Category: College

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2026 HGU Scholarship Spotlight: The Pioneer Pantry

One of the most basic needs we have as humans is the need for food. We simply cannot survive without it. For some families, providing this basic need is a very real, very tough struggle. Our top scholarship winner this year recognized that need in his community. Parker Bohr had been volunteering at his local food bank when it suddenly dissolved in June 2025. What Parker did next is nothing short of amazing.

Parker recently graduated from high school in Mooresville, Indiana. He loves to be active outdoors, spend time with his family and friends, and enjoys studying science and engineering. He will be attending Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in the fall, with plans to major in Mechanical Engineering. 

When the local food pantry dissolved, Parker knew something needed to be done. He began brainstorming ideas, asking questions, and researching the reasons behind food insecurity. Since he had spent some time volunteering in a food pantry, he already had some idea of how a pantry should function. He began by making a website then getting approval from school administrators. His school happened to have an empty classroom with some fridges, freezers, and shelving, as well as a garage-style door that led to a drive through area. This set the stage for the Pioneer Pantry to come to life. 

Parker’s plan was simple: “People would drive up to a designated spot right by the door, we would greet them, they would fill out a Google Form, and we would give them boxes with food according to how many people are in the household. The food pantry would occur at least twice a month, and it would greatly help the community and face the problem of food insecurity head-on.” The dates of the pantry would be advertised to create awareness. There was one other factor to take into account: Parker recognized that many families who experienced food insecurity also struggled with the availability of reliable transportation. Rather than only providing food via the drive through, Parker and his team assembled bags of food to be taken to elementary schools. Students whose families had the need for food would then be able to take the bags home. To collect food, Parker has held food drives at his high school, and a larger food bank has agreed to partner with the Pioneer Pantry to donate food. 

In addition to the pantry serving the community, it has also helped students at the school. Located in the classroom next door to the pantry is a classroom for students with disabilities who are preparing to transition out of high school. With their teacher’s help, these students have the opportunity to help in the pantry. They stock shelves, help box food, and learn other important skills that will serve them as they transition out of high school. 

Parker says that the Pioneer Pantry will be able to continue to serve the community for many years to come. There is another student who will be taking over for him next school year, and the partnership with the food bank will enable the pantry to continue to bless the lives of those in need. 

When asked about the impact he had seen in his community, Parker said that the best part was that, “People that were hungry started to have food in their plates again after the project was in action. People that served realized how food insecurity impacted our community and it was just such a wholesome and wonderful environment in the pantry.” I can only imagine just how cool it was to see the difference it made in the lives of the people he served. Of the impact it had on himself, Parker commented, “It helped me realize just how much I can help others. While working on the food pantry, I realized I felt more fulfilled when I was using the gifts God had given me to provide for His people and help those He loves so dearly.” 

Parker was chosen as our top scholarship recipient this year. This means that in addition to receiving a $10,000 scholarship to go toward his tuition, he will also be receiving a $5,000 grant that will be used by the high school to continue the Pioneer Pantry’s success. 

What an amazing use of talents and resources! Incredible work, Parker. We were truly inspired by your project!

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2026 HGU Scholarship Spotlight: Bilingual Buddies

Inclusion is such a vital part of creating a safe space for everyone. It goes much further than simply noticing someone; inclusion meets people where they are, regardless of race, gender, ability, ethnicity, or difference. One of our scholarship winners took this to heart and saw a great opportunity to make sure everyone felt included at his school. 

Mason Below created the Bilingual Buddies program as a way to help newly immigrated students feel seen and supported. Mason just graduated from high school in Atlanta, Georgia, and will be attending Vanderbilt University as a Chancellor’s Scholar this fall, with the plan to double major in Human & Organizational Development and Latin American Studies. He loves to travel, read, learn new languages, go on long runs, and enjoys playing soccer. His favorite subject is Spanish, and he loves to eat a good plate of sushi– and also enjoys a bag of Doritos as a quick snack. 

When Mason was in middle school, his family moved to Argentina, where he experienced first hand the difficulty of attending school in a place where the language and school traditions were unfamiliar. Upon his return to the states, he noticed many newly immigrated students were experiencing exactly what he had just been through. One night while at a school football game, he noticed many of the newly immigrated students weren’t in attendance. He said, “…These were students I saw every day in the hallways, but they weren’t participating in many of the activities that help students feel connected to our school community. Having attended school in another country and struggled through the experience of learning in a language I didn’t yet speak fluently, I understood how isolating that transition could be. I realized that while schools often provide academic support, there was no system helping students build the social connections and confidence that are equally important to success. That realization eventually became the foundation for Bilingual Buddies.”

Once he had the idea in his mind, he got to work making it a reality. He researched immigration trends in his area and talked with the school counselors, department leaders, school administration, and ESOL teachers to identify what exactly these new students were struggling with the most. Rather than launching a huge project right off the bat, he started small, with a trial run to see if it would be an effective idea. It turned out to be very effective, and continued to grow from there. 

The basis of the project was simple: identify newly immigrated students who needed extra support, then pair them with a student volunteer who spoke their same language. Mason worked closely with school counselors and ESOL teachers to identify students who could serve as buddies, as well as students who had recently moved to the states and needed extra support. Counselors and teachers use a database that helps connect students to a buddy who can help them.

The program has been incredibly successful. Keeping the future in mind, Mason designed and built the program to continue on for years to come. The program already has a student who will take over the program for the next couple of years. He said, “I created volunteer training materials, communication systems, and a database that allows counselors and teachers to quickly connect students with the bilingual volunteers…. Today, Bilingual Buddies includes more than thirty volunteers representing twenty-one languages, creating a broader culture of support and inclusion throughout the school.” 

One of Mason’s favorite success stories from the Bilingual Buddies program was about a student named Omid. Mason shared, “The most rewarding part was seeing students become more confident and engaged.I use this example a lot because it’s one of my favorite stories. One of the first students I worked with was Omid, who had recently arrived from Afghanistan. He was struggling academically and falling behind on assignments when I first met him. Although we didn’t have any volunteers who spoke Dari, his native language, we were able to pair him with a student who spoke Farsi, a closely related language. After being paired with a buddy, everything changed. His attendance improved, he caught up on assignments, and his confidence grew. Stories like his were echoed by feedback from teachers and counselors, who reported improvements in participation, communication, and student engagement.”

Mason said he learned that the best leaders start with listening. He learned to adjust as program needs changed when immigration rates started to decline, and found a way to continue helping the students who needed support. He is grateful for the connections he made and the friendships he gained through this program, and is excited that the program will continue to help students as they integrate into their new surroundings.

Wow! What an incredible project! I can only imagine the incredible impact this program has had, and will continue to have on both the newly immigrated students as well as the buddies they are paired with. Good work, Mason! 

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It’s The Final Countdown!

Calling all Build A Better Future Scholarship applicants! We are just a few days away from our submission deadline for scholarship applications. You’ve worked hard on your projects, made great impacts in your communities, and now it’s time to turn it over to us! 

Before you hit that final “submit” button, here’s a few reminders for you:

  • Make sure you have gathered all the necessary contact information that is required on the application. This includes names, phone numbers, AND email addresses!
  • Take a few minutes to proofread your application. Does it all make sense? Are there any spelling or other grammatical errors to be fixed? Is contact information entered correctly?
  • You must have A MINIMUM of 5 photos relating to your project– possible photo submissions could include photos of prototypes, photos of you interacting with those involved with your project, photos of final products, etc. You are welcome to submit more than 5 photos.
  • You must include a 2-5 minute video that meets the following criteria:
    • Include examples of your work in action (photos, video clips, etc.)
    • Include a few words directly from you regarding your project (can be a voice-over)
    • Include 1-3 brief interviews with people you are working with
      • You must address the following questions:
    • What would you improve with more time?
    • What new skills or concepts have you acquired?
    • What have you learned about yourself based on the experience?
  • CHECK YOUR SHARE SETTINGS! Double (maybe even triple or quadruple) check that your photos and video(s) are viewable by outside sources. We cannot admire your amazing work if your share settings are set to private. Failure to properly upload your photos and videos will likely lead to disqualification. Don’t let that happen to you! 
  • Lastly, take a minute and breathe. Reflect on your hard work and what you’ve learned. Pat yourself on the back and congratulate yourself on a job well done!

You can find more information, including submission links, by clicking here.

We are excited to read through applications, and can hardly wait to see all of the amazing projects that have been done! 

**All applications are due no later than Monday, April 13 at 11:59 MST.**

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Proofreading: Worth the Time

We are a mere 10 days away from the deadline for our Build A Better Future Scholarship applications! We are eager to read submissions, and have enjoyed reading those that have come in already. As we get closer to the submission deadline, I’ve been sharing some application tips and reminders so your final submission can be as perfect as possible. You can see the last few reminders here, here, and here.

Today’s tip is to make sure you proofread your application before you hit that ‘submit’ button. Read over your application several times. Have someone else look it over– sometimes a fresh pair of eyes will catch errors that you might miss. 

Make sure you are checking your application for the following things:

  • Spelling errors
  • Capitalization errors
  • Missed punctuation or unnecessary punctuation
  • Flow- be sure your paragraphs flow well, make sense, and are cohesive
  • Correct grammar
  • Email addresses and phone numbers are entered correctly
  • All photo and video links or uploads are viewable by outside sources
  • Answer the questions and prompts thoroughly, but make sure you don’t go over the allotted word count
  • Sentence structure– fix any run on sentences or incomplete sentences

Take the time to make your application reflect your hard work. Don’t rush through it. Will a misplaced comma or period disqualify you? No. Will a couple of misspelled words eliminate you from the running? No. But– applications that are polished and proofread do stand out, and we do notice the extra effort you’ve put in to make your submission as perfect as it can be. You’ve done so much work on your project already, so don’t skimp on the application! 

As a reminder, final submissions are due no later than Monday, April 13, 2026 at 11:59 pm, MST.

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Scholarship Application Tip: Submitting Photos and Videos

It’s time for your weekly scholarship application tip! Last week, I encouraged applicants to document all the phases of their project through photos and videos. This week, we will cover what to do once you have all of your photos and videos and you are ready to fill out your application, and the specific requirements that must be met for video and photo submissions.

Since we can’t physically meet with every single applicant to see their project in action, we need you to SHOW us your work in the form of photos and videos. Both video and photos are required to be considered as a scholarship winner. Below, I have included the specific requirements and guidelines for both photo and video submission. The requirements listed below are exactly what you will find on the application.

Video Requirements:

  • 2-5 minutes
    Must be edited to include:
  • Examples of your work in action (photos, video clips, etc.)
  • A few words directly from you regarding your project (can be voice-over)
  • Include 1-3 brief interviews with people you worked with as you carried out your project
  • Must address the following questions:
    – What would you improve with more time?
    – What new skills or concepts have you acquired?
    – What have you learned about yourself based on the experience?

***IMPORTANT*** Please make sure your video is viewable. Please check the share settings before submitting it. You can choose to upload a link to a Google Drive folder containing your video OR you can upload or link a YouTube video you made.

Photo Requirements:

We would love to see evidence of your project and work! Photos could include, but are not limited to: pictures of brochures/handouts/advertisements you created to go with your project, pictures of your physical prototype, if applicable, and pictures of you in action– giving a presentation, working with your community, building your project, etc. You are the magic behind your project– take pride in it and document yourself making a difference, then share it with us!

Please share photos of publish-able image quality of your work. A minimum of 5 photos is required, but more is encouraged. 

Failure to upload images will result in disqualification. Uploading images directly or providing a link to a Google Drive folder of photos is acceptable. Providing photos in a video slideshow, PDF page, PowerPoint, social media account, or any other non-publishable way will result in disqualification. 

Please make sure that you have made your photos and video viewable. We can’t see them if you are the only one with access to them. We’d hate for you to put in so much time and energy to carry out your project and type up your application, only to forget to check the share settings on your files. Such a small misstep could lead to disqualification, so please triple check that your files are viewable.

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Applying for Our Scholarship? Here’s Some Tips!

Attention all graduating seniors! If you are planning on applying for our Build A Better Future Scholarship, this is for you! The final deadline is exactly one month from today! Final applications are due by 11:59 pm MST on Monday, April 13, 2026. Once a week until then, I will be sharing some tips and reminders for you to consider as you get ready to submit your final application.

As you put your project into motion, don’t forget to document your process through pictures and videos! Take pictures of you in action, working on your project. If you have volunteers helping you, snap some pictures of them as they work. If you host any kind of meeting, presentation, workshop, or class, have someone take a short video of you as you do your thing. If your project includes collecting donations of items, don’t forget to take some pictures of the donations that come in. Then, remember to take a picture of you at the place where the donations are being taken. If you think you’ll want a picture of something, take the picture!

One of the requirements for the final application is that you include a minimum of 5-10 pictures of your project in action. We also have a requirement for a short 3-5 minute video to be included with your application. You can certainly put some of your pictures in your video, but we also require that pictures be submitted separately as well. You can find the requirements for the video in our Scholarship Checklist, which can be found at the bottom of this page.

Beyond meeting the requirements for the final submission, having picture and video documentation of your project will provide you with lifelong mementos of the time you spent serving your community, and that is a priceless reminder of time well spent.

Scholarship-Checklist-2Download
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Final Reminder: Strategy Plan Deadline

We are just a few days away from the Strategy Plan deadline! Remember, this form is NOT required, but is simply a way for you to get feedback on your project prior to the final submission in April. The Strategy Plan is due by Monday, March 9, 2026 at 11:59 pm MST. You can click here to access the Strategy Plan.

As a reminder, the deadline for final application submissions is Monday, April 13, 2026 at 11:59 pm MST. All requirements, FAQs, and other information about the scholarship can be found on our website.

We are looking forward to reading about all of the amazing projects you’ve been working on!