Mac Johnny Pedro, a 2019 Waterloo West High School graduate, is the recipient of Wartburg College’s R.J. McElroy Minority Scholarship.

Pedro, a first-generation college student, will major in social work at Wartburg. He is the son of Shelwin Pedro and Carolynn Jeadrik.

“Mac’s resume is filled with academic, athletic and social achievements. It would be hard to find a more accomplished young man. He definitely ranks in the top of the students in our school as a person. He has a way of quietly leading and humbly serving,” said Lonnie E. Moore, Waterloo West High School teacher and coach. “He has a strong sense of justice and will champion a cause with fairness beyond his years. He is everything a high school student should be. His loyalty to his school and community, his tolerance of those whose interest and direction may be different from his, and his commitment to his friends and family, all contribute to making this student a most deserving young man.”

McElroy, a pioneer Iowa broadcaster who died in 1965, made a provision in his will for the establishment of a trust fund, the proceeds of which were to be used for the educational benefit of deserving young people. Wartburg College annually partners with the R.J. McElroy Trust to award a full-tuition scholarship to one student from the Waterloo-Cedar Falls area. Awards are renewable up to four years.

“Wartburg College is a place for students to excel in the next chapters of their lives. There are not many people in my family who have had the opportunity to go to college, this is a dream come true. I want to make my family and community proud. I want to be an example of what hard work and determination can do,” Pedro said.