BV’s Bannwarth awarded $1,000 Levo Credit Union scholarship for community service

Brandon Valley High School 2023 graduate Mia Bannwarth was awarded a scholarship from Levo Credit Union for her community service. 

Levo Credit Union awarded $1,000 each to five area students, including Bannwarth, for their contributions to their community.

“Growing up I was very involved in my community,” wrote Bannwarth in her submission essay. “I have always enjoyed helping others whether that was helping a familiar neighbor or others in the community.” 

Bannwarth has volunteered with the Banquet, Feeding South Dakot, Active Generations and the Humane Society. She plans to attend Minnesota State University and become a physical therapist.

“Mia was was selected because of her passion for volunteering for a variety of great organizations,” says Jen McKeown, Levo VP of Marketing and Business Development. “Mia not only put in over 75 hours of volunteering last year, she also demonstrated a true heart for serving her community in her essay. We hope that by sharing stories like Mia’s, we can inspire others to give back to their communities.”

Levo started its scholarship program in 2010. Since then, they have awarded more than $34,000 in scholarships to area students.

The five winners were selected from a field of 30 applicants.

“Since we were founded in 1934, Levo has believed in giving back to our community,” says McKeown with the Levo Cares Foundation, Levo’s private foundation. “What better way to do that than to give back to these students who have learned the value of community service at such a young age?”

Students submitted essays or videos sharing how they have served their community as well as recommendation letters. The applicants were also judged on financial need and academic excellence. The four other winners who received a $1,000 scholarship are Kelsie Gehrels, Allie Weber and Carter Richardson, all of, Sioux Falls Roosevelt High School, and Samantha Miller, South Dakota State University.

“These young adults are great examples of the impact one person can have on improving the lives of others,” says McKeown. “They deserve to be recognized and congratulated!”

To learn more about how Levo gives back to the community or to donate to the Levo Cares Foundation, visit levo.org/about/evo-cares-foundation

Mia Bannwarth’s Essay

Growing up I was very involved in my community. I have always enjoyed helping others; whether that was helping a familiar neighbor or others in the community. I have shown my service in my community by volunteering through several organizations. I have also been a part of SALSA (Serve and Learn Student Association) where I serve on the Youth Action Council). Through SALSA, I volunteered through Kids Against Hunger and Feeding South Dakota where I packed meals for those in poor countries and bagged meals for kids at schools to take home. I have also volunteered through Active Generations where I raked the yards of the elderly in the community along with those incapable of doing yard work. Additionally, I volunteered through Feeding America where I made produce bags for the food that would be delivered to those in need. I also have done projects through the Washington Pavilion and made goody bags for those who come to the Pavilion. During the past summer, I volunteered at Camp Invention where I served as a Leadership Intern and guided kids through different activities. Another way I have contributed to my community is through mentoring and tutoring. Over the past few years, I have been tutoring kids at the local middle school in various subjects. This past year I have been a mentor for a few kids at one of our elementary schools. While mentoring, my focus was helping the kids with any activities they were working on but also being someone they can talk to. I found it eye-opening that not every kid can be open about their feelings without being judged. One kid, in particular, was very shy at first and was afraid to talk. I remember the first time I met with them they asked me, “Are you going to tell my parents what I say?” This question caught me off guard because I didn’t realize what many kids were going through. I have always enjoyed helping others in my community and plan to continue to help others in college. After college, I plan to be a physical therapist where I can help people in my community every day.