Whitefish Education Foundation Scholarship Committee Launches Scholarship Mentor Program Whitefish High School and Whitefish Independent High School Students

The Whitefish Education Foundation (WEF) Scholarship Committee has launched a volunteer Scholarship Mentor pilot program during the 2023-2024 academic year.  Under the supervision of the Whitefish High School Counselors, volunteer mentors are available to assist Whitefish High School and Whitefish Independent High School students in navigating the scholarship search and application process.  

In addition to the financial aid packages of grants and loans supported by government and higher education institutions, there are many groups and individuals that want to help students reduce the cost of meeting their educational goals. Scholarships are offered by corporations, associations, organizations, local businesses, and individuals to help make post-secondary education affordable. 

With so many sources of potential aid, the process of finding scholarships that are the right match for students and their goals can feel complex. Volunteer mentors are available to help students create a strategy for searching for scholarships, identify which resources best suit their goals based on their unique accomplishments and future plans, and organize their approach based on allocated time and award amount given. Mentors may also assist in reviewing students’ applications for the selected scholarships prior to submission. 

Scholarship Search and Application Resources developed:

• “Timeline and Resource Checklist” handout provides a general overview and helps to guide in the search process
• “Match Data” worksheet allows students to reflect on their strengths and how they will best position themselves
• “Scholarship Applications Tracking” worksheet facilitates recording relevant scholarships and updating the status of individual applications
• “Using Search Time Wisely” handout promotes efficient use of students’ and families’ time during the search and application process
• “Helpful Tips for Completing Scholarship Applications” handout includes tips for initial searches and considerations for responding to common prompts and questions

Members of the committee have also assisted school counselors by maintaining the “Local Scholarship Spreadsheet” accessed via Whitefish High School’s Counselor web page; this is a curated list of over 70 local scholarships to which graduating seniors can apply. In addition to updating application forms and links for active scholarships each year, filters have now been added for various application criteria to better assist students in quickly identifying if the scholarship is a good match for their accomplishments and goals.

“It has been amazing to have the scholarship volunteers mentor our seniors and their families.  They have helped our school so much by meeting with individual seniors, assisting at parent night events, communicating with scholarship donors, and helping to organize our awards ceremony.  This year, the results of their efforts have been an increase in completed scholarship applications as well as higher quality applications.  Eventually, I think the volunteer efforts will lead to an increase in scholarship awards offered by our community!” ROSS LINGLE, COLLEGE & CAREER COUNSELOR, WHITEFISH HIGH SCHOOL

To date, WEF Scholarship Mentors estimate they have met with 60 students since program inception in January and contributed nearly 200 volunteer hours.  WEF Scholarship Mentor Chair Caroline Frisbee shared “We are honored to support Whitefish High School in this capacity. Students with whom we meet are at various stages in their scholarship search, ranging from learning about available local scholarships and specific university resources, to needing reviews of their essays and application materials to ensure they are complete prior to submission. We are available to help in any capacity that supports the students best throughout their scholarship search journey!”

“Searching for scholarships can seem overwhelming at first.  It was really helpful to have someone to help me get started and better understand each step I needed to take.”  Maddie Young, WHS Senior

Special thanks to WEF volunteers Gayle MacLaren, Marie Russell-Shaw, and Caroline Frisbee for their leadership through the process of launching this pilot program.

If you have questions or interest in participating in the WEF Scholarship Mentors Program or providing an annual scholarship, please contact WEF Executive Director Jesse Kuntz at wefdirector@whitefishschools.org