Tag: scholarship winner

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2025 Scholarship Winner Spotlight: Ryleigh Brenamen-Trumbull

Today I’m spotlighting another one of our Build A Better Future Scholarship winners, Ryleigh Brenamen -Trumbull. Ryleigh recently graduated from high school and is currently attending The Ohio State University, where she will be majoring in Marketing and Non-Profit work. She loves being with her family, going to pretty places in nature, and ice cream.

Ryleigh’s project, ALS Awareness Campaign, aimed to raise awareness and support for ALS and ALS research. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive nervous system disease that attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, eventually leading to muscle weakness, decreased or loss of motor control, and paralysis. There is currently not a cure for ALS, but research is being done to better understand this disease and hopefully find a cure.

Ryleigh began her project when her grandmother was diagnosed with ALS. Ryleigh realized that not many people really understood what ALS entails, and she was determined to show her grandmother just how much she cared and how important this cause was to her. Working with her DECA advisor at school, Ryleigh created a plan to advocate for those suffering with this terrible disease. 

Ryleigh conducted research to determine what kind of fundraisers would both engage people and raise the most funds. She hosted several fundraisers, including a Strike-Out ALS bowling tournament, 2 Trivia Nights, a Corn Hole Tournament, an Empathy Dinner, and an Ice Bucket Challenge. Through these events, she educated people about ALS and raised money that was donated directly to Hoenselaar Clinical Trial Program in Detroit, Michigan. Through her fundraising efforts, Ryleigh was able to raise and donate over $29,000 to go toward ALS research! 

Though she has now graduated from high school and moved on to college, she hopes to continue her efforts as much as she can. She writes, “I was accepted into the Advocates for Communities and Education Scholars Program at OSU, so I plan to try to bring this cause to this group to hopefully continue to raise awareness and possibly funds in Columbus. I also would love if my DECA chapter continued the project. Lastly, I am currently working with my family to create a scholarship under my mema’s name that has some kind of special essay based around ALS or other disease related.”

This project has had a significant impact on Ryleigh. She said, “This project had an amazing impact on me and what I want to do with my life. It truly showed me what I’m capable of and how much of an impact I can make at such a young age. It has now changed what I want to dedicate my life to.” She was incredibly lucky to have a great support system that included her mom and dad, step-parents, grandpa, aunts, uncles, friends, her boyfriend, and her DECA advisor. 

What an amazing project for such a critical cause! Through her efforts and donated funds, I’m certain that Ryleigh was able to bless the lives of many who suffer from this terrible disease. We wish her luck as she begins her college experience and as she continues to advocate for ALS awareness and research!

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2025 Scholarship Winner Spotlight: Maria Avila-Silva

Today I’m spotlighting another one of our incredible Build A Better Future Scholarship awardees, Maria Avila-Silva. Maria’s project, called Pathfinders, was founded with the goal to help immigrant and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students like herself build confidence and find access to the resources needed for post-high school education.

Maria resides in Florida, where she recently graduated from high school. She also completed two semesters of the Innovation Academy Program at the University of Florida. She will be attending Santa Fe College this fall, with plans to major in economics on the pre-med track. Maria and her family immigrated to the United States from Venezuela when she was in middle school, and her favorite treat is Cri-Cri, which is a chocolate bar from Venezuela. 

When Maria and her family moved here to the US, she remembers feeling isolated, alone, and unseen. She didn’t know the language and felt intimidated. Because of her experience, she had the desire to help other immigrant students so they did not feel the same isolation and confusion she did. She told me, “I didn’t want anyone to feel as unseen or unsupported as I once did. I wanted to make sure that every student, no matter where they came from or what their background looked like, could have a fair and equal chance at going to college and pursuing something they love. I knew that without guidance, that dream could be out of reach for many so I became the person I once needed.” Thus, the idea of Pathfinders was born. 

Maria began by speaking with teachers to get their feedback, then researched strategies on how to teach and motivate students. She wanted to create a safe space for the students who would come through her program. While her project didn’t have any large expenses, there were some costs that needed to be covered. Maria wrote, “I… covered the costs myself, from snacks to materials, using money from a part-time job. I wanted students to know someone believed in them enough to invest in them personally.”

Projects like this don’t come without their difficulties. For Maria, that meant trying to balance her project with her own academic responsibilities. She quickly learned strong time management skills, learned to prioritize, plan ahead, and ask for help when it was needed. 

As she learned to balance it all, the project grew and so did its impact. Not only did Pathfinders make a difference for immigrant and ESOL students, the general student body began to take notice, bringing more understanding and respect for the immigrant ESOL students. The students involved with Pathfinders became more confident— asking questions, getting involved, and finding a place in their school community. With Maria’s guidance and help, students in Pathfinders were able to apply for (and some even received) scholarships, apply to college, and find the resources they needed to be successful. This program created a family of students, who came together from different backgrounds, all with a common goal— to feel seen, included, and successful.

Though she is preparing to begin her college courses, Maria plans to maintain contact with her students, and to continue to be available to answer their questions about college, scholarships, and housing, or to simply talk through their concerns. Maria’s goal was to help students find their way and purpose, and in doing so, she also found hers. She said, “I made lifelong friendships and learned the true value of showing up for others. It taught me that action speaks louder than words, and that change doesn’t have to come from a big organization or a massive budget, it can start with one person deciding not to stay silent. It deepened my love for community work and affirmed that my purpose lies in using my voice to empower others. If I had the chance to do it all over again, I would, a thousand times over.”

What an amazing project, Maria! I have no doubt you made an incredible and lasting impact on the students you worked with and helped. Thank you for sharing your talents and passion with the students involved in Pathfinders, and for allowing us to get a glimpse into the amazing and powerful change you brought. We wish you the best of luck as you move forward with your college career!

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Meet Austin Picinich, A 2023 Scholarship Recipient

Meet one of our scholarship winners, Austin Picinich. Austin resides in the state of Washington and has been utilizing “the power of public art” to educate, promote, and bring the community together. 

“I realized that public art – when combined with a community-focused purpose – could have a much larger impact and inspire others to make a difference. My simple idea grew into a big idea: using my love of art to educate, excite, and engage my community in restoring Juanita Creek. The “Save Our Salmon Mural” was born.”

Austin has worked hand in hand with Urban ArtWorks and North Lake Washington SalmonWatchers to plan and carry out the project of painting multiple murals throughout his community. Austin designed these murals himself, he’s been interested in art from a young age and found an excellent way to connect his love of art, help out the local fauna, and bring the community together in the process. He writes,

“I began sharing my “Save Our Salmon” idea in the Juanita community. I interviewed students, stewards, and neighbors. I spoke with long-time residents who remembered Juanita Creek 50 years ago, describing when salmon “painted the stream red” – and to those who, like me, were previously unaware of Juanita Creek. However, no one knew how they could be part of the solution. While talking with my community, I was introduced to a neighbor who happened to be a “SalmonWatcher” for Juanita Creek. They connected me with Dr. Jeff Jensen, a University of Washington biology professor who teaches a salmon-themed class at UW each fall. Dr. Jensen is the founder of North Lake Washington SalmonWatchers, a volunteer group of students building egg boxes and incubators in Lake Washington’s streams, including Juanita Creek.”

“Although there are local groups like SalmonWatchers that focus on salmon sustainability, efforts have little emphasis on driving awareness among everyday community members. The “SalmonWatchers” team was composed of only a dozen UW students. Because I had been ‘one of those people’ who were once unaware of Juanita Creek, I realized greater community engagement was necessary. I sought to educate everyday residents how they could help restore Juanita Creek too.”

Austin’s project was never about just him as an artist. It was always deeply rooted in helping Juanita Creek, the salmon that call it home, and the community surrounding it. 

“While I might be able to paint a mural by myself, the real power of the “Save Our Salmon Mural” came from engaging community members. My goal was to not just create a mural that’s nice to look at – but a mural that teaches my community to protect salmon, and engages my community in creating it. I truly wanted to involve the entire community. I spoke at Kirkland City Council, Kirkland Cultural Arts Commission, Juanita Neighborhood Association, Kiwanis, and Rotary clubs to rally support. In total, I brought together over 20 community groups for my Juanita Creek SOS Mural.”

“I developed a unique “Community Paint Day” format that was interactive and educational. I first designed, outlined, and color-coded my salmon-themed design onto the blank wall in advance. Then, in April 2022, I hosted a Community Paint Day leading 170+ volunteers, ages 4 to 74, to “paint-by-number” my design – transforming the 112-foot wall into a vibrant mural. I also integrated an educational aspect into the Community Paint Day by partnering with Dr. Jeff Jensen and North Lake Washington SalmonWatchers. NLWSW provided onsite docents educating our 400 community attendees, and many attendees signed up as SalmonWatchers during the event.”

Austin has completed three total murals with the fourth coming this July. Over 350 volunteers will be helping complete the mural. 

In an interview Austin stated, 

“Putting in the work to plan for so many community members to help is challenging. There are a lot of permits we have to work on getting from the city for various things and many other things to plan for, it can take up to six months just to put the event together. I could paint the mural myself to avoid this work, but seeing community members connect with the mural and come together to accomplish the final product is more than worth it. I love that these volunteers are able to drive by the mural every day and say, “Hey! I helped paint that salmon’s tail!” 

Austin will be attending the University of Washington in the fall and plans to continue his work with the Save Our Salmon initiative. He plans to major in marketing, which he will use directly to market the merchandise he designs and sells where 100% of the proceeds are donated directly to SalmonWatchers. The stickers, magnets, t-shirts, etc. can be found in local Washington gift shops and on his online Etsy shop. 

Our team at HonorsGradU was blown away by Austin’s selflessness when he noticed a problem in his community and worked hard to make a change. He is literally building a better future for the Juanita community and we are honored to consider him a 2023 scholarship recipient. 

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Scholarship Reminder! Add Pictures to Your Submission

Here’s your weekly scholarship reminder: 

Add photos of your work to your scholarship application! Not only is this a requirement in order to qualify for the scholarship, but adding these pictures only helps your application. 

No amount of pictures is too many, I promise. There is a limit on how many you can submit on our actual submission page, but additional photos can always be emailed to us after your final application has been sent in. You can also insert photos on a Word, Google Document, or PDF and submit this as evidence as well to work around the picture limitations on our submission form. 

By giving us a good visual representation of your community project, it helps us verify the legitimacy as well as literally “see the big picture” of what you’ve been working on. 

Our email is also always open to any questions you may have or guidance needed during the process.

For more information on the scholarship, head here.

For our 2023 final submission link, head here.

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New Logo, Who Dis?

The time has come to unveil the new branding for our scholarship! As I stepped into the role of scholarship chair and content writer, I began noticing some variations in the way that those who came before me referred to the scholarship. The original name for our scholarship was the Design A Better Future scholarship (which I’m assuming came from the fact that the projects needs to be based on the design thinking cycle). But as the years went on, it also started being referred to as the Build A Better future scholarship and both titles started being used interchangeably.

In order to *hopefully* limit future confusion, I decided to update the scholarship logo and declare one title to be the official title from now on. The HGU scholarship will henceforth be known as the Build A Better Future scholarship. I felt as though using the verb “design” was too passive and wasn’t giving our applicants enough credit. Yes, they are using the design thinking cycle but they are also going above and beyond to bring their designs to life.

design a better future scholarship high school seniors

In addition to updating the logo and title, the website has been updated with all the information needed for our 2023 scholarship! I look forward to seeing how the next group of applicants works on building a better future for their communities. If you or anyone you know is a high school senior that will be graduating in 2023, you can find more information regarding the scholarship here and here. Please email scholarship@honorsgraduation.com with any questions. Good luck!

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Introducing Shoshana Folic: The 2022 Scholarship Top Recipient

This is part of a series of blog posts introducing you to our 2022 Build A Better Future scholarship recipients and their projects. We hope you will find their stories as inspiring as we do! For information on our scholarship, click here.

The final scholarship awardee I have for you is Shoshana Folic! Shoshana’s project, Wishing’ U Well, earned her our top spot; which means that in addition to her $10,000 scholarship, she was awarded a $5,000 grant to continue funding her project.

From a very young age, Shoshana began noticing a lack of resources made available to the special needs community. Even before she started Wishing’ U Well, she volunteered with the Best Buddies organization, which offered her valuable insight into the needs of the community and the issues they face. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it exacerbated the disparity and Shoshana knew she needed to do more. She started the Wishing’ U Well platform at the age of fifteen, using her skills as a STEM student to maximize the resources that she wanted to make available. To quote Shoshana directly,

“Wishing’ U Well is a free online platform that is focused on improving the mental, physical, social, and spiritual well-being of those with intellectual or developmental disabilities. The Wishing’ U Well website is equipped with a multitude of different resources, sponsors, and social meetings between Florida high school volunteers and the special needs community.”

The website includes several sections, including workout tips and videos, basic nutrition information, coloring pages and playlists designed to encourage relaxation, mantras and affirmations, and–my personal favorite–the Fun With Friends program. Fun With Friends matches a special needs individual with a high school volunteer based on interests and hobbies and allows them to meet once a week via Zoom to talk, laugh, and bond with each other. Wishing’ U Well also hosts virtual group activities, such as drawing and cooking classes.

When it first launched, Wishing U’ Well only had five members in the special needs community, but has now reached over 850 special needs members from 17 different countries. They have also had over 100 high school students volunteer for the Fun With Friends program. Shoshana is actually trying to encourage more special needs members to join this community, as they have more volunteers than they know what to do with.

Moving forward, Shoshana would like to build up her network of sponsors and content creators to spread the word, increase special needs engagement, and supply even more resources. If you are (or know) someone who might be interested in sponsoring, promoting, or creating content for the Wishing’ U Well organization, you can send an email to shoshana.wishinguwell@gmail.com. Sponsors can be anyone from businesses, non-profits, sports teams, and social media influencers.

Likewise, if you know someone in the special needs community who you think could benefit from the resources provided by the Wishing’ U Well organization (hint: that’s everyone!), or if you would like additional information, please visit the official website: https://www.wishinguwell.org/

Wishing’ U Well can also be found on the following social media sites:

Instagram: wishing.u.well

Facebook: Wishing’ U Well

Twitter: @Wishinguwell_

A big congratulations to Shoshana for winning the top spot and a huge round of applause for her and all the work she has done in providing resources to the special needs community.

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Introducing Brooklyn Conrad: A 2022 Scholarship Winner

This is part of a series of blog posts introducing you to our 2022 Build A Better Future scholarship recipients and their projects. We hope you will find their stories as inspiring as we do! For information on our scholarship, click here.

Up next on our scholarship winner docket is Brooklyn Conrad! Brooklyn has been a member of her local 4-H since the fourth grade, which provided her with countless service opportunities. Some of those opportunities included gathering donations for her community food shelf. She began noticing that most of the food being donated was highly processed and it opened her eyes to the lack of fresh and healthy foods available to those in need.

And thus, the “Feeding Growing Minds for a Healthy Future” campaign was born.

Brooklyn began meeting with local and county government officials, stakeholders, and community members and explaining the importance of making healthier food choices available to those in need. Through her own research, she learned how to make garden beds from IBC totes and wire cattle fencing. With the help of master gardeners and the food shelf coordinators, she received instruction on what produce was most in-demand and which plants would be best for her garden.

In May of 2021, she was ready to get to work. Brooklyn was able to use her 4-H connection to assemble a group of volunteers and together, they planted a variety of vegetables. She watered the garden throughout the summer, and by July, there were vegetables ready to be harvested and donated to the food shelf. She continued nurturing her project and at the time of her application in May of this year, they had already prepped and planted the gardens for another season of fresh produce.

By partnering with her 4-H chapter, she made certain that her food shelf will continue to receive healthier food alternatives. She has been teaching current 4-H members how to maintain the garden and she connected them with a master gardener for additional expertise. Moving forward, Brooklyn hopes to share her project with other counties and is actively gathering resources and materials to help them start their own food shelf gardens. She also wants to set up a system where community members can donate extra produce from their own gardens to local food shelves, ensuring that an even greater variety of fresh fruits and vegetables are going to those who need them instead of going to waste.