The Wisconsin Bankers Foundation (WBF), the charitable arm of the Wisconsin Bankers Association, is proud to award four Wisconsin students — Ryer Allen, Kathaleen Tapia, Jack Schowalter, and Ethyn Sebo — with the 2026 WBF Spring Scholarship.
The WBF Spring Scholarships of $2,000 each are open to graduating Wisconsin high school seniors and current college students pursuing higher education at an accredited Wisconsin college, university, or technical college. Recipients are chosen based on their academic achievements, community involvement, career goals, and financial literacy.
Pictured (left to right) are: Rose Oswald Poels, WBF chair, treasurer, and executive director, and Ryer Allen, WBF Spring Scholarship recipient.
Ryer Allen graduated from Denmark High School and will attend the University of Wisconsin–Madison this fall. Allen helped revive his school’s FBLA chapter and grew membership to 50 students by his senior year. He currently works as an accounting intern and plans to pursue a degree in accounting and finance in college.
Kathaleen Tapia graduated from Chippewa Falls Senior High School and will attend the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater this fall to
Pictured (left to right) are: Kathaleen Tapia, WBF Spring Scholarship recipient, and Rose Oswald Poels, WBF chair, treasurer, and executive director.
pursue a degree in business. Tapia was actively involved in FBLA, SkillsUSA, National Honor Society, Student Council, Senior Leadership, and athletics during high school. She also led a community service initiative that collected more than 2,500 pairs of shoes for under-resourced individuals through “Shoes for a Cause.”
Jack Schowalter graduated from Port Washington High School and will attend the University of Wisconsin–Madison where he plans to pursue a degree in accounting. Throughout high school, Schowalter maintained near-perfect grades, ranked among the top 5% of his class, participated in DECA,
Pictured (left to right) are: Rose Oswald Poels, WBF chair, treasurer, and executive director, and Jack Schowalter, WBF Spring Scholarship recipient.
and completed an accounting internship. He has long-term plans of pursuing a career in the finance department of a community bank.
Ethyn Sebo graduated from Reedsville High School and will attend the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater next semester to study finance and accounting. Sebo has worked as a teller at Collins State Bank for the past two years though a youth apprenticeship while maintaining high honors and participating in athletics and student organizations. He aims to build a career in the financial industry after graduation.
Pictured (left to right) are: Heather MacKinnon, WBA executive vice president and general counsel, and Ethyn Sebo, WBF Spring Scholarship recipient.
“The Wisconsin Bankers Foundation is honored to recognize Ryer, Kathaleen, Jack, and Ethyn with our Spring Scholarship,” said Foundation Chair, Treasurer, and Executive Director Rose Oswald Poels. “We are pleased to support their continued education and wish them success in their future careers.”
For more information on the Wisconsin Bankers Foundation and its annual scholarship, please visit wisbankfoundation.org.
