Utah First Generation Student Scholarship

Funded by
$2,800
2 winners, $1,400 each
Awarded
Application Deadline
Mar 10, 2025
Winners Announced
Apr 10, 2025
Education Level
High School, Undergraduate
Eligibility Requirements
Education Level:
High school senior or undergraduate student
State:
Utah
Background:
First-generation college student

Many students have significant privileges that they may not even recognize when it comes to pursuing higher education.

Students who have financial assistance from their parents, academic advice from family members, the resources of a well-funded school district, and the support of their communities are prepared for success when making the leap from high school to college. First-generation students often don’t receive these benefits and are forced to be more independent when it comes to the academic world.

This scholarship seeks to support students who are the first in their families to complete their college degrees.

Any first-generation high school senior or undergraduate student in Utah may apply for this scholarship opportunity.

To apply, tell us about your unique journey, challenges, and triumphs as a first-generation student and how being the first in your family to pursue higher education has affected your goals, perspective, and personal growth.

Selection Criteria:
Ambition, Drive, Impact
Published July 4, 2024
Essay Topic

As a first-generation college student, please share your unique journey, challenges, and triumphs. Discuss how being the first in your family to pursue higher education has shaped your aspirations, influenced your perspective, and impacted your academic and personal growth.

400–600 words

Winning Applications

EIDEN KWAK
American Preparatory Academy - Draper #3Draper, UT
Lizet Hernandez-Cortes
West High School (Salt Lake City)West Valley City, UT
“Keep going” Those are the words I can hear my mom saying in my head. In elementary school when I didn't want to finish reading my chapter books because English was too hard, “keep going” my mom said. When I started playing volleyball in high school and I didn’t know what I was doing, “keep going, don't give up.” This was her motto for me and my siblings. She wants us to achieve everything she wasn’t able to. She left Mexico, her home, when she was 17 with my dad. They weren’t able to finish their high school education, let alone think about college. She motivates my siblings and me to continue and pursue higher education. So, we can achieve our dreams, and get our dream jobs and careers. So, we don’t have to clean office buildings and wait tables like she did. There was a time during my parents’ separation when my mom, my older sisters, and I had to live in a women’s shelter. My mother went through a very hard time, trying to keep us safe against our abusive father and still working to make sure we had a place to call home. She completed her GED a few years later and became a single working mother and has achieved so much since then. She inspires me to do my absolute best in everything, and to “keep going.” I was mostly on my own when I found interest in volleyball. From learning everything about playing by watching the older girls to figuring out a way to pay for club volleyball. I struggled to use my voice, speaking up. I was told over and over that if I couldn’t use my voice, I couldn’t play. I had tough coaches, the type to make you cry after every practice because you were constantly taken off the court for not being able to speak up. So, I made it my goal to become a leader, to be someone known for having a loud voice. “Si quieres algo, tienes que trabajar para logararlo,”- if you want something, you must work hard to achieve it. I don’t remember a time when I asked my mom for something, and she didn’t say those words. My mother has always taught me to be independent. From making me work at 8 years old, helping her clean offices, to starting my first real job at 14. Living in a low-income family has taught me so much, but the biggest thing is advocating for myself. She worked hard to give us a better future and never be in a situation where we had to end up in a women’s shelter again. I didn't want to be silent; I wanted to be as loud and independent as my mom. I had to clean my volleyball club building once a week for months to pay off my club fees, which would not have been possible without my mom. I stepped out of my comfort zone and changed from always being in the back to making sure I was always front and center. And it paid off when I became captain of my 16u club team and varsity captain of my high school team for my junior and senior years. And I know I’ll continue to use my loud voice when I get to college. I've known my whole life that I want to go into the construction field, even though it's very male-dominated. I'm not scared of the challenges I’ll face but excited I will continue to use my voice and be doing everything my mom couldn’t achieve.

FAQ

When is the scholarship application deadline?

The application deadline is Mar 10, 2025. Winners will be announced on Apr 10, 2025.