Nineteen Students Nationwide Received Award From Operator of Manufactured Home Communities

CORALVILLE, IOWA (August 23) – A Coralville student was among the 19 recipients of academic scholarships from Havenpark Communities, an operator and developer of manufactured home communities in Iowa and around the country.  The scholarship recipients are award up to $10,000 annually to cover expenses for colleges, universities, trade, and vocational schools.

The scholarship awards are part of Havenpark’s expansion of its Education Success Program, which offers financial assistance, support, mentorship, and other education initiatives to increase educational opportunities for residents.  Through the mentoring program, which provides students – many of whom are first-generation college students—with encouragement and  support, students are set up to succeed in their journey to certificate or degree attainment.

Omar Rodriguez Jr., a first-generation college student, finished high school this spring at City High School in Iowa City. During his time there, Rodriguez was involved in Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) as well as several advanced level courses.  He says his mother and experience in AVID were great resources when seeking information about college. He plans to attend the University of Iowa in the fall and is leaning toward majoring in civil engineering, though he is not set on it.

“I’m interested in how civil engineering applies designing into the real world. I became interested in this in middle school. We had a fun class called Applied Technology, where we explored different types of engineering such as electrical, biomedical, and nuclear,” said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez says that he’s grateful to be a scholarship recipient of Havenpark’s Education Success Program.  “I’m hoping to get a good sense of what I want to do in my career when I get to college.” Rodriguez says if his friends could describe him in one word, they would say that he’s dedicated.

“Hearing about Omar’s compelling interests such as art and engineering were amazing.  Omar is eager to take this next step in his education journey, and I can’t wait to see what he becomes after he finishes school,” said Robbie Pratt, CEO of Havenpark Communities.  “The Education Success Program and its impact on residents brings pure joy to the staff at Havenpark.” 

The 2022 competitive scholarship application period ran from December 15, 2021, to January 31, 2022, with about half of the applicants rewarded with scholarships.  To be eligible for consideration, applicants needed to have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or above, be either a current resident of a Havenpark community or have a parent/guardian who is a resident and must plan to enroll or continue enrollment in full-time or part-time undergraduate study at an accredited two-year or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school in the United States for the entire 2022-2023 academic year. Awards may transfer from a two-year institution to a four-year intuition and vice versa.

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About Havenpark

Havenpark Communities is an operator and developer of manufactured home communities and makes caring communities attainable for responsible residents across America.  Since 2017, Havenpark has sourced and installed over 4,000 new factory-built homes, providing quality, affordable living to over 10,000 Americans across the country.  Earlier this year, Havenpark Communities announced it has committed to adding an additional 1,000 new affordable homes across the country, including in Iowa in the coming year. Havenpark Communities believes in respectful and professional management, well-maintained communities, and attainable homeownership.  Havenpark Communities makes long-term investments in its communities, providing enduring value for current and future residents.