Wisconsin Bankers Foundation awards two ag banking scholarships

Madison, Wis.-based The Wisconsin Bankers Foundation awarded Kaylee Pingel and Ian Schwartzlow its 2024 Agricultural Banking Scholarship. .The scholarships — $1,500 each — are available for current students seeking an ag banking-related degree at an accredited Wisconsin technical college, university or college. Recipients were selected based on their community involvement, academic achievements, career goals and financial literacy. .Pingel is a senior seeking an ag business degree at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. "I am committed to the agriculture industry and have a desire to pursue a career in the financial side of agriculture," Pingel said. "I know that my passion will fuel my work in being part of an industry that is vital to our world. I look forward to giving back to an industry that has given me so much." .Schwartzlow is a junior studying finance at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He is expected to be an intern at First Business Bank this summer. Schwartzlow said he wants to be a commercial/ag lender in a rural area "because I truly believe that rural bankers make a positive impact on themselves, on the bank, on the borrowers, and on the community at large." .The Wisconsin Bankers Foundation is the nonprofit arm of the Wisconsin Bankers Association. Students applied late last year, with the scholarships presented in early 2025.