to a future she refused to give up on.

By day, she worked full-time as a bookkeeper. By evening, she was a mother of two. And once the kids had gone to bed, she was a student, determined, exhausted, and unwavering.

What she didn’t have was financial breathing room.

Her car needed repairs. Childcare costs climbed. Tuition deadlines loomed. More than once, she considered postponing her degree “just for a semester.” But she knew what that usually meant. A pause can quietly become an ending.

That’s where the UIU–Des Moines Center Scholarship Fund can change the story.

This scholarship was created for deserving, driven individuals pursuing their education near the UIU–Des Moines Center while balancing work, family, and community commitments. It recognizes not just academic promise, but courage. Not just grades, but grit.

These are the type of students who, when selected, the scholarship won't solve everything, but it will solve enough. Enough to fix the car. Enough to reduce her work hours slightly during finals. Enough to breathe.

The impact of the scholarship will ripple far beyond tuition assistance. It will strengthen confidence. It will remind them they were seen. And it will ensure that our Des Moines community will soon gain another compassionate, highly trained accounting professional.

The UIU–Des Moines Center Scholarship Fund is more than financial aid. It is an investment in central Iowa's workforce. It is support for nontraditional learners, first-generation students, working adults, veterans, and parents who are determined to finish what they started at Upper Iowa University.

By piloting this initiative with UIU–Des Moines, we are planting a seed locally. One that will grow into stronger families, stronger businesses, and a stronger community in Central Iowa.

Every scholarship awarded tells a story:

A promotion earned. A cycle broken. A dream fulfilled.

And in the quiet student lounge at the UIU–Des Moines Center, long after the lights dim, those stories are just getting started.

Your support doesn’t just fund a student.

It funds a future.