Shelby Bleeker Chosen for Achievement Award at Buena Vista University

Nine Buena Vista University (BVU) business majors have been selected for the Clifford A. Rae Academic Achievement Award for the 2011 calendar year, including Shelby Bleeker, a management major from Apple Valley.

The awards - which range up to $5,000 - were created by a $750,000 endowment from the foundations established by Dr. Harold Walter Siebens and named after the long-time advisor and counsel to Siebens and the foundations.

"Our Clifford A. Rae winners are among the most talented students at BVU," says Dr. Liz Throop, interim dean of the Harold Walter Siebens School of Business. "They exemplify intellectual excellence, hard work, and creativity. The entire Siebens School of Business faculty are very proud of the recipients of these awards and know that they will do us proud."

The endowment supports annual awards for three pre-qualified, academically high-performing BVU business majors in each of the second, third and fourth years of school - a total of nine students per year. The program is distributing $30,000 in awards this year.

The competitive program, which rewards business majors who excel in their academic pursuits, is open to students who live in Iowa or adjacent states and who qualify for financial aid. Students may receive the award more than once during their years at BVU.

In addition to academic excellence, the program encourages quality learning experiences for students outside the classroom, such as internships, study abroad, international and domestic travel during BVU's January interim, and costs of academic research. Fourth-year students can also use the funds for graduate school applications, entrance/exam costs or professional certification. Upon graduation, students can also use remaining Award funds to help pay down student loans.