My name is Benjamin Castellano Williamson and I am a Senior at Montgomery High School in Montgomery, TX. I am hoping to attend one of several Universities I have been accepted into in the Fall of 2026 (OU, Alabama, Oklahoma State, LSU or Mississippi State). However, without significant financial aid and scholarships, the costs of attending an out-of-state school, are too great for my family. I am looking to receive financial aid, and applying to several scholarships, including your Scholarship fund. During my High School years, I have participated on my Swim and Dive team and am a Captain. I have also participated in some great community service organizations. I am a member of my High School LEO's CLUB. This is a service organization that is the Junior Club for the National Men's LION'S CLUB. Our club aims to restore pride, patriotism, excitement, & to reignite the Lion spirit in our community. We participate in local senior citizen’s Bingo nights once a month at the local community center. We help set up, run and take down the concession stand, as well as have fellowship with people that come to the event. It has been very gratifying to participate in with fellow classmates who have pride in our community and country. I have also worked at the local Montgomery Food Bank with a group of students in conjunction with the Conroe Chamber of Commerce. I was accepted into the Chamber of Commerce's 2024 Summer Youth Leadership Program, where we met daily for a week with community leaders about the importance of working with various non-profits to better our local community. We helped make food bags for the local food bank to give out. I would like to find a local food bank to give of my time. I believe that free enterprise goes hand in hand with the Oil & Gas Industry in the US which is key to our economic growth. I am interested in going into the Oil & Gas industry with a Chemical Engineering degree. My step-father was an Industrial Engineer in the Oil & Gas industry, worked building power plants on the east coast back in the 80s, as well as an Oil & Gas engineering firm here in Houston where they designed off-shore oil rigs. He has told me many interesting stories about working all over the world. I have enjoyed my advanced math, science and chemistry classes in High School, and think a Chemical Engineering degree would be a good fit for me professionally. Something unique about me: My nickname is “BIG BEN” because my mom believed I would be very tall one day. I used to feel embarrassed by this, because I was the same size as my classmates. However, in my Junior year I grew to 6’4”. I decided to embrace the name, because I’m proud to be the only “BIG BEN” in High School, and my peers have acknowledged me as a leader and voted me one of the MHS Swim Team Captains. I think the term “BIG” doesn’t necessarily mean height. It can mean I have the confidence to “fill big shoes” in a leadership capacity. I know I will do great things in life because I know I have a “BIG” capacity to be successful and achieve what I set my mind to. I bring big goals, big courage, and the ability to contribute during my college years. I would be honored to be selected as a recipient for your scholarship fund and would appreciate your consideration. Ben Williamson

My name is Benjamin Castellano Williamson and I am a Senior at Montgomery High School in Montgomery, TX. I am hoping to attend one of several Universities I have been accepted into in the Fall of 2026 (OU, Alabama, Oklahoma State, LSU or Mississippi State). However, without significant financial aid and scholarships, the costs of attending an out-of-state school, are too great for my family. I am looking to receive financial aid, and applying to several scholarships, including your Scholarship fund. During my High School years, I have participated on my Swim and Dive team and am a Captain. I have also participated in some great community service organizations. I am a member of my High School LEO's CLUB. This is a service organization that is the Junior Club for the National Men's LION'S CLUB. Our club aims to restore pride, patriotism, excitement, & to reignite the Lion spirit in our community. We participate in local senior citizen’s Bingo nights once a month at the local community center. We help set up, run and take down the concession stand, as well as have fellowship with people that come to the event. It has been very gratifying to participate in with fellow classmates who have pride in our community and country. I have also worked at the local Montgomery Food Bank with a group of students in conjunction with the Conroe Chamber of Commerce. I was accepted into the Chamber of Commerce's 2024 Summer Youth Leadership Program, where we met daily for a week with community leaders about the importance of working with various non-profits to better our local community. We helped make food bags for the local food bank to give out. I would like to find a local food bank to give of my time. I believe that free enterprise goes hand in hand with the Oil & Gas Industry in the US which is key to our economic growth. I am interested in going into the Oil & Gas industry with a Chemical Engineering degree. My step-father was an Industrial Engineer in the Oil & Gas industry, worked building power plants on the east coast back in the 80s, as well as an Oil & Gas engineering firm here in Houston where they designed off-shore oil rigs. He has told me many interesting stories about working all over the world. I have enjoyed my advanced math, science and chemistry classes in High School, and think a Chemical Engineering degree would be a good fit for me professionally. Something unique about me: My nickname is “BIG BEN” because my mom believed I would be very tall one day. I used to feel embarrassed by this, because I was the same size as my classmates. However, in my Junior year I grew to 6’4”. I decided to embrace the name, because I’m proud to be the only “BIG BEN” in High School, and my peers have acknowledged me as a leader and voted me one of the MHS Swim Team Captains. I think the term “BIG” doesn’t necessarily mean height. It can mean I have the confidence to “fill big shoes” in a leadership capacity. I know I will do great things in life because I know I have a “BIG” capacity to be successful and achieve what I set my mind to. I bring big goals, big courage, and the ability to contribute during my college years. I would be honored to be selected as a recipient for your scholarship fund and would appreciate your consideration. Ben Williamson

My name is Benjamin Castellano Williamson and I am a Senior at Montgomery High School in Montgomery, TX. I am hoping to attend one of several Universities I have been accepted into in the Fall of 2026 (OU, Alabama, Oklahoma State, LSU or Mississippi State). However, without significant financial aid and scholarships, the costs of attending an out-of-state school, are too great for my family. I am looking to receive financial aid, and applying to several scholarships, including your Scholarship fund. During my High School years, I have participated on my Swim and Dive team and am a Captain. I have also participated in some great community service organizations. I am a member of my High School LEO's CLUB. This is a service organization that is the Junior Club for the National Men's LION'S CLUB. Our club aims to restore pride, patriotism, excitement, & to reignite the Lion spirit in our community. We participate in local senior citizen’s Bingo nights once a month at the local community center. We help set up, run and take down the concession stand, as well as have fellowship with people that come to the event. It has been very gratifying to participate in with fellow classmates who have pride in our community and country. I have also worked at the local Montgomery Food Bank with a group of students in conjunction with the Conroe Chamber of Commerce. I was accepted into the Chamber of Commerce's 2024 Summer Youth Leadership Program, where we met daily for a week with community leaders about the importance of working with various non-profits to better our local community. We helped make food bags for the local food bank to give out. I would like to find a local food bank to give of my time. I believe that free enterprise goes hand in hand with the Oil & Gas Industry in the US which is key to our economic growth. I am interested in going into the Oil & Gas industry with a Chemical Engineering degree. My step-father was an Industrial Engineer in the Oil & Gas industry, worked building power plants on the east coast back in the 80s, as well as an Oil & Gas engineering firm here in Houston where they designed off-shore oil rigs. He has told me many interesting stories about working all over the world. I have enjoyed my advanced math, science and chemistry classes in High School, and think a Chemical Engineering degree would be a good fit for me professionally. Something unique about me: My nickname is “BIG BEN” because my mom believed I would be very tall one day. I used to feel embarrassed by this, because I was the same size as my classmates. However, in my Junior year I grew to 6’4”. I decided to embrace the name, because I’m proud to be the only “BIG BEN” in High School, and my peers have acknowledged me as a leader and voted me one of the MHS Swim Team Captains. I think the term “BIG” doesn’t necessarily mean height. It can mean I have the confidence to “fill big shoes” in a leadership capacity. I know I will do great things in life because I know I have a “BIG” capacity to be successful and achieve what I set my mind to. I bring big goals, big courage, and the ability to contribute during my college years. I would be honored to be selected as a recipient for your scholarship fund and would appreciate your consideration. Ben Williamson

My name is Benjamin Castellano Williamson and I am a Senior at Montgomery High School in Montgomery, TX. I am hoping to attend one of several Universities I have been accepted into in the Fall of 2026 (OU, Alabama, Oklahoma State, LSU or Mississippi State). However, without significant financial aid and scholarships, the costs of attending an out-of-state school, are too great for my family. I am looking to receive financial aid, and applying to several scholarships, including your Scholarship fund. During my High School years, I have participated on my Swim and Dive team and am a Captain. I have also participated in some great community service organizations. I am a member of my High School LEO's CLUB. This is a service organization that is the Junior Club for the National Men's LION'S CLUB. Our club aims to restore pride, patriotism, excitement, & to reignite the Lion spirit in our community. We participate in local senior citizen’s Bingo nights once a month at the local community center. We help set up, run and take down the concession stand, as well as have fellowship with people that come to the event. It has been very gratifying to participate in with fellow classmates who have pride in our community and country. I have also worked at the local Montgomery Food Bank with a group of students in conjunction with the Conroe Chamber of Commerce. I was accepted into the Chamber of Commerce's 2024 Summer Youth Leadership Program, where we met daily for a week with community leaders about the importance of working with various non-profits to better our local community. We helped make food bags for the local food bank to give out. I would like to find a local food bank to give of my time. I am interested in going into the Oil & Gas industry with a Chemical Engineering degree. My step-father was an Industrial Engineer in the Oil & Gas industry, worked building power plants on the east coast back in the 80s, as well as an Oil & Gas engineering firm here in Houston where they designed off-shore oil rigs. He has told me many interesting stories about working all over the world. I have enjoyed my advanced math, science and chemistry classes in High School, and think a Chemical Engineering degree would be a good fit for me professionally. Because I'm 6'4" my friends and family call me "Big Ben". However, I believe the term “BIG” doesn’t necessarily mean height. It can mean I have the confidence to “fill big shoes” in a leadership capacity. I know I will do great things in life because I know I have a “BIG” capacity to be successful and achieve what I set my mind to. I bring big goals, big courage, and the ability to contribute during my college years. I would be honored to be selected as a recipient for your scholarship fund and would appreciate your consideration. Ben Williamson

My name is Benjamin Castellano Williamson and I am a Senior at Montgomery High School in Montgomery, TX. I am hoping to attend one of several Universities I have been accepted into in the Fall of 2026 (OU, Alabama, Oklahoma State, LSU or Mississippi State). However, without significant financial aid and scholarships, the costs of attending an out-of-state school, are too great for my family. I am looking to receive financial aid, and applying to several scholarships, including your Scholarship fund. My stepfather John T. McCormack was a KOC member in the late 1960s in Fairfield, CT. During my High School years, I have participated on my Swim and Dive team and am a Captain. I have also participated in some great community service organizations. I am a member of my High School LEO's CLUB. This is a service organization that is the Junior Club for the National Men's LION'S CLUB. Our club aims to restore pride, patriotism, excitement, & to reignite the Lion spirit in our community. We participate in local senior citizen’s Bingo nights once a month at the local community center. We help set up, run and take down the concession stand, as well as have fellowship with people that come to the event. It has been very gratifying to participate in with fellow classmates who have pride in our community and country. I have also worked at the local Montgomery Food Bank with a group of students in conjunction with the Conroe Chamber of Commerce. I was accepted into the Chamber of Commerce's 2024 Summer Youth Leadership Program, where we met daily for a week with community leaders about the importance of working with various non-profits to better our local community. We helped make food bags for the local food bank to give out. I would like to find a local food bank to give of my time. I believe that free enterprise goes hand in hand with the Oil & Gas Industry in the US which is key to our economic growth. I am interested in going into the Oil & Gas industry with a Chemical Engineering degree. My step-father was an Industrial Engineer in the Oil & Gas industry, worked building power plants on the east coast back in the 80s, as well as an Oil & Gas engineering firm here in Houston where they designed off-shore oil rigs. He has told me many interesting stories about working all over the world. I have enjoyed my advanced math, science and chemistry classes in High School, and think a Chemical Engineering degree would be a good fit for me professionally. Because I'm 6'4", my friends call me "Big Ben". But I think the term “BIG” doesn’t necessarily mean height. It can mean I have the confidence to “fill big shoes” in a leadership capacity. I know I will do great things in life because I know I have a “BIG” capacity to be successful and achieve what I set my mind to. I bring big goals, big courage, and the ability to contribute during my college years. I would be honored to be selected as a recipient for your scholarship fund and would appreciate your consideration.

My name is Benjamin Castellano Williamson and I am a Senior at Montgomery High School in Montgomery, TX. I am hoping to attend one of several Universities I have been accepted into in the Fall of 2026 (OU, Alabama, Oklahoma State, LSU or Mississippi State). However, without significant financial aid and scholarships, the costs of attending an out-of-state school, are too great for my family. I am looking to receive financial aid, and applying to several scholarships, including your Scholarship fund. I believe that free enterprise goes hand in hand with the Oil & Gas Industry in the US which is key to our economic growth. I am interested in going into the Oil & Gas industry with a Chemical Engineering degree. My step-father was an Industrial Engineer in the Oil & Gas industry, worked building power plants on the east coast back in the 80s, as well as an Oil & Gas engineering firm here in Houston where they designed off-shore oil rigs. He has told me many interesting stories about working all over the world. I have enjoyed my advanced math, science and chemistry classes in High School, and think a Chemical Engineering degree would be a good fit for me professionally. Something unique about me: My nickname is “BIG BEN” because my mom believed I would be very tall one day. I used to feel embarrassed by this, because I was the same size as my classmates. However, in my Junior year I grew to 6’4”. I decided to embrace the name, because I’m proud to be the only “BIG BEN” in High School, and my peers have acknowledged me as a leader and voted me one of the MHS Swim Team Captains. I think the term “BIG” doesn’t necessarily mean height. It can mean I have the confidence to “fill big shoes” in a leadership capacity. I know I will do great things in life because I know I have a “BIG” capacity to be successful and achieve what I set my mind to. I bring big goals, big courage, and the ability to contribute during my college years. I would be honored to be selected as a recipient for your scholarship fund and would appreciate your consideration.

During my High School years, I have participated on my Swim and Dive team and am a Captain. I am a member of my High School LEO's CLUB. This is the Junior Club for the National Men's LION'S CLUB. Our club aims to restore pride, patriotism, excitement, & to reignite the Lion spirit in our community. We participate in local senior citizen’s Bingo nights once a month at the local community center. We help set up, run and take down the concession stand, as well as have fellowship with people that come to the event. It has been very gratifying to participate in with fellow classmates who have pride in our community and country. One of life's greatest lessons comes from failure, or feeling like a failure, and my mom always instills in me that God has a plan for me. She has also always told me to face adversity with the view that it is just a window closing, so a door could open up for something better. A good example of this was when I was 16, and excited to go to my first job interview. It was for a local fast-food restaurant that I love going to, so when I got an email from them that they wanted to interview me, I was looking forward to it on one Friday afternoon. My mom had me dress in church attire with a jacket and khakis and take my resume and reference letters. Because I was waiting for my driver’s license, she drove me. When I went in to meet with the manager, I was told I couldn't interview because they messed up the time, and wouldn't get a supervisor to interview me. They wanted me to come back another day which didn't work for my schedule, so I was very disappointed, and left feeling defeated. However, my mom told me when life gives you a lemon, make lemonade, and while I really didn't want to go, she took me to another place she thought I could get interviewed since I was already dressed up. It was another local restaurant on Lake Conroe where my family frequented. The owner was at the door and greeted us. He said he would personally interview me and while he didn't have a position open, he was very impressed with my dress, interview skills and how I presented myself. I I was hired on the spot, and it has been a great opportunity ever since. Because I love math and chemistry, I plan to attend a University where I can earn a Chemical Engineering degree. I am hoping to attend one of several Universities I have been accepted into in the Fall of 2026 (OU, Alabama, Oklahoma State, LSU or Mississippi State). However, without significant financial aid and scholarships, the costs of attending an out-of-state school, are too great for my family. I am looking to receive financial aid, and applying to several scholarships, including your Scholarship fund.

My name is Benjamin Castellano Williamson and I am a Senior at Montgomery High School in Montgomery, TX. I am hoping to attend one of several Universities I have been accepted into in the Fall of 2026 (OU, Alabama, Oklahoma State, LSU or Mississippi State). However, without significant financial aid and scholarships, the costs of attending an out-of-state school, are too great for my family. I am looking to receive financial aid, and applying to several scholarships, including your Scholarship fund. During my High School years, I have participated on my Swim and Dive team and am a Captain. I have also participated in some great community service organizations. I am a member of my High School LEO's CLUB. This is a service organization that is the Junior Club for the National Men's LION'S CLUB. Our club aims to restore pride, patriotism, excitement, & to reignite the Lion spirit in our community. We participate in local senior citizen’s Bingo nights once a month at the local community center. We help set up, run and take down the concession stand, as well as have fellowship with people that come to the event. It has been very gratifying to participate in with fellow classmates who have pride in our community and country. I have also worked at the local Montgomery Food Bank with a group of students in conjunction with the Conroe Chamber of Commerce. I was accepted into the Chamber of Commerce's 2024 Summer Youth Leadership Program, where we met daily for a week with community leaders about the importance of working with various non-profits to better our local community. We helped make food bags for the local food bank to give out. I would like to find a local food bank to give of my time. I believe that free enterprise goes hand in hand with the Oil & Gas Industry in the US which is key to our economic growth. I am interested in going into the Oil & Gas industry with a Chemical Engineering degree. My step-father was an Industrial Engineer in the Oil & Gas industry, worked building power plants on the east coast back in the 80s, as well as an Oil & Gas engineering firm here in Houston where they designed off-shore oil rigs. He has told me many interesting stories about working all over the world. I have enjoyed my advanced math, science and chemistry classes in High School, and think a Chemical Engineering degree would be a good fit for me professionally. Something unique about me: My nickname is “BIG BEN” because my mom believed I would be very tall one day. I used to feel embarrassed by this, because I was the same size as my classmates. However, in my Junior year I grew to 6’4”. I decided to embrace the name, because I’m proud to be the only “BIG BEN” in High School, and my peers have acknowledged me as a leader and voted me one of the MHS Swim Team Captains. I think the term “BIG” doesn’t necessarily mean height. It can mean I have the confidence to “fill big shoes” in a leadership capacity. I know I will do great things in life because I know I have a “BIG” capacity to be successful and achieve what I set my mind to. I bring big goals, big courage, and the ability to contribute during my college years. I would be honored to be selected as a recipient for your scholarship fund and would appreciate your consideration. Ben Williamson

Adversity can come in the form of the feeling of failure. One of life's greatest lessons comes from failure, or feeling like a failure, and my mom always instills in me that God has a plan for me. She has also always told me to face adversity with the view that it is just a window closing, so a door could open up for something better. A good example of this was when I was 16, and excited to go to my first job interview at the end of my Sophomore Year. It was for a local fast-food restaurant that I love going to, so when I got an email from them that they wanted to interview me, I was looking forward to it on one Friday afternoon. My mom had me dress in church attire with a jacket and khakis and take my resume and reference letters. Because I was waiting for my driver’s license, she drove me. When I went in to meet with the manager, I was told I couldn't interview because they messed up the time, and wouldn't get a supervisor to interview me. They wanted me to come back another day which didn't work for my schedule, so I was very disappointed, and left feeling defeated. However, my mom told me when life gives you a lemon, make lemonade, and while I really didn't want to go, she took me to another place she thought I could get interviewed since I was already dressed up. It was another local restaurant on Lake Conroe where my family frequented. The owner was at the door and greeted us. He said he would personally interview me and while he didn't have a position open, he was very impressed with my dress, interview skills and how I presented myself. I I was hired on the spot, and it has been a great opportunity ever since. My Christian faith is a big part of my life, and I learned that I should never give up or think that something is a failure when something I was hoping for didn't work out. I know that there is a reason why, and that God has a plan for something better is waiting for me. Because I love math and chemistry, I plan to attend a University where I can earn a Chemical Engineering degree. I am hoping to attend one of several Universities I have been accepted into in the Fall of 2026 (OU, Alabama, Oklahoma State, LSU or Mississippi State). However, without significant financial aid and scholarships, the costs of attending an out-of-state school, are too great for my family. I am looking to receive financial aid, and applying to several scholarships, including your Scholarship fund. I hope to get an internship my Senior year with an Oil and Gas Company and establish a professional network to secure a job once I graduate.

My passion in sports is SWIM. I love competing and enjoy all the friendships I have made with teammates and coaches. I am very committed to my sport, but know academics comes first. I swim all year round in the afternoons with Montgomery Acquatic Race Club (MARC), and during the school year, I swim on my HS Swim Team as well in the mornings. I try to go to every race club meet, as well as balance my work and family life. These are some of the community service related activities I am involved with. COMMUNITY / SERVICE RELATED ACTIVITES 2024 - 2026 MHS LEO (Junior LION’S CLUB) MEMBER - This Club encourages us to develop leadership qualities by participating in social service activities. We work various projects in the fields of health care, elders, children, disabled people, literacy and education, and self-development. These are also some significant awards, scholarships, publications, or special recognitions you have received: 2024 - 2025 SWIM SEASON Awards and Recognition include: UIL 5A REGION 6 Regional Qualifier Boy's 50 Free - Regional Finalist Boys 500 Free - Regional Finalist Boy's 200 Free Relay - Region Honorable Mention Boy's 400 Free Relay - Region Honorable Mention Men's 200 Free Relay - 1st Team All District Men's 400 Free Relay - 1st Team All District Men's 50 Free - 1st Team All District Men's 500 Free - 1st Team All District 2024 - 2025 HEART OF THE BEAR AWARD Given to the swimmer from both Men & Women's MHS Swim Team who best represents the Montgomery Swim & Dive Program 2023 - 2024 MHS Swim Team MOST IMPROVED AWARD CONROE Chamber of Commerce YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAM (held @ Lone Star Community College - Conroe, TX) (One of 200 selected from over 500 applicants for the 2024 Summer Program) 2025 NOCTI WORKFORCE COMPETENCY CREDENTIAL CERTIFIED - Cybersecurity Fundamentals There are many challenges for teens in life, but training and competing in sports helps you learn valuable traits. I enjoy swim because it is a team and an indivudual sport. Being on the boys relay and medley teams means we each need to pull our weight to win collectively. However, I enjoy trying to beat my fastest times at every meet. I try to achieve excellence in everything I do at school, in my sport, and at home. Swim has motivated me to challenge myself athletically, and balancing school, work and home, will help me be successful in life.

I am originally from Santa Fe, NM and now live in Montgomery TX with my family. Coming to Montgomery, TX to live with my mom and Stepdad was the best thing for me and changed my life. I came in the summer of 2021 from Santa Fe, NM where Covid restrictions were terrible for me. I had to wear 2 masks outside to play and 3 masks in school to learn. I went from being an A and B Elementary student to getting Ds and Fs. This was because of not getting small group instruction and not having regular learning classrooms. It was very demoralizing. However, everything changed for the better when I was allowed to come live with my mom and stepdad in Texas. Last year, I was excited to go to my first job interview at the end of my Sophomore Year and was told I couldn't interview because they messed up the time. They wanted me to come back another day which didn't work for my schedule so I left feeling defeated. My mom told me when life gives you a lemon, make lemonade and took me to another place she thought I could get interviewed since I was already dressed up. I was hired after the owner personally interviewed me, and it has been a great opportunity ever since. I learned that I should never give up and that if what I wanted didn't work out, there is something better down the road. I am a part of my High School's Leo Club, and participate in various community activities. The one that I enjoy the most, is helping out with a monthly Senior's Bingo Night. The older people who come are always happy that we are there to help them have a good time. It is a good feeling that we leave with when the evening is over. I also was accepted into the CONROE, TX Chamber of Commerce Youth Program last summer which provided leadership skills and volunteering opportunity with the Montgomery County Food Bank. I really enjoyed putting food bags together for those in need. I will need full funding for College and I am applying for multiple scholarships. This one appealed to me because I felt bullied in my younger years in elementary. However, I never thought of myself as week, and having a supportive mother, I gained confidence to find positive friends in school. I have also gained confidence, empathy and compassion for seeing others go thru it. I am viewed as a leader among my peers, and I make it a point to befriend those being subjected to this kind of behavior. I also keep my eyes open in school to report any type of bullying behavior.