American Legion Offers Scholarships, Encourages All To Apply

From Minnie Knych, American Legion Post 163 Auxiliary 

The American Legion offers scholarships, and students should apply even if they think they aren’t eligible. 

American Legion Scholarships

Over $203,500 in scholarships is awarded each year to the top winners in the American Legion National Oratorical Contest. The state winners of the contest receive $5,000 for the first prize. Local San Juan County winners can win also. To prepare for the 2022 contest, weekly after-school will be offered starting in September 2021. For more information or to sign up for the classes, contact [email protected].

 If you are a high school junior you can apply to attend Girls or Boys State sponsored by American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary. Boys State is now enrolling for the 2021 session  June 20-26 at the Warm Beach Conference Center in Stanwood, Washington. More information is available at [email protected].

Or, contact the Friday Harbor American Legion member Shannon Plummer at [email protected] or 360-375-5508, or American Legion Auxiliary Girls State contact Minnie Knych at [email protected].

Contact Friday Harbor high school counselors about the following scholarships.

• Marguerite Mc”Alpin Memorial Scholarship: Nurses’ scholarship or $1,000 awarded for a direct descendent of a veteran.   
• Florence Lemcke Memorial Scholarship in Fine Arts: A scholarship of $1,000 will be awarded in the field of Fine Arts including painting, drawing, photography, literature, architecture, sculpture poetry, music, dance and drama.
• Samsung American Legion Scholarship: If you are a graduating high school senior who has previously attended Girls or Boys State and is a direct descendant of a U.S. military veteran, you are eligible to apply for the Samsung Scholarship.
• Susan Burdett Scholarship: This scholarship is available to a former citizen of Girls State and is awarded by the Washington State American Legion Auxiliary.

Why Students Do Not Apply For Scholarships, And Why They Should

I Don’t Have a High Enough GPA: Most scholarships do not require a 4.0 GPA. Scholarships that do not have a minimum grade point average eligibility criterion usually require a 3.0 or 3.5. Some do not include the GPA as an eligibility at all. Scholarships can be based on your career interest, your activities, or the community you live in. 

My Parents Make Too Much Money: Some scholarships are based on need or financial aid eligibility. But there are many merit-based scholarships that are not based on your family income but on academic achievement or promise for future success.

I Don’t Have Time To Look: Time is money and in this case money well-spent. If it takes you a total of 10 hours to look for a scholarship opportunity, complete and mail the application, but you receive a $1,000 scholarship, you have made more money per hour than most of us make on our job. 

I Don’t Know Where To Look: You can find information about scholarships by looking online, or check with your school counselor, or service clubs such as the American Legon, Sons of the American Legion or American Legion Auxiliary. 

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