Keziah John

I would like to thank the Windward Spirit donor for awarding me with this scholarship. I was ecstatic and overjoyed that I won because it helped ease the stress I had about paying off student loans and having debt once I enter college. I am grateful that I was given the opportunity to apply, and will be forever thankful that I was chosen as a winner for this scholarship. I wholeheartedly believe that my generation, Gen Z, has the power to make a change regardless of the barriers we face. Winning this scholarship has shown me that everyone, no matter what background they come from, has the power to succeed and accomplish whatever they set their minds too. Thank you once again for awarding me with this scholarship!

Hazel Purins

Thank you so, so much. Winning this scholarship is incredible, and something I never dreamed would happen. I want to thank everyone involved with Windward Spirit for allowing me to continue to pursue my dreams. Like you, I have faith in my generation and our abilities to make a real difference in the world we live in. This scholarship is going directly to paying my tuition, which will allow me to continue attending UW Madison as an out of state student. As my part of this necessary work, I'm studying Botany and Environmental Science with the goal of working in the Parks or Forest Service, and protecting the ecosystems I love from the threat of climate change and human impact. I cannot express how much this means to me, or my sincere gratitude to everyone who made this possible. Thank you so much.