Black Hawk College announces significant nursing scholarship endowment

MOLINE, Ill. (KWQC) - Black Hawk College has received a $250,000 endowment that will fund scholarships for nursing students for the next two decades.

The James Cobin Class of 1976 Endowed Scholarship was created by the late Stanley Anderberg in memory of his late husband, James Cobin, who completed his nursing degree at Black Hawk College, at a time when less than 3 percent of nurses were men.

Wendy Hilton-Morrow, niece of the late Stanley Anderberg, says they wanted to make a difference that went beyond their lifetimes.

“Both of my uncles treasured their careers in healthcare, it’s how they, they made friends, it’s how they were able to travel, they worked at a Veteran’s Hospital, take care of our veterans, and they really wanted to give the opportunity to future students to be able to have the experiences that they had.”

Hilton-Morrow says her uncles’ compassionate, caring nature and love for the college motivated them to continue supporting future BHC nurses.

“Although my uncles eventually moved to Florida, Black Hawk college remained very important to both of them. And so that at the end of their lives decided that they wanted it to go to a place like Blackhawk, that does produce exceptional nurses. And they knew that a lot of those nurses stay here in the Quad Cities. And that’s really what they wanted,” said Hilton-Morrow.

The scholarship will cover essential educational expenses, including tuition, lab fees, and books for full-time nursing students. Eligible students must demonstrate financial need and maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher.

“Having scholarships available whether they’re based on merit or financial need it really just helps solidify that students can go to college and it also gives them a source of recognition when somebody invests in their potential as well,” said Zenaida Landeros, executive director of the Black Hawk College Foundation.

Landeros mentioned that scholarships of that amount typically award 6 to 10 students, depending on the semester and the available funds for that particular year.

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