The American Numismatic Association (ANA) has awarded 2019 college scholarships to William Cooper from Woodlands, Texas, and Isaiah Hageman from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Each winner will receive a $1,000 scholarship to use toward tuition at an institution of their choice.

William Cooper“The annual scholarship is an opportunity for the American Numismatic Association to expand on its core mission of education through higher learning,” said Rod Gillis, ANA education director. “There were many qualified candidates but the commitment of these two young people to numismatics is unparalleled. We are most proud of their accomplishments and are happy to help with their educational endeavors.” The recipients are eligible to receive the scholarship for up to four years.

For Cooper, numismatics is a generational hobby, passed down from his great-granddad. At age five, his father brought home boxes of pennies and they searched through them together. “After completing my first penny date set with my dad, I was hooked on the hobby,” said Cooper. “As an individual in Generation Z who grew older, what kept me fascinated with the hobby was incorporating technology such as eBay and Instagram to the numismatic field. The thought of viewing, buying and selling billions of dollars worth of numismatics at the touch of the fingertips has always boggled my mind.”

Cooper plans to attend Texas A&M to pursue a five-year master’s of economics program with a minor in mathematics and statistics. His plan is to continue with a career in numismatics, at a consulting or financial analyst job with a high-tech firm. With an entrepreneurial spirit and experience buying and selling coins through eBay, he has learned, “valuable lessons of running a business, the power of technology, and how to become profitable.”

Isaiah HagemanThe second scholarship recipient, Hageman, started in the field of numismatics when he bought his first spiralbound Red Book. In 2014 he joined the ANA and several other coin clubs after that. “My favorite thing about numismatics is the people and the education that comes from collecting,” he said. “I avidly collect sample slabs of all the major grading services, error coins, and the Apollo 11 commemoratives.”

Hageman has also received three ANA literary awards, two literary recognitions has published a book on sample slabs and is the Assistant Editor for The Cincinnati Numismatist. With his scholarship, he is planning to attend Calvin University to pursue a degree in music.

Applications for the 2020 ANA College Scholarship will be available in January. Recipients are selected based on academic scholarship, numismatic accomplishments and financial need. Applicants must be a senior in high school and a member of the ANA.

For additional information, contact Rod Gillis via email at gillis@money.org or call him at 719-482-9845.

The American Numismatic Association is a congressionally chartered, nonprofit educational organization dedicated to encouraging the study and collection of coins and related items. The ANA helps its 25,000 members and the public discover and explore the world of money through its vast array of instructional and outreach programs, as well as its museum, library, publications and conventions. For more information, call 719-632-2646 or visit www.money.org.

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