The end of the year for seniors is rapidly approaching as we near the last week of their high school career. Many of these students have put in great work during high school and are being rewarded for their hard work and dedication. Senior scholarships were announced on Wednesday, April 29th, on the BSD Youtube channel, and it’s time to recognize the seniors and the scholarships that they have earned outside of the Brentwood community that weren’t featured in the video.
One senior who got an amazing scholarship is Ben Barkofske. Barkofske received the Missouri Land Grant Honors. In order to get this scholarship, he had to be Pell-eligible and be accepted into Mizzou’s Honors College. To get accepted, Barksofke had to submit a resume and an essay. He will be using this scholarship at Mizzou. Barkofske applied for the scholarship to help with paying for college. “I’m very happy that I got it because I wasn’t expecting it at all,” Barkofske said. Even though he isn’t sure exactly what he will be studying, he is interested in nursing and biological sciences. “My advice for the juniors would be to apply for everything, even if you don’t think you’ll get it and talk to Ms. Diaz a lot because she’s very helpful,” Barkofske advised. Best of luck to Barkofske and the continuation of his academic career at Mizzou!
Next up is senior Kathryn Vandenhoek. Vandenhoek received MUSIC Dr. Darrel “Jack” Holley Scholarship. This scholarship was very selective and only six winners were chosen, including Vandenhoek. The requirements for the scholarship were that she had to be from a school that was a MUSIC (Missouri United School Insurance Council) member. Schools were separated into small, medium, and large categories based on enrollment size and two students from each category received the scholarship. In order to get the scholarship, Vandekhoek had to write an essay about what makes her unique, why she deserves the money, and how she would use it. Just like Barkofske, Vandenhoek will be using her scholarship at Mizzou. She said she applied for the scholarship because Ms. Diaz posted it on the scholarship page and she thought it looked like a good one to shoot for. “I feel very honored, and I will try my best to use it well,” Vandenhoek noted. In college, she will be majoring in environmental sciences through Mizzou’s Honors College and hopes to be involved in many research opportunities. As far as her advice for the juniors, Vandenhoek says, “Don’t be afraid to brag a little. You’ve worked hard, but most importantly, don’t forget to be honest about who you are and never back down from your beliefs.” Congratulations to Vandenhoek and her continued education journey!
A third senior who got a scholarship is Marco Mathon. Mathon received the Breen Scholarship from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri. This $24,000 scholarship was awarded to incoming freshmen who maintained a 3.3 cumulative GPA and filed an admission application before May 1st. The Breen scholarship is the highest automatic scholarship awarded to freshmen at Rockhurst University. Although Mathon didn’t have to do much to apply for this scholarship, it’s still a recognizable reward. Mathon is very excited about his scholarship because Mathon is very excited about his scholarship because it will ease the financial burden of his college tuition. He will be majoring in physical therapy. Mathon’s advice for juniors is, “Just do well in high school.” Good job to Mathon, and best wishes to him in college.
A final senior who has received a scholarship is Contessa Smith. Smith received the Dean’s Scholarship and the A+ scholarship. The Dean’s scholarship, worth $15,000, is an award for her academics and ACT score. She was eligible for the A+ scholarship because she completed the mentoring and had the grades required for it. Smith will be attending Fontbonne University here in St. Louis, Missouri. There wasn’t an application for the Dean’s scholarship, so Fontbonne awarded it to Smith, easing the costs of higher education and rewarding her hard work. For A+, she fulfilled the requirements, and Ms. Diaz helped her get the information submitted to Fontbonne. Smith is excited to go on and excel close to home at Fontbonne University.
The Class of 2020 powered through their senior year amid great uncertainty. Many of them still excelled academically and walked away with thousands of dollars in scholarships from their institutions. Congratulations to these seniors and their scholarships, and best of luck to all of the seniors as they journey forward!
