Tag: graduation

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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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What I Wish I Would Have Known

It’s graduation season! It’s a bittersweet milestone, but is definitely one to be celebrated. I remember my graduation day, and remember feeling so anxious but excited. I had my whole life planned out, and I was just sure it was going to go exactly how I wanted it to: go to college with my best friend, find a good guy and get married by 23, graduate as a nurse, have some kids, and so on. Boy was I in for a surprise when my plans didn’t follow that timeline, nor did most of my plans actually happen. I went to a different college than my friend, switched majors from nursing to elementary education, back to nursing, then eventually got my degree in secondary education. I didn’t get married until I was 30, and the kids came soon after that. As I think back and reflect on how the last 23 years of my live have gone, I’m glad my original plans didn’t follow my timeline. I would have missed out on so many things that were crucial to me becoming who I am today. But man, sometimes I wish I could go back and tell my naive 18 year old self a thing or to to give her some advice and encouragement about the future.

I figured other people might feel the same way, and might have something to say to their 18 year old selves. I asked several people what they would tell themselves, if they knew then what they know now. The answers ranged from the silly and light hearted to the serious and profound. So seniors, this one’s for you– a little advice from people who have been there, done that, and want to pass on some words of wisdom!

  • Don’t rush growing up. You will never have it all figured out.
  • Trust your gut.
  • Travel more, work hard, don’t spend more than you earn, save, believe, and invest in yourself.
  • Every life event and breakup led me to my husband and life I have today, and I wouldn’t change that.
  • At 18, I didn’t know it would take me 10 more years to get married. Don’t worry about that.
  • Don’t open a credit card— save for what you want/need.
  • Love YOUR life. Don’t worry about what others say or do. Let them live the life they want. You choose you!
  • It’s okay to not know what you want to major in. It’s okay to switch majors— college is an investment. Make sure you are getting out of it what you want.
  • Not all friendships will last past graduation. That’s ok. There’s new friends out there.
  • You are worth it. You matter.
  • If college isn’t your thing, it’s ok. It doesn’t have to be. 
  • Spend time with those you love.
  • Never miss a chance to say thank you or I love you.
  • Take the risk— if it works out, awesome! If not, you learned from it and are better for it.
  • Make the effort to study and challenge yourself.
  • Advice given by others is second, learn to hear your own voice first and loudest.
  • It’s worth hanging around to see how the story ends.
  • The smart thing to do and the right thing to do are very rarely the same thing to do. But it never changes what the right thing to do is. Choose what is right. Always.
  • Take more pictures.
  • Always trust your instincts.
  • Apply for all the things! Enjoy everything!
  • Feeling dread all the time isn’t normal— it’s ok to get help if you need it.
  • Keep doing what makes yourself proud.
  • You’ll have so much more fun and peace if you don’t stress about dating. Don’t rush it!
  • Give yourself some grace.
  • You don’t have to have it all figured out at 18. The best is yet to come!
  • It’s ok to not know what you want.
  • Work on yourself— make yourself the kind of person you want to be.
  • Don’t be afraid. Go for it. If you fail, then try something else.
  • Try to save money.
  • Be smart with money.
  • Get the degree. Be able to support yourself.
  • If your friends are dragging you down, ditch them.
  • Don’t settle for less!
  • Be flexible— sometimes things don’t go the way you hoped they would, and you have to adapt and adjust. 
  • Look for the good in people.
  • Look for the good in every day. 
  • Be patient and the right partner will come when you are doing what you need to be doing.
  • Focus on figuring out what you want to do and work towards that goal.
  • Be gentle on yourself. Celebrate your wins, no matter how small.
  • You are doing amazing things.
  • You can do hard things.
  • Everyone you come across is fighting some kind of battle you know nothing about. Be kind.
  • Be patient with yourself and with others. We’re all doing the best we can.

Take a minute and reflect on your graduation day– what would you tell yourself?

Congratulations to the class of 2025! You did it!

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Preparing Today’s Youth for Adulthood

The other day, I was taking a much needed break, mindlessly scrolling through Facebook, and stopped when I saw a meme one of my good friends had posted. I chuckled as I read the meme: “I’m glad I learned about parallelograms in high school instead of how to do my taxes. It comes in handy during parallelogram season.” 

It’s funny because it’s true— I remember sitting in some of my high school classes thinking about how I would likely never use some of the things I was being taught. I honestly don’t remember the last time I had to use the quadratic formula or had to recall the steps/process of photosynthesis. Unless you enter a career field that will use those specific skills and bits of knowledge, you likely won’t use them much in your adult life (or at least until your kids come home from school needing help on their homework!). 

When I was in high school, the requirements to graduate didn’t include any kind of class that taught life skills type of content. You know, the stuff that you use on a fairly regular basis as an adult— budgeting, retirement/savings plans, household tasks like cooking, cleaning, and laundry, basic car maintenance, simple household fixes, basic sewing, and so on. Had my parents not done a pretty good job teaching me these skills, I would have been pretty lost when I moved out on my own. While a good majority of high school students have a parent or guardian they can turn to with life skills questions, many do not. What if, rather than expecting kids to just suddenly know how to be an adult and take care of adult responsibilities, we teach them how to do this and require them to take a class covering these skills prior to graduating?

I know there are many elective courses students can take that teach them these basic life skills. But they are just that— elective. Not every student is going to choose to take a sewing or cooking class. Not every student will want to sit through a financial literacy course. However, I am certain that if they were required to do so, they would come out on the other side more equipped to enter the adult world and carry adult-level responsibilities. 

There are many students who would greatly benefit from a course like this. It would provide an excellent opportunity for kids to get hands-on experience with the skills necessary for adult life while still under the care of an experienced adult, and would also give them the chance to make mistakes and learn from them before the cost of said mistakes is higher. 

I am sure there are already high schools out there who are integrating some kind of adult-readiness courses, and that’s amazing! It would be even more amazing if all schools nation wide would see the value of such a course and would add it to the list of required courses prior to graduation. Besides, I think it would be a fun class to take— and teach!

When we equip the next generation with the tools they will need in life, they will enter the adult world more confident, more knowledgeable, and more prepared to take on the responsibilities that come with being an adult, and that’s something that we can all benefit from. Knowledge is power, so let’s do our best to arm our students with the knowledge they need to succeed!

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Final Scholarship Reminder!

It’s time for your final scholarship application reminder/tip! Can you believe that applications are due in just SIX days?! It’s so exciting! I’ve really enjoyed reading through the applications that have been submitted so far– there are some really neat projects in the works!

Remember that all applications must be submitted no later than Monday, April 7, 2025 at 11:59 pm MST.

Before you push that “submit” button, please double check a few things:

  • Proofread your application– read over and correct any spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors you may find.
  • Double (or triple) check that all email addresses, phone numbers, and names are correctly entered on your application. If we can’t contact you, your mentor, high school, or planned college, we won’t be able to proceed in the event that your project is chosen as a finalist.
  • Please make sure your pictures are uploaded in a publish-able format. For the photo requirement, we cannot accept photos that are submitted in a Google slide show or a video. You can definitely add photos to your required video, but we also need them uploaded separately. If you choose to share them with us via Google Drive, please make sure you have checked the share settings. It seems obvious, but I can’t view your photos if I don’t have access to the file.
  • Don’t skip over the video requirement! If you don’t submit a video that meets the requirements we have posted here, we will not be able to consider your application. Again, please check the link or share settings to make sure they work.

Should you have any questions, you can contact us via email at scholarship@honorsgraduation.com.

Lastly, take a minute and breathe! You are doing amazing things!