Here are just some of our scholarship winners. Get inspired by their award-winning essays and videos. You never know... we might just be featuring you next!
Jesús Adrian Arroyo-Ramirez
Won $40,000
"I honestly had
an amazing experience with Going Merry."
Nana Aba Turkson
Won $20,000
Show us what you’ve done or created to better a community or the world.
"Always apply!!! Better to apply than to wonder. Rejection and 'no' does not mean that it will be the answer for this next application. You are awesome. Keep going. Apply."
Gabby DeMott
Won $10,000
Event that sparked personal growth and new understanding.
"...Never have I felt so accepted while being an outsider, so proud of a country that isn't even mine, so part of something I didn't really belong to..."
Pablo Castro
Won $10,000
"My name is Pablo Castro. I am a deaf college student at the Rochester Institute of Technology and the National Technology Institute for the Deaf (RIT/NTID). My passion is aiming at the Graphic Design major in RIT. I am always looking forward to gaining my experiences and pieces of knowledge from somewhere or someone."
Show and tell us about an amazing moment.
Swati Prashar
Won $1,000
Swati Prashar
Won $1,000
Be persistent and honest, and see how you can serve others while building on your uniqueness.
Michelle Marie Charles
Won $2,500
Event that sparked personal growth and new understanding.
"...The inhumane feeling of not being able to defend yourself from typical stereotypes because the fear of losing your job outweighs your dignity, is a sign of discrimination..."
Juanita del Rosario Mejia Gutierrez
Won $1,000
Make a hilarious, gorgeous, or heartbreaking video, worthy of breaking the internet.
A little sneak peek into the eccentric world that exists inside my mind. Enjoy!
Lizet Yoselin Cano Rodriguez
Won $250
Going Merry No Essay Scholarship
"Simply don’t give up, share your story, do what will make you happy, and apply to as many scholarships as humanly possible."
Jordane Torres
Won $250
Going Merry No Essay Scholarship
"I would recommend Going Merry to other students because it offers a variety of scholarships that students can apply for."
Violetta & Jess
Won $1,000
Who is the best friend ever, and why?
"Even if we hadn’t won, I still would have wanted to make [my friend Jess] something she could watch when she was having a bad day and needed a reminder that she is important and loved."
Yaah Adwere-Boamah
Won $1,000
Challenges or barriers you had to work to overcome.
"...I was raised knowing that I was a unique Ghanaian-American woman who could achieve anything, and I wasn’t going to let the words of others tell me otherwise..."
Elizabeth Contreras
Won $1,500
Career goals and aspirations
"I am majoring in kinesiology to become a physical therapist. I want to pursue my dream job and be able to buy my parents a house..."
John Flowers
Won $500
What realization sparked personal growth in you?
"...People use the saying, “the sky is the limit”, but it isn’t. The sky is limitless. I don’t want to stop chasing my goals when I reach the sky. I want to reach for the stars and everything above..."
Mariam Ibanaz
Won $250
Going Merry No Essay Scholarship
"As a scholarship recipient, I encourage all students to apply relentlessly in order to explore the multitude of opportunities at hand, afforded to the community by many generous companies."
Daniel Gill
Won $1,000
Why are you the Most Unique?
"By teaching diversity, equity, and inclusion through puppetry, I feel that I am making a difference..."
Zachary Ocegueda
Won $250
Houghton Kearney Elementary Alumni Scholarship
"Don’t be afraid to just go for it. Believe in yourself."
Chloë Divers
Won $500
Briefly share with us how you have been involved with the community and what impact this has had on your life.
"Community is one of the most important things in the world to me. I value supporting people, and I personally believe we as a whole do not do enough to maintain meaningful relationships..."
Emma Evey
Won $500
Going Merry School/Skills Info - Profile Completeness Scholarship
"Apply to as many as you can because you never know how many other people will take the time to fill out the applications."
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High Schools in America
Students
States
My immigrant parents embedded our Ghanaian culture throughout my upbringing, and because of this, I never lost sight of my identity, culture, and roots.
While growing up as a Ghanaian-American in a predominantly white town, I often felt isolated and uncomfortable in many places. I was the only black person on the cross country team for three years, and other team members along with students would make racist jokes about black people and running. Sometimes, students would say that I am “too eloquent” or “too smart” for a black girl, or my teachers would make racist comments about black people in class that made me feel uncomfortable, especially when all the students stared at me after such comments in class.
The constant negative comments about Africans and African-Americans in particular diminished my self-esteem and self-confidence. I was often afraid to speak up and ask questions in class, because I was fearful of what others might think of me. The cyclic feeling of doubt never left me.
Finally , I was tired of it. I refused to be stuck in a place of fear and doubt at the expense of my goals, so I reevaluated myself. I remembered the words that were instilled in me--”Don’t lose sight of your identity and culture.” I was raised knowing that I was a unique Ghanaian-American woman who could achieve anything, and I wasn’t going to let the words of others tell me otherwise. I contributed more to my class discussions by asking and answering questions, and became the only black board member in four clubs on campus.
Throughout my high school experience, I have tackled more challenges by staying true to myself, and using people’s doubtful perceptions of me as a catalyst to do greater things. Although the obstacles seemed insurmountable at first, I am proud that I was able to overcome them and successfully complete my education. I am sorry to have gone through such unpleasant experiences. However, they have made me a strong person and prepared me to deal with the realities of the world we live in.
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There were only a few minutes to go and our eyes were glued to screen. On the edge of our seats, clutching whoever happened to be next to us, we watched as the referee blew his whistle and the German players took their free kick. The ball was hit with precision and skill; it flew up over the Swedish players, past their goalie, and was caught safely in the back of the opposing team’s net. We all jumped up and screamed, a mixture of German and English, of excitement and relief, of pride and anticipation. We stood, enraptured, for the last several minutes of the game as Germany kept its 2-1 lead over Sweden. The horde of us, Germans and Americans alike, hugged and cheered and made our way out onto the balcony, where we chanted “Deutschland! Deutschland! Deutschland!” for the whole village, the whole country, the whole world to hear.
Never have I felt so accepted while being an outsider, so proud of a country that isn't even mine, so part of something I didn't really belong to. My German friends didn't care that we were from different countries; they didn't care that we would only be staying for three weeks. They accepted us into their homes and their daily lives, their traditions and their celebrations. In watching that World Cup game, it didn't matter that we were from different places; we were all cheering for the same team.
The acceptance I felt in Germany extended beyond that living room. I came to the country on a three week exchange with ten other students from my school. We each stayed with host families and attended the Wildermuth Gymnasium, which was surprisingly accommodating to a gaggle of loud American teenagers. The teachers were friendly and welcoming, the students treated us like ordinary peers, and even the people I interacted with in public were understanding.
Before coming to Germany I feared judgment based on my level of the language (which is nowhere near as good as the German students’ English) and American politics. It was intimidating to be in a country with limited knowledge of the language and the customs, even though everyone was welcoming. People did ask myself and the other students about the US’s political climate, but no one blamed us for it. They recognized that we were outsiders, that the place we came from had flaws, and they accepted us anyway.
Since that trip, I’ve found myself trying to provide that acceptance to people in my own country. For example, I work at a canoe livery and we receive a lot of visitors with limited English. Some of my coworkers will avoid such customers because they don’t want to take the time to explain things, to exercise patience with someone who may not understand them. If people had done this to me in Germany, my time there would have been much less enjoyable; in fact, I would have been offended.
So now when someone walks up to me at the livery and asks a question in English that isn’t perfect, I smile and welcome them. I take my time to make sure they understand, that they can have a good time, and that they feel accepted. It’s a small action, but I know firsthand that it can make a big impact, at my place of work and in the world.
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As an Expressive Arts specialist, I use puppet play and the arts (with three to five-year-olds) to teach sharing, identifying and working with feelings, making friends, mindfulness, and asking for what you need in peaceful ways. Additionally, I perform developmentally appropriate puppet shows in classrooms about fairness, valuing difference (including differences in gender expression and skin tone), and peaceful conflict resolution. By teaching diversity, equity, and inclusion through puppetry, I feel that I am making a difference.
In this work, I have noticed an unexplained phenomenon. Educational puppetry is particularly effective in helping children with ASD develop social and communication skills. One girl with ASD in my school refused to follow the daily routine until a parrot puppet helped guide her through the transitions. Through puppet play, a boy with impulse control challenges learned to manage his feelings and stop hitting other children. One boy with Autism showed remarkable progress with puppet play. Now in Kindergarten, his ability to communicate and make friends makes his academic success possible. Teachers value this work; it reinforces the social and emotional teaching they practice daily. One teacher told me, “What you do with puppets and our kids is amazing. You need to share this work beyond our preschool.”
My goal is to support young children with Autism in public school settings develop the social-emotional skills they need for academic and personal success. I aim to accomplish this by creating and implementing evidence-based strategies that use puppets as intervention tools. A Masters and Credential in ECSE, and the Autism Spectrum Graduate Certificate program I will complete, are essential to broadening my impact. The program will provide me with the theoretical foundation, the student teaching experiences, the credentials, and the academic community required to work with children and families in public school settings. For example, as part of the ECSE Program Masters and Credential Roadmap, I am taking the Seminar in Educational Research course. I am learning how to conduct scholarly research, a fundamental skill in creating innovative approaches that work. I am eager to apply the knowledge and skills I learn at SFSU toward helping more children open doors to connection.
Additionally, I am learning leadership skills by volunteering for SFSU’s Early Childhood Special Education Conference. Most conference attendees are undergraduate students, interested in working with young children at-risk and with disabilities. As Co- Chair of the Presenter Committee, I am recruiting dynamic and engaging speakers who will lead workshops. I am eager to apply all of the knowledge and skills I learn at SFSU toward helping more children open doors to connection.
I am at a critical juncture in my path. Helping children who experience social disconnection integrate into their classrooms, is my passion. This scholarship will help me work toward a world where every child has access to education and all children know they belong.
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I stood still, as I glanced over my shoulder in search for my mother, with hope that she would defend us, but instead, she did nothing. She continued to only do her work, as if though she was immune to this sort of harassment. Rage, yet confusion mixed together, came rushing down my body through my head to the end of my toes. I began to feel completely powerless, as I kept hearing how useless I was, my body was shaken to the slurred words of insults that were thrown in the air, with the harsh wind blowing hatred words into my arms, legs, and mind.
“Ever since these Mexicans began working here, everything is much slower here, they are just taking our jobs, bunch of good for nothing!”, desperately yelled a feminine voice.
It was at this exact instant, I knew my brothers were right, by saying once I obtain my first job, I will become more aware of the society issues we have in the world. But I wonder how could someone be so cruel to another person? At the time, her comment struck me, as I had never been exposed to this. What was this? I started to perceive the situation for what it really was, a person discriminating my fellow co- workers and I, for the indecisive color of our skin. I never felt ashamed of my culture or my parents, who like most came undocumented for the better sake of their family. Instead, I was prideful of my parents, for providing me with a stable house, to where I grew up in for the past seventeen years.
“HELLLLOOOOO??”, another voice shouted.
“They are Mexican, they only respond to hola!”, laughed the third lady back to her friend.
It was then, I could not handle the insults any longer, both my hands were trembling so quickly, that I placed the cup in my hand and onto the counter. I froze and thought to myself how all my life I was inexperienced, too closed-minded to realize that I portrayed the world to have acceptance of one-another, no matter the color of your skin; however it was just the opposite.
The inhumane feeling of not being able to defend yourself from typical stereotypes because the fear of losing your job outweighs your dignity, is a sign of discrimination. I never would wish upon anyone to experience the racism I have faced, but I can say that this has heavily changed my whole perspective on life. I wondered how many immigrants hide under the worst working conditions because they believe that having thick skin is part of the job. I started to become more humble and grateful for the life I have and so many wish to have. I started to write my English essays on immigration, I started to become the leader of my class discussions on immigration, this converted me to become a young leader to where I was not afraid to respectfully voice my mind.
My wish is to help guide undocumented people to obtain a job in a foreign country, and to fight for them to stay in the country. I dream of becoming the voice of immigration because I know they cannot stand up for themselves. Once I am an attorney, I will seek new opportunities to expand the help provided to immigrants. I will create programs that specifically target undocumented people to know their own voice and to educated themselves about the law. I understand how the majority of people do not have exposure or the knowledge to know that they can still manage to have a life in a foreign country, under the law. I know the long journey that lays ahead of them and know how difficult the process of transferring to undocumented to citizen is, but I want to be there so they know that they still have a choice.
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What are your educational plans as they relate to your career objectives and future goals?
Overall my parents are my inspiration and my motivation to keep working hard towards my educational and career plans. I make sure I have A’s and a good GPA. My other goal is to attend a CSU or a UC and get my bachelors degree first and then get my masters degree. I am majoring in kinesiology to become a physical therapist. I want to pursue my dream job and be able to buy my parents a house. That is my dream and I will work extra hard every day to accomplish this.
Tell us about yourself, your family, your interests, etc.
My name is Elizabeth Contreras, and I am currently a senior attending high school. I am eighteen years old and have three younger sisters. I am the oldest in my family and the first ever to attend college.
I love being involved in school by being in clubs. I am in Key Club which is an organization that does community service and I currently hold an officer position as an editor. FFA is another organization I am involved in; it helps students with public speaking skills and overall a person’s personal growth. I’ve done a lot of public speaking competitions which have taught me how to speak professionally in front of people and learned to memorize things in a short period of time. I have been a Greenhand officer my freshman year and an FFA Officer during my junior year. I also have a part-time job as a cashier in Merced Fruit Barn. I am a person who balances my duties in clubs, school, and work. I am a hardworking, caring, optimistic and most importantly very passionate about what I do.
My parents are farm workers who left their native country to come to California for us to have a better life. My parents work in the fields and is not easy because of the extremely hot weather. They are constantly moving which causes their body to become sore.
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My parents were never given a shot at having an education beyond high school. They were never given a shot to show their full potential and make a difference in the world. They had to start life at an early age. I want to succeed in college for them and for me. I want them to be proud of me for doing a task that they weren’t able to do. Everyone makes mistakes, but it is those who learn from their mistakes who are successful. I am learning from their mistakes. Where they got stumped, I find a way to get over. Where they may have stumbled, I continue to run. I have to keep running for my goals in life. Even after reaching my goal I will continue to strive towards greatness. People use the saying, “the sky is the limit”, but it isn’t. The sky is limitless. I don’t want to stop chasing my goals when I reach the sky. I want to reach for the stars and everything above.
Being young and seeing my parents struggle is hard for me. It’s challenging seeing the people you love go through a hard time and you can’t do anything about it. I had to change my way of thinking. But then I realized I can do something about it. I can get good grades in school. I can take college level courses throughout high school. I can attend a 4-year university and earn my bachelor’s degree in Business Entrepreneurship. That was my thought process as a Freshman. Now being a Senior I turned those “I cans” into “I did”. I DID get good grades all through school. I DID take college level courses. I will be walking straight out of high school with 17 college credit hours. I recently have gotten accepted in The University of Missouri-Kansas City. I DID get into a 4-year university; and 4 years from now I want to be able to say I DID earn my bachelor’s degree in Business Entrepreneurship.
Nothing would make me happier than to be able to take care of my parents the way they have been taking care of my all my life; and nothing would make me better as a person than to be able to say I did this. I am setting an example for my younger siblings and for my teachers. My teachers being able to see my graduate will let them know that they’ve done well as a teacher, and as a person. I have bettered as a person, a son, and a student, and I am thankful to have been given opportunities that a lot of kids don’t have. I will not take this opportunity for granted.
Going Merry makes it easy to find and apply to eligible scholarships matched to your profile. We even pre-fill your application forms!
Hey, don't tell us. Tell the scholarship providers.
You only start winning when you start applying. So let's get to it.
Hey, don't tell us. Tell the scholarship providers.
You only start winning when you start applying. So let's get to it.
Community is one of the most important things in the world to me. I value supporting people, and I personally believe we as a whole do not do enough to maintain meaningful relationships with our fellow humans. I believe that ‘hustle-culture’, and the hyper-independence of modern American culture has driven us apart in unforeseen ways. I believe in the value of interpersonal relationships. We should be able to lean on each other for physical, emotional, and resource support. Unfortunately, however, that is just not the world we live in–but I don’t think that means it can’t be.
As a kid, I really valued helping others. The joy I got from seeing others benefit from my contributions was the closest thing I ever got to feeling in control of the seeming constant crises in the world around me. I was a Girl Scout for about seven years. As a Girl Scout, I participated in countless volunteer efforts. For instance, I visited a nursing home on Christmas to keep residents with no family visitors company, I assisted unhoused populations struggling with food insecurity, and I participated in wildlife conservation efforts. Outside of my Girl Scouts involvement, I was also involved with things like an annual charity 5k, and an annual beach clean-up day growing up. Volunteering became a source of fulfillment for me in a world of constant stress and anxiety.
Over time my volunteer efforts have expanded. In 2020 I became involved with my home city’s brand new LGBT organization. Through my efforts I have been able to provide resources to queer community members, who are statistically at a higher risk of poverty and homelessness, especially in our post-pandemic world. I have been able to help organize community events such as an annual “queer hike.” I have also delved into the issues that affect many members of this community outside of their queer/trans experiences. This year I became certified to administer and distribute Narcan (Naloxone). Narcan is a medication that can temporarily reverse an overdose, allowing more time for emergency services to arrive. Members of the LGBT community struggle with mental and physical illness, including substance use disorder and chronic pain, at a considerably higher rate. It’s incredibly important to me to give struggling people in our community a chance to survive long enough to recover from the health conditions we so commonly struggle with, and they can’t do that if they lose their life to overdose. This cause is very near and dear to my heart.
I plan to continue volunteer efforts as much as possible in the future. The burden of singlehandedly funding my college education has absorbed most of my current time, but I believe in the power of hard work and think that eventually I’ll be able to jump back into volunteering. My future plans involve volunteering with The Trevor Project, and The Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center Thrift Store. I hope to be able to continue supporting my community very soon, and your generous scholarship opportunity could assist me in getting there sooner. Thank you very much for your consideration.
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