WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (July 15, 2026) — Forty Iowa students have been selected as 2026 recipients of the Athene Game Changer Scholarship.
Funded by the Athene Charitable Foundation, the scholarship supports Iowa residents who plan to attend an accredited college or university in Iowa. Recipients are selected based on academic achievement, leadership, community involvement, work experience and financial need.
“The Athene Game Changer Scholarship recipients have already shown leadership, hard work and a commitment to their community,” said Kristi Kaye Burma, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Athene. “We are proud to support these students as they pursue their dreams and take the next step toward becoming tomorrow’s game changers.”
Education is a key focus of Athene’s community giving. Since 2021, Athene has awarded more than $600,000 in scholarships to students across the state.
The 2026 Athene Game Changer Scholarship recipients are:
First-year recipients
- Qwekqem Adovor, Ankeny
- Aidan Beckius, Cedar Rapids
- Leila DeBrower, Ankeny
- Mylie Havig, Osage
- Owen Hubbard, Bettendorf
- Gretchyn Kane, Coggon
- Haley Keizer, Sioux Center
- Teegan Kralik, Norwalk
- Stacia Linder, What Cheer
- Jessica Madrigal, West Liberty
- Karla Martinez-Santoyo, Des Moines
- Elsa Perez Satulle, Iowa City
- Samantha Potts, Ankeny
- Stephany Ronquillo-Contreras, Dubuque
- Addyson Schoepske, Waterloo
- Trenton Schutte, West Branch
- Ella Stobbe, West Des Moines
- Abigail Tollefson, State Center
Second-year recipients
- Mitchell Anderson, Ankeny
- Izabella Arndt, West Des Moines
- Alfredo Espana-Alarcon, Des Moines
- Mason Farrington, Ottumwa
- Aammin Hassan, Ankeny
- Daria Haynie, Ankeny
- Abigail Herman, Elberon
- Sydney Hurd, Nemaha
- Elizabeth Kalous, Cedar Rapids
- Ren Moyer, Des Moines
- Kyra Nugent, Ankeny
- Ella Rankin, Knoxville
- Addison Whipple, Pleasant Hill
Third-year recipients
- Malaina Elliott, Grimes
- James Meggitt, Iowa City
- David Nguyen, West Des Moines
- Bailey Schoepske, Waterloo
- Kelsey Taylor, Cedar Rapids
- Clayton Williams, Moravia
Fourth-year recipients
- Abby Koppmann, Dunkerton
- Emma Palmer, Waukon
- Madeline Warning, Bloomfield
For more information about Athene or its scholarships, visit www.athene.com.
About Athene
Athene is the leading retirement solutions company with over $445 billion of total assets as of March 31, 2026, and operations in the United States, Bermuda, Canada, and Japan. Athene is focused on providing financial security to individuals by offering an attractive suite of retirement income and savings products and also serves as a solutions provider to corporations. For more information, please visit www.athene.com.
Media Contact:
Tori Clausen
Community Communications Manager
712-490-9021
tori.clausen@athene.com
