Today, nonprofit VHS Learning announced the winners of its 15th annual college scholarship program. The organization awarded a total of $5,500 in scholarships to nine recipients.
Two students each won $1,000 scholarships and seven earned $500 scholarships. All scholarship recipients created videos that answered the scholarship program’s question for this year: “Why did you take your VHS Learning course and what did you learn from the experience.”
Ashley Hackney from Merion Mercy Academy in Pennsylvania was one of the $1,000 scholarship winners. She had taken all the science courses available in her school, including several honors and Advanced Placement® courses. However, Merion Mercy did not offer AP® Chemistry, so her vice principal recommended taking the course through VHS Learning. In her video, Hackney described learning creativity, curiosity, and communication – which she dubbed as the “three Cs” – through the course. “There were many times when we had to utilize all three of the three Cs in lab proposals and experiments,” she said. “In lab proposals, we created our own experiments and basically took charge of our own learning.”
The other $1,000 scholarship winner, Nathaniel Schindler from Plymouth Whitemarsh High School in Pennsylvania, turned to VHS Learning because the timing of his school’s AP® Economics course didn’t fit his schedule. Schindler was initially concerned about his ability to balance his online coursework with his club activities, which included mock trial, DECA, Make-A-Wish, and theater. In his video, he explains how he used tools such as Google Calendar and the course’s weekly task checklist to hone his organization skills. He stated, “I can confidently say I’m the most organized I’ve ever been.”
Shaylee Hard from Holly High School in Michigan was one of the $500 scholarship winners, and she has taken courses exclusively via VHS Learning since her freshman year. “I’ve never been the kind of student who enjoyed being in a classroom setting, with all my peers watching and waiting for me to participate,” she said in her video. “When all eyes were on me, I felt like I couldn’t truly express my ideas and perspectives.” Hard overcame those obstacles as she worked with her online peers. “I learned that it’s actually quite simple to work as a team even when you’re thousands of miles apart,” she stated. “I learned that standing up and sharing what I’ve learned doesn’t have to be scary.”
The other $500 scholarship winners and their videos include:
Alexandra Parent from Apponequet Regional High School in Massachusetts https://youtu.be/fwYwgcZ-9U0
Daliana Quiñones from Colibri Preparatory Academy in Puerto Rico https://youtu.be/ZQGQUc-8MU4
Ella Chase from Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School in Massachusetts https://youtu.be/NIidBNdl1U0
Leah Daukshus from Notre Dame High School in Pennsylvania https://youtu.be/E1j6sfOPLbc
Maya Levitt from Norwell High School in Massachusetts https://youtu.be/jZe6GNXqL28
Ruby DeLuca Lowell from Dana Hall School in Massachusetts https://youtu.be/QfkHCWGBx8k
“Increased confidence and self-awareness, development of time management skills, and a sense of empowerment over their learning, were common themes in many of this year’s winning videos” said Carol DeFuria, President & CEO of VHS Learning. “In addition to providing students with academic experiences that help them achieve their educational goals, we’re thrilled to prepare students for success beyond high school by helping them develop essential skills and practices they will need throughout life.”
About VHS Learning
VHS Learning is a nonprofit organization with over 25 years of experience providing world-class online programs to students and schools everywhere. Offering more than 300 unique online courses for high school credit, including 25 AP® courses, credit recovery, and enrichment courses, VHS Learning is accredited by Middle States Association Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS), Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS WASC), and Cognia. Courses are approved for initial eligibility by NCAA. For more information about VHS Learning please visit https://www.vhslearning.org/ and follow on Twitter at @VHSLearning.
