While sitting here thinking about things that I have accomplished in my life, nothing "special" or "big" really jumped out above anything else. And then it occurred to me...I don't need to pick just ONE thing to name as my greatest achievement...because honestly, I'm really proud of EVERYTHING that I've accomplished this far. My name is Benjy Bell. I have grown up a minority living in a smaller midwestern town. I also grew up an only child in a single parent household, so it's always been just me and my mom. My mom did her best to instill values of honestly, character and work ethic into everything I do. She's also always encouraged me to get involved. When I think about all of my accomplishments, I think about the fact that since I was 10, I've maintained almost straight A's every year, participated and excelled in multiple sports, joined clubs and once I was old enough, also held down a job. Playing sports has always been a passion of mine. It has taught me dedication, how to overcome adversity, along with helping to build me a strong work ethic. I am also a two time Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Academic All State recipient and have lettered 3 times in Varsity sports. In addition to athletics, I was a member of my high school SOS (Sources of Strength) program. Sources of Strength is a youth suicide prevention program, where I learned different methods that teens can use to help them through difficult times. I was also a member of CLIMB Club where I mentored elementary school students. I helped with academics, instrument mentoring, recess supervision, and more. Not only did I feel as if I were helping, I felt as if I was also giving them someone to look up to. Volunteering in my community has also been important to me. I have spent time volunteering for Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a non-profit that builds beds for children in need and whose mission is “No kid sleeps on the floor in our town.” SHP welcomes everyone to meet at a specific location on a weekend morning where tasks are delegated to volunteers with the end product being a brand new wooden bed, stained, branded and ready for delivery. We then deliver and put together the beds at the residence of the recipient, and make sure they have brand new sheets and fun comforters to complete it. I have volunteered at local elementary school carnivals, have worked school concession stands and helped run other athletic events, as well. Volunteering is important to me because I’m able to make a positive impact on the people in my community and it gives me a sense of pride. In addition to these things, I am employed by a popular restaurant in my hometown. I have done all of the above and also worked enough to pay for my own gas and spending money. It has taught me time management, financial responsibility, and the importance of having a strong work ethic that I’ll need in the future. So what is my greatest achievement and what has it taught me? My greatest achievement is the person I have turned out to be; responsible, intelligent, hard working, successful, kind, honest and determined to do well no matter where life takes me. I have been accepted to the University of MN-Twin Cities where I will study Design and continue to spread my wings and dream big...and maybe someday THAT will be my greatest achievement. I sincerely thank you for your consideration!

My name is Benjy Bell and I recently graduated from Neenah High School in Wisconsin. I have grown up a minority living in a smaller midwestern town. I also grew up an only child in a single parent household, so it's always been just me and my mom. My mom did her best to instill values of honestly, character and work ethic into everything I do. She's also always encouraged me to get involved. When I think about all of my accomplishments, I think about the fact that since I was 10, I've maintained almost straight A's every year, participated and excelled in multiple sports, joined clubs and once I was old enough, also held down a job. Playing team sports has always been a passion of mine. It has taught me that success doesn’t come easy and you must always be willing to put in the work in order to be the best version of yourself, physically and mentally. It has taught me dedication, how to overcome adversity, along with helping to build me a strong work ethic. I am also a two time Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Academic All State recipient and have lettered 3 times in Varsity sports. In addition to athletics, I was a member of my school's Sources of Strength (SOS) program (a program designed to help prevent youth suicide) as well as CLIMB Club, where juniors and seniors sign up to mentor elementary school students. Volunteering in my community has also been important to me. I have spent time volunteering for Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a non-profit that builds beds for children in need and whose mission is “No kid sleeps on the floor in our town.” Sleep in Heavenly Peace welcomes any and everyone to meet at a specific location on a weekend morning where tasks/stations are delegated to volunteers with the end product being a brand new wooden bed, stained, branded and ready for delivery. We then deliver and put together the beds at the residence of the recipient, and make sure they have brand new sheets and fun comforters to complete it. I have had the opportunity to volunteer at local elementary school carnivals, have worked High School concession stands and helped run other athletic events, as well. Volunteering has important to me because I’m able to make a positive impact on the people in my community. It makes me feel good about myself and gives me a sense of accomplishment. In addition to school and sports, I am employed by Broken Tree Pizza, a popular restaurant in my hometown. I have done all of the above and also worked enough to pay for my own gas and spending money. It has taught me time management, financial responsibility, and the importance of having a strong work ethic that I’ll need in the future. So who am I? I'm a kid whose greatest accomplishment is the person I have turned out to be; responsible, intelligent, hard working, successful, kind, honest and determined to do well no matter where life takes me. Growing up a minority in a smaller town, I crave the opportunity to be part of a larger, more diverse world. I have been accepted to the University of MN-Twin Cities where I will study Design & Architecture, but because this is an out of state school for me, it greatly increases the amount of tuition. This scholarship would provide me that opportunity, and give me a jump start on realizing my educational goals and dreams! I sincerely thank you in advance for your consideration!

While I was sitting and thinking about things that I have accomplished in my life, nothing "special" or "huge" really jumped out and outranked anything else. And then it occurred to me...I don't necessarily need to pick just ONE thing to name my greatest accomplishment...because honestly, I'm really proud of EVERYTHING that I've accomplished this far. My name is Benjy Bell and I am currently a senior at Neenah High School in Neenah, Wisconsin. I have grown up a minority living in a smaller midwestern town. I also grew up an only child in a single parent household, so it's always been just me and my mom. My mom did her best to instill values of honestly, character and work ethic into everything I do. She's also always encouraged me to get involved. When I think about all of my accomplishments, I think about the fact that since I was 10, I've maintained almost straight A's every year, participated and excelled in multiple sports, joined clubs and once I was old enough, also held down a job. Playing team sports has always been a passion of mine. It has taught me that success doesn’t come easy and you must always be willing to put in the work in order to be the best version of yourself, physically and mentally. It has taught me dedication, how to overcome adversity, along with helping to build me a strong work ethic. I am also a two time Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Academic All State recipient and have lettered 3 times in Varsity sports. In addition to athletics, I was a member of my high school SOS (Sources of Strength) program. Sources of Strength is a youth suicide prevention program. While in this program, I learned different methods that teens can use to help them through difficult times. I created campaigns that were shared with fellow classmates in hopes to inspire those going through hard times. I am also a member of CLIMB Club. CLIMB Club is a club within my High School where juniors and seniors sign up to mentor elementary school students. There are multiple ways to help the younger kids; academic mentoring, instrument mentoring, recess supervision, and more. I think being involved in CLIMB Club was important because not only did I help out younger students, I had a chance to help improve their social skills, as well. Some kids at a young age can be shy, socially distant from others, and possibly uncomfortable interacting with other kids. As a junior and senior in high school, I could give these kids someone to look up to. Volunteering in my community has also been important to me. I have spent time volunteering for Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a non-profit that builds beds for children in need and whose mission is “No kid sleeps on the floor in our town.” Sleep in Heavenly Peace welcomes any and everyone to meet at a specific location on a weekend morning where tasks/stations are delegated to volunteers with the end product being a brand new wooden bed, stained, branded and ready for delivery. We then deliver and put together the beds at the residence of the recipient, and make sure they have brand new sheets and fun comforters to complete it. I have had the opportunity to volunteer at local elementary school carnivals, have worked High School concession stands and helped run other athletic events, as well. Volunteering has important to me because I’m able to make a positive impact on the people in my community. It makes me feel good about myself and gives me a sense of accomplishment. In addition to school and sports, I am employed by Broken Tree Pizza, a popular restaurant in my hometown. I have done all of the above and also worked enough to pay for my own gas and spending money. It has taught me time management, financial responsibility, and the importance of having a strong work ethic that I’ll need in the future. So what is my greatest accomplishment and what has it taught me? My greatest accomplishment is the person I have turned out to be; responsible, intelligent, hard working, successful, kind, honest and determined to do well no matter where life takes me. I have been accepted to the University of MN-Twin Cities where I will study Design & Architecture, and continue to spread my wings and dream big...and maybe someday THAT will be my greatest accomplishment. I sincerely thank you for your consideration!

Volunteering in my community has always been important to me. I have had the opportunity to volunteer at local elementary schools helping with recess, homework in the classroom and fun events like carnivals. I have also volunteered at High School concession stands and helped run other athletic events, as well. However.... None of those experiences made the personal impact on me than volunteering for Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a non-profit that builds beds for children in need and whose mission is “No kid sleeps on the floor in our town.” My mom was a secretary at an Elementary School, and came across this organization while working with the school social worker who knew of kids at their school who literally had no bed. Sleep in Heavenly Peace welcomes any and everyone to meet at a specific location on a weekend morning where tasks/stations are delegated to volunteers with the end product being a brand new, wooden bed, stained, branded and ready for delivery. We then deliver and put together the beds at the residence of the recipient, and make sure they have brand new sheets and fun comforters to complete it. The amount of gratitude and emotion that some of these kids showed when they realized that they finally had their own bed to sleep in at night was overwhelming. This was really eye opening for me. A bed is such a simple thing that I never knew I took for granted before volunteering for Sleep in Heavenly Peace. And while I come from a single parent household, and I know my mom has struggled financially throughout the years, I’m so grateful to be a part of a family where I don’t have to worry about when the next time I eat will be or where I will sleep each night. Once my mom and I saw the impact these beds made on these kids and their families, we started a bedding drive and tried to collect as many sets of brand new sheets and kid's comforters so that we could donate them to Sleep in Heavenly Peace. We had a lot of success with that drive and were so thankful for how generous and our friends and family were. Volunteering here made me feel good to do something positive for people who aren't as lucky as I am. It is very rewarding and gives me a sense of accomplishment. Not to mention it reminds me everyday how lucky and blessed I truly am. I may not have as much as other kids, but I have more than enough where it counts. I have grown up a minority in a smaller Midwest city, and I crave the opportunity to be part of a larger, more diverse world. For this reason, I am hoping to attend an out of state school, and unfortunately, this greatly increases the amount of tuition for me. This scholarship would provide me that opportunity, and give me a jump start on realizing my educational goals and dreams! I sincerely thank you in advance for your consideration!

As an only child growing up with just my mother around, I found that I enjoyed to explore my creative side and sketch. I would draw all sorts of things in a sketch pad that my mom bought me. As I grew older, I found that I also really enjoyed Math, and excelled in that subject each year. I have chosen Interior Design as a my major, because I feel that I will be able to combine these two interests and talents of mine and turn them into something that makes a difference in the lives of others. Design isn't just about "decorating." It's about creating something that uplifts spirits when people walk into a certain room. It's about creating a safe space, a fun environment, or a professional setting that enhances the mood of all who enter. I am a member of my high school SOS (Sources of Strength) program. Sources of Strength is a youth suicide prevention program. While in this program, I learned eight different methods that teens can use to help them through difficult times. These methods include family support, positive friends, mentors, healthy activities, generosity, spirituality, medical access, and mental health. I really enjoyed our meetings where we would discuss our next “campaign” topic and participate in a related activity. These campaigns were then shared with our fellow classmates in hopes to inspire those going through hard times. I learned about other people’s background and how they grew up, and how each home life plays such an important part in teen’s mental health. I am also a member of CLIMB Club. CLIMB Club is a club within my High School where juniors and seniors sign up to mentor elementary school students. There are multiple ways for the high school students to help the younger kids, such as academic mentoring, instrument mentoring, recess supervision, and more. I think being involved in CLIMB Club is important because not only are members helping out younger students, we have a chance to improve their social skills, as well. Some kids at a young age can be shy, socially distant from others, and possibly uncomfortable interacting with other kids. As juniors and seniors in high school, we can give these kids someone to look up to. Volunteering in my community has always been important to me. I have spent time volunteering for Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a non-profit that builds beds for children in need and whose mission is “No kid sleeps on the floor in our town.” I have had the opportunity to volunteer at local elementary school carnivals, where I have helped run games and stations for elementary students, and I have worked High School concession stands and other athletic events, as well. Volunteering is important to me because I’m able to make a positive impact on the people in my community. It also makes me feel good about myself. It feels rewarding and gives me a sense of accomplishment. I truly feel that if more kids my age volunteered and gave back to their communities, it would unite us all more and motivate our future generations to do better! I have grown up a minority in a smaller Midwest city, and I crave the opportunity to be part of a larger, more diverse world. For this reason, I am hoping to attend an out of state school, and unfortunately, this greatly increases the amount of tuition for me. This scholarship would provide me that opportunity, and give me a jump start on realizing my educational goals and dreams! I sincerely thank you in advance for your consideration!

My name is Benjamin (Benjy) Bell. I am a member of my high school SOS (Sources of Strength) program. Sources of Strength is a youth suicide prevention program. While in this program, I have learned different methods that teens can use to help them through difficult times; family support, positive friends, mentors, healthy activities, generosity, spirituality, medical access, and mental health. During meetings, we discuss “campaign” topics and then participate in related activities. These campaigns are shared with our fellow classmates in hopes to inspire those going through hard times. Through this club, I have met fellow classmates and have learned about their backgrounds and how home life plays such an important part in their mental health. I know that sometimes it feels as though there is nothing I can do to help someone in a certain situation, but I've learned that just being a friend can help support someone more than I know. I would like to continue to be a support for anyone struggling, and know that mental health affects so many people out there, at any age, and that educating ourselves about mental health is the first step in being able to make a difference. As an only child growing up with just my mother, I found that I enjoyed to explore my creative side and sketch. As I grew older, I found that I also really enjoyed Math, and excelled in that subject each year. I have chosen Interior Design as a my major, because I feel that I will be able to combine these two interests and talents of mine and turn them into something that makes a difference in the lives of others. Design isn't just about "decorating." It's about creating something that uplifts spirits when people walk into a room. It's about bringing to life a space that welcomes people and makes them feel safe. It's about creating a fun environment, or a professional setting that enhances the mood of all who enter. These things matter, and can also have an impact on people's mental health day in and day out. I'm excited to move forward and obtain the tools needed in order to make these goals my reality. Coming from a single parent household, my options may be limited, and I sincerely appreciate the financial help that this scholarship would provide to make that possible. Thank you for your consideration. Benjy Bell