Drew M. Wishon, a senior at Clarke Community High School in Osceola, has been awarded a $2,000 scholarship from the Grand Lodge of Iowa, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.
Wishon was one of 60 Iowa high school students selected to receive the scholarship from more than 650 applicants.
Iowa Masons award scholarships each year in recognition of a student’s academic performance, community activities, leadership and financial need.
Since the program’s inception in 1970, the Grand Lodge of Iowa has awarded more than $2 million in scholarships to more than 1,800 students.
This year alone $120,000 in scholarships were awarded from an endowment fund established to recognize the accomplishments of young Iowans and to promote the education of future state leaders.
At present, Wishon plans to attend South Dakota School of Mines and Engineering majoring in Civil Engineering.
His band director writes, “He is highly intelligent, diligent, hard-working, and task oriented. I also very much appreciate his integrity, honesty, and character.”
Known to be the world’s oldest fraternity, Masonry is an organization dedicated to building character among its members. Membership is open to men ages 18 and older.
There are 270 Masonic lodges in communities across the state. For more information about Freemasonry in Iowa, visit www.grandlodgeofiowa.org.