Student Impact Grant Recipients


Student Impact Grants help Hawkeyes experience, learn, and discover important lessons outside the classroom. Past recipients show you cannot always anticipate when a unique idea is going to arise—or when it will inspire action or creation. Support from the Iowa Impact Fund helps in the pursuit of new and exciting ventures. Read the stories of two Student Impact Grant recipients.

For a More Accepting Community

An image from Nachte Raho, a celebration partially funded by an Iowa Student Impact Grant.

Ridhi Jani

In an effort to celebrate and share Indian culture with the University of Iowa community, the Indian Student Alliance (ISA) hosts a series of charitable, cultural, educational, and social events each year. "Spreading diversity and cultural awareness is extremely important to us," says Ridhi Jani, president of the Indian Student Alliance.

The group’s yearly showcase event, Nachte Raho, is one of the largest Bollywood fusion dance competitions in the Midwest. Eight of the best university dance teams from around the nation come to Iowa and perform. The Student Impact Grant helped pay for a top-notch venue, Hancher Auditorium, and secure judges for the competition.

For a Better Quality of Life

An image of Sandra Castillo, a recipient of an Iowa Student Impact Grant.

Sandra Castillo

Tackling real-life problems and gaining hands-on experiences are important for future engineers, including Sandra Castillo. Through her work with the University of Iowa chapter of Continental Crossing—which helps communities in developing countries construct footbridges— Castillo spent five weeks in Nicaragua repairing two suspended bridges.

Thanks to the Student Impact Grant, Castillo was able to pay for lodging, meals, medical and health expenses, and equipment for the trip. "Your support made my experience accessible and affordable," says Castillo. "Your generosity is helping change the world and making a difference in the lives of so many students."

Learn how to apply for the Student Impact Grants.

If you are interested in helping provide students with more opportunities like these, please support the Iowa Impact Fund.

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Noah and John Weitz have been active in Loras College Dance Marathon, which raises money for patients at UI Stead Family Children's Hospital. Funny ... joyful ... adventurous. Those are the words brothers Noah and John Weitz use to describe little sister, Anna. John would add one more. "Brave," he says. "At the amusement park, she went on more rides than me." They keep all of those words in mind when they celebrate her life. Anna Banana, as she is so lovingly referred to, died in her mother's arms on May 22, 2012, after a 19-month battle with cancer. She was only five. Her death prompted her brothers to make a difference for other kids and families who face the disease. The boys began raising money for pediatric cancer research at University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital. They encouraged their friends to join them, and in exchange for their hard work, the kids receive the ultimate reward: an invitation to Game Changers, a no-holds-barred, all-the-fun-you-can-handle sleepover at the Weitz home. Except they don't actually sleep. "We play video games all night long," says Noah. "Anna was really funny and goofy. And she really liked to dance." - Noah Weitz Mom, Krista, is totally on board and helps make sure the boys can up the ante each year, which is important, because Noah and John are ambitious fundraisers. In 2016, the boys and their friends raised $6,000?more than twice the amount they had raised the year before. "They make me nervous every year," says Krista. "Because they set these big goals and I think, 'How are you going to do that? It doesn't just happen.' And then, they all work together and get it done. They're amazing." While they work hard, they do manage to have lots of fun in the process, just as Anna would have wanted. "She was, like, really funny and goofy," says Noah. "And she really liked to dance." Adds John, "She basically just liked to do everything my brother and I did." One more word to add to the list: smart. Watch: Noah Weitz, John Weitz, and Krista Weitz

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