The Winners of the Casey State Bank Scholarship

Here at Casey State Bank, we place a high value on education. Stan and Bernice (Ber) Grotenhuis, who bought the bank in the 1960s, were the kind of parents who didn’t ask whether their kids wanted to attend college, but rather where they wanted to attend. To honor their memory, Stan and Ber’s family (their daughters and grandchildren) established the Casey State Bank Scholarship. Any graduating senior in Illinois from Casey-Westfield, Lawrenceville, Red Hill, Martinsville, Robinson, or Marshall are eligible to receive the $500 scholarship. The only requirement is that the individual furthers their education by attending a college or university and pursues a degree in business, finance, or agriculture.

That said, there are a few factors that help Casey State Bank scholarship applicants stand out. We most like to assist students going into agricultural studies, business, or finance. Stan valued all of these fields, having been a farmer and a banker. In addition to a pursuit of agricultural, business, or financial education, a proven history of community service makes the selection committee that much more likely to choose the applicant. It shouldn’t be a surprise that a community bank scholarship would have such a heavy focus on community service, though. As we say, we take pride in helping our friends and neighbors achieve their financial goals!

As you can see, the Casey State Bank scholarship is so much more than a scholarship to us. It’s an extension of our values and the pillars that this bank was founded on. The tradition that Stan started all those years ago is the tradition that we honor in granting scholarships to worthy recipients who have proven a desire to invest in their community and learn more about finance, business, or agriculture. We are proud to be part of a large agricultural community, and also enjoy sponsoring a school-based financial literacy program every year (Banzai).

We offer a scholarship from every branch that Casey State Bank calls home, and every district that serves the area. What this means is that, since Flat Rock doesn’t have a school district, we don’t give out a scholarship there, but since Lawrenceville is served by two school districts (Lawrenceville and Red Hill), we offer two scholarships at our Lawrenceville branch. Since every other branch is served by one school district, we offered one scholarship per branch.

Without further ado, we are thrilled to announce the winners of the Casey State Bank scholarship:

Casey-Westfield: Gwendalyn Eckerty

Lawrenceville: Alexandria Lee Petty

Marshall: Sara Smallwood

Martinsville: Ethan Lowry

Red Hill: Saylor Price

Robinson: Valerie Wright

We’re happy to do our part to further the education of these bright young individuals, and wish  them the best of luck going forward. Whether they choose to pursue an education in finance, business, or agriculture, Casey State Bank is committed to doing our part to make the transition from high school to college/university education a little easier. We are always looking for ways to bolster our communities and make an impact for the better.