Et cetera : Caitlin Kruckenberg earns King Scholarship from Cornell College

Caitlin Kruckenberg of Garrison, Iowa (52229), was presented Cornell College's most prestigious scholarship, the King Scholarship, on Wednesday, March 11.

The King Scholarship is a four-year, full-tuition scholarship given to students who show exceptional academic promise. One King Scholarship each year is set aside for an Iowa student.

Kruckenberg, who will graduate first in her class this spring from Vinton-Shellsbug High School with a 4.0 GPA, plays volleyball and soccer for the school, and is also involved with dance and music. Outside of school she volunteers at the Vinton Palace Theate, a historic cinema and live performance venue in Vinton.

Colleen Murphy, vice president for enrollment and dean of admission at Cornell College said Kruckenberg's academic success and deep athletic and community involvement make her a perfect fit for Cornell.

"Each year we set aside one King Scholarship for an exceptionally promising Iowan," Murphy said. "Caitlin's academic achievements, along with her involvement with such a wide range of activities make her exactly the kind of Iowa student Cornell College has always been proud to educate. We're so pleased that she's decided to attended Cornell College, and we're excited to offer her the King Scholarship."

When Kruckenberg, who plays on a club volleyball team coached by Cornell College volleyball coach Jeff Meeker, was looking for colleges, she wanted a smaller, more personal experience.

"When I talked to people about what I was looking for from a college, they told me that Cornell College was exactly what I was looking for," she said.

She visited campus several times and decided to apply. She was admitted, and on Wednesday, March 11, in a surprise presentation before club volleyball practice, she found out that she'd earned the King Scholarship.

Kruckenberg plans to major in elementary education, and plans to continue her volleyball career at the collegiate level on Cornell's team, which has won the Midwest Conference championship for three consecutive years.

One of the 40 "Colleges That Change Lives," Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, is a national liberal arts college with a distinctive One Course At A Time curriculum. The One Course schedule provides students the chance to dive into their studies, focus more intensely on the disciplines of their choice, and learn authentically with the unique freedom to shed the confines of the traditional classroom to study off-campus, pursue research, or accept an internship�all without missing out on other classes.

Cornell has been recognized by numerous publications for the value its education offers and for academic excellence. This year it was named of the 100 best values in liberal arts education by Kiplinger's, one of the "Best Value Schools" among national liberal arts colleges by U.S. News and World Report, and one of the 100 Affordable Elite Colleges by Washington Monthly. Ninety-three percent of Cornell graduates earn their degrees in four years. In 2013 Cornell was named one of the 25 colleges with the best professors by the Center for College Affordability and Productivity.