EGHS graduate Elizabeth Hogrefe heads to NICU nursing role after years of Elizabeth Hill Scholarship support
By Edward Lynn
Editor
EAGLE GROVE — Elizabeth Hogrefe, daughter of Wright County Assistant Deputy Sheriff Jeremy Hogrefe and County Recorder’s Office staffer Jennifer Hogrefe, is heading into a life-saving career in neonatal intensive care—thanks in part to an easy local scholarship she nearly didn’t apply for.
The 2019 Eagle Grove High School graduate recently completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree at Morningside University in Sioux City. On May 27, she begins her new role as a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurse at St. Luke’s Hospital in Sioux City, the same facility where she completed her preceptorship.
“I found that I love that job. I love the work,” Hogrefe said. “I really enjoyed my time there.”
The road to nursing began with a spark in middle school. After completing a career unit and taking aptitude quizzes, Hogrefe discovered she had a natural inclination for healthcare. That interest grew at the North Central Career Academy, where she enrolled in the health services pathway. The program—offered locally to Eagle Grove students free of charge—allowed her to explore healthcare in a college-style setting, taking focused classes and interacting with students from other districts.
“You’re still around your high school friends, but it finally gives you that first taste of university,” she said. “It helped me feel like I was making the right decision.”
The experience eased her transition to college.
“I felt more comfortable being with new people because I’d done it before at the Academy,” Hogrefe said. “And I was used to talking to professors rather than high school teachers.”
But as any student knows, tuition isn’t cheap. That’s where the Elizabeth Hill Scholarship, endowed specifically for Eagle Grove graduates, came in.
“I think my mom is the one who heard about it—probably at the courthouse,” Hogrefe said. “She told me, ‘If you’re going to apply for a scholarship, do this one.’”
Unlike most scholarships that only support students during their senior year of high school, the Hill Scholarship is renewable for up to four years of undergraduate study. Hogrefe applied every year—and received support every time.
“After that senior year of high school, you can’t reapply for those scholarships. They’re gone,” she said. “But this one was actually one where every single year I could reapply and get help throughout my college career.”
Administered by Colleen Bartlett of the North Central Regional Center, the scholarship requires that students maintain a C average and be enrolled full-time, taking 12 or more credits per semester. Awards vary based on a need-and-merit formula and are paid directly to colleges to cover tuition, housing, and books. If a student drops out or doesn’t enroll, the funds are returned.
“The only thing you need to attach is your grades from the previous semester and your upcoming schedule,” Bartlett explained. “And we verify everything before payment. Nothing is wasted.”
As for the application process?
“It’s a super simple application,” Hogrefe said. “No big essays. Not a lot of pressure. As long as you get it in on time, it’s going to help you.”
Bartlett confirmed that despite its ease, too many students fail to apply.
“They think there’s some catch,” she said. “But there isn’t one. Usually nothing in life is free—this is an exception.”
For Hogrefe, the scholarship wasn’t just a financial boost—it was a stabilizing force.
“It helped me feel like I was making the right decision,” she said. “Even if I’m making a decision as a high schooler that seemed huge—this is the job I might work the rest of my life—it wasn’t set in stone. With nursing, I can change my workplace, change up my occupation, all with one degree.”
Her new position in the NICU brings both joy and challenge.
“There have been some kids we had to send to hospice care, and that’s really hard,” she said. “But at the same time, you’re also in the next room over helping with a kid who’s thriving. It’s really rewarding on the flip side, too.”
When asked what she’d tell this year’s graduating seniors, Hogrefe didn’t hesitate: “Figure out what college is going to cost you. Then apply. It’s worth it.”
As Bartlett put it: “Whatever you get—whether it’s enough to cover books, tuition, or housing—it helps. And every EGHS graduate who applies gets something.”
To apply for the Elizabeth Hill Scholarship, graduating seniors and eligible alumni can visit Iowa Central’s Eagle Grove Career Academy, the EGHS office, or Dani Eisentrager’s law office on South Commercial. Applications are due by June 20, and questions can be directed to Colleen Bartlett at (515) 851-0061 or cobartlett77@gmail.com.
