Story by Dave Schroeder/Bowl.com
April 17, 2025
Pella, Iowa– Jack Weaver of Pella, has been chosen by the United States Bowling Congress Youth Advisory Group as the Annual Zeb Scholarship recipient for 2025.
The Annual Zeb Scholarship recognizes a USBC Youth member who has achieved academic success and gives back to their community through service. The recipient, who must be a junior or senior in high school, receives a $2,500 scholarship.
Weaver, 18, is the first person from Iowa to earn the scholarship since it was first awarded in 2005.
When asked what his initial reaction was when he was informed he had won the scholarship, Weaver said, “I was very surprised. I had just got done telling my mom that I was starting to think I might not get any scholarships, and then we got the call from USBC. So, getting that call was very surprising and exciting.”
The scholarship will be put to good use as Weaver plans on attending Iowa State University to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering.
Weaver is completing his senior year at Pella Community High School in Pella, Iowa, where he carries a 3.85 GPA while also taking dual-credit college courses.
His courses include honors and Advanced Placement classes in addition to the aforementioned dual-credit classes. He also has been a member of the school’s Bionic Dutch Robotics Team for the last three seasons and was selected team captain this year.
Weaver explained why being a member of the robotics team has been such a source of pride and enjoyment during his high school career.
“I like the challenge of continuing to change stuff and always having something to work on,” Weaver said. “There is never an offseason where I’m not working on something. We’re either continuously improving the robot’s design or doing outreach in the community to promote the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) program. It’s also been good preparation for what I intend to study in college.”
Weaver has received many awards for his academic achievements, including National Honor Society (2023-2024 and 2024-2025), Dean’s List (2022), President’s List (2023) and Honor Roll (2021-2025). Weaver was a FIRST (For Inspiration of Science and Technology) Dean’s List Award semifinalist in 2024.
In addition to his courseload and time spent with the robotics team, Weaver also currently works at Pella Corporation as a Manufacturing Technologies Apprentice where he is learning about modern industrial manufacturing processes.
“I started at Pella the summer after my junior year and worked a normal job in the factory,” Weaver said. “Once my senior year started, I was a quality tech for some of the metal we make for our windows, and now I work in architectural solutions, which is about making sure all the windows are properly constructed and sized and such. I work with a bunch of other engineers and sometimes get to make CAD models for them. It’s given me a lot of real-life work experience.”
Weaver’s extracurricular activities include being a member of the high school bowling team all four years, including being elected a senior leader for this year’s team. Weaver has also played the violin in the school orchestra since fifth grade and was an integral part of starting several Esports games for the school’s newly formed Esports team.
Weaver didn’t get started in bowling until just prior to high school.
“When I was in eighth grade, I joined a local bowling league because my mom (Tiffany) asked if I wanted to do it,” Weaver said. “I decided to try it, and I really enjoyed it. Once I got to high school, I found out we actually had a bowling team and I happened to know the coach, so that made it an easier decision for me to join.”
Once he started in the sport, his interest continued to grow throughout high school.
“I like how much the hand and feet movements are so involved and how those movements have to be repetitive and refined,” Weaver said. “There is also a lot of technology involved with the balls. Just the fundamentals of the sport helped keep me interested, and it’s a fun sport.”
As a volunteer, he has participated in the Thursday Nights in Pella STEM Night, the Springs and Sprouts Community Supported Agriculture program and Vacation Bible School, where he has served as a youth leader. Weaver’s longest-standing involvement has been with Pella’s annual Tulip Time festival where he has been a participant and volunteer from preschool through high school.
“The Thursday nights in Pella STEM nights were probably my favorite because I got to spend time in the community to promote the robotics team,” Weaver said. “I got to show, especially kids, how much fun it is to do STEM activities and robotics and things like that. It’s great to be able to inspire young kids and the community to invest more in STEM and robotic activities.”
Weaver is grateful for his parents, his high school bowling coaches (Mike Mathewson and Bryan Smith) and his high school robotics coach (Brent Ewell) for all the support and guidance they have provided over the years that helped him achieve this scholarship.
“This is obviously a big honor,” Weaver said. “But what it means to me is that all the hard work I’ve put in during high school and all the extracurricular activities have paid off.”
He looks forward to attending college and “learning a lot more about engineering . . . being able to see more complex math and other engineering applications.” He also looks forward to investigating what activities college life has to offer, including hopefully being able to continue bowling in a league or club.
Weaver will be presented with his scholarship next month at the 2025 USBC Convention and Annual Meeting at South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
For a list of past Annual Zeb Scholarship recipients, click here.
