Caelen Peterson Memorial Scholarship
Caelen Peterson was a beloved young man, son, and best friend who took his own life due to bullying and harassment.
Many students like Caelen face bullying or go through other mental health challenges that can significantly impact or even end their lives, despite the support systems they have. Schools often don’t go far enough to fight bullying and protect their students. Combined with the stigmatization of mental illness and the discouragement of seeking treatment, people often don’t get the help they need.
This scholarship seeks to honor the life of Caelen Peterson by supporting students who are committed to using their skills to help save lives.
Any high school senior in Iowa within the Adel-DeSoto-Minburn (ADM) school district who is pursuing a career in mental health (therapist, psychiatrist, counselor, etc.) may apply for this scholarship opportunity if they’re passionate about helping others.
To apply, provide a response to the questions posed in the essay prompt. Please also provide two letters of recommendation from a non-relative acquaintance who has known you a minimum of two years. These can be counselors, volunteer leaders, church clergy, managers from work, etc. You must have your current cumulative GPA included in your profile to be considered.
Please provide a response to the following questions:
- What is your Intended school, field of study, and start date? What will you plan to do once you receive your degree? (What career path)
- Please indicate whether you have a.) not yet applied to school, b.) have been accepted into the school of your choice or c.) have applied and are awaiting a response from the school.
- What do you think is the biggest misconception about mental health today, and how would you address it?
- Do you believe mental health education is important? If so, how should it be integrated into our schools?
- What does being a mental health advocate mean to you and how do you live that out in your everyday life?
- Did you know Caelen Peterson? If so, do you have any stories/memories to share with us? (this question will not in any way affect your chance at the scholarship, it is just a way for us to be able to show just how much of an impact Caelen had).
- Are you involved in any volunteer work and/or extra curricular activities? If so, please tell us about them.
- (Optional): Is there anything else you'd like the foundation to know about you? If so, please share here.
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FAQ
The application deadline is Apr 26, 2026. Winners will be announced on May 26, 2026.
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Award amounts per winner are designated by the donor. Check the award amount for a detailed breakdown.
The winner will be publicly announced on May 26, 2026. Prior to the announcement date, we may contact finalists with additional questions about their application. We will work with donors to review all applications according to the scholarship criteria. Winners will be chosen based on the merit of their application.
Award checks will be sent to the financial aid office of the winner's academic institution or future academic institution in their name to be applied to their tuition, and in the name of their institution (depending on the school's requirements). If the award is for a qualified educational non-tuition expense, we will work with the winner directly to distribute the award and make sure it goes towards qualified expenses.
Before we award the scholarship, the winner will be required to confirm their academic enrollment status. Depending on the circumstances, verification of Student ID and/or their most recent transcript will be required.
If you have any questions about this scholarship or the Bold.org platform, just email contact@bold.org and we’ll get back to you as quickly as we can.
Yes. The terms and conditions for this scholarship can be found here.
