How one scholarship helped turn ambition into impact

When Shae TeGrotenhuis was in high school, she knew what she wanted to do. She just wasn’t sure how she would afford it.

“When I was a student in high school, I was very concerned about paying for college,” she said.

Shae worked throughout high school, saving what she could, but the cost of higher education and the graduate degree required for her chosen field felt daunting. That changed when she received the Pat Adams Scholarship through the Pat Adams Scholarship Fund, a fund held with the Floyd County Community Foundation, a local foundation of the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa.

Established through Pat Adams’ will and shaped by her passion for education and the Charles City community, the scholarship continues to support local students as they pursue their goals, providing students $60,000 over four years.

“When I received the scholarship, it really helped ease my mind so that I could pursue the degree I wanted,” Shae said.

The support did more than cover costs. It created a path forward. To become a speech pathologist, Shae needed both an undergraduate degree and a master’s degree, a commitment that can feel out of reach for many students.

“The scholarship paved the way for me to pursue my career,” she said.

Without that support, the path may have looked very different. Instead, Shae was able to continue her education without overwhelming debt, allowing her to focus on learning and building her future.

“It gave me a lot of ease in my heart. I could focus on my education rather than financially supporting myself,” she said.

Today, Shae is a licensed speech pathologist and serves as a clinical supervisor, helping guide students as they build their own skills and confidence.

“I have the opportunity to help guide them as they become clinical professionals,” she said.

The impact of the scholarship extends beyond Shae’s career. It helped create stability for her family and shaped the future she is building.

“It opened up doors for me,” she said. “It helped set up my family and my son’s life for a good trajectory.”

Through support from donors and local community foundations, students like Shae are building careers, strengthening families, and creating lasting impact across the region.

“I am thankful to Pat Adams for her vision. It set my family and me up for success in our lives and in my career,” she said.