$80,000 in scholarships to 20 Minnesota students represents 30% program increase 

Twenty students with a wide variety of backgrounds from across Minnesota earned a cumulative $80,000 in scholarships offered by the Affinity Plus Foundation, awarded this month. The amount given represents a 30% increase over the Foundation’s 2023 program.

Grace Tobin, a scholarship recipient who studies Secondary Math Education at Mankato State, hopes to eventually become a teacher and a role model to the next generation. 

“My dream is to be an inspiration to girls and other minorities to pursue STEM education,” Tobin said. "Without a doubt, this scholarship will play a key role in achieving my educational dreams. Scholarships like this allow me more time to focus on my studies, and less time worrying about how to pay for school.”

The Affinity Plus Foundation is an independent grant-making foundation affiliated with Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union. Its overall giving has increased substantially in recent years, as it has engaged members and partners in its mission.

“Higher education opens doors – not just for individuals, but for entire communities,” said Paige Comer, who manages the scholarship program. “Education is a great equalizer for financial inclusion and success; at the Affinity Plus Foundation, we’re passionate about supporting our student members in their educational journeys.” 

College students who are primary members of Affinity Plus are eligible for the scholarship program. The scholarships of $4,000 each were awarded to each student to assist with tuition and books for the 2024-25 school year. 

Winners include (listed by hometown community, with college/university in parenthesis): 

Alexandria:

Allen Jaeger from Hastings, MN (Alexandria Technical and Community College)

Bemidji: 

Catherine LeMay from Bemidji, Minn. (Winona State University)

Haley McCoy from Bemidji, MN (Bemidji State University)

Duluth:

Alicia Shambour from Duluth, MN (University of Minnesota Duluth) 

Jacob Herstad from Duluth, MN (Lake Superior College)

Grand Rapids:

Paige Jacobson from Grand Rapids, MN (Bemidji State University)

Hastings:

Jaylen Hanson from Hastings, MN (University of Utah)

Lakeville:

Abigail Walsh from Lakeville, MN (University of St. Thomas)

Mankato:

Grace Tobin from Mankato, MN (Minnesota State University Mankato)

Josphine Ankrah from Ghana (Minnesota State University Mankato)

Minneapolis:

Sophia Handzel from Minneapolis, MN (University of Minnesota Twin Cities)

Moorhead: 

Olani Tesgera, originally from Ethiopia (Minnesota State University Moorhead)

Laween Al-Sulaivany, originally from Iraq (Minnesota State University Moorhead)

New Hope:

Cherubim Toby from New Hope, MN (University of Minnesota Twin Cities)

Samuel Lanners from New Hope, MN (University of Minnesota Crookston)

Rochester:

Madysen Diskerud from Rochester, MN (Winona State University)

Roseville:

Jacqueline Hayden from Roseville, MN (University of Wisconsin River Falls)

SoMyung Kim from Roseville, MN (William Carey University)

St. Cloud:

Anthony Amoako from Ghana (St. Cloud State University)

Samriddhi Bista from Nepal (St. Cloud State University)

The Affinity Plus Foundation is dedicated to ending cycles of financial inequity. By focusing on housing stability, financial wellbeing, food security and access to education, the organization invests in various programs and initiatives to build stronger local communities across Minnesota. In addition to its scholarship program, the foundation supports students through its sponsorship of a philanthropy center in Junior Achievement North’s JA BizTown center, an experiential learning lab that combines classroom learning with an active simulation to help students master financial skills.