My name is Grace Trump, and I am applying for the Craig Family Scholarship. I am a recent high school graduate and aspiring servant leader. I want to use my passions, experiences, and knowledge in my career. This has led me to attend Eastern Oregon University this fall to obtain a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. In five years, I see myself out of college and finishing up my first year teaching second grade at a district in a small community. Teachers are often told to find ways to "give back" to their communities. I have extensive experience with being a part of youth sports and theatrical productions. Participating in sports or theater is one way to connect with and "give back" to the community. I have spent my time volunteering, working with kids, and finding ways to lead. I have learned responsibility by caring for people’s homes, pets, and children since I was in upper middle school. Over the past five summers, I have worked at a local childcare facility, babysat for four different families, helped lead classes for three sixth-grade camps, and managed a “troop” of children for the Vacation Bible School (VBS) held at Community Bible Church (CBC). I was a teacher’s assistant during my sophomore and senior years of high school. I have volunteered for Boosters’ dinners, a Chamber of Commerce event, and Kiwanis’ food booths. I was trusted to represent my community and school by leading interviewing superintendent candidates around our campus during the spring of 2024. I have participated in extracurricular activities as far back as I can remember. I have held several Associated Student Body (ASB) positions from Elementary on. As a Sophomore in High School, I was the ASB public relations manager's assistant and I was treasurer for my junior and senior years. I have been involved with leadership class since its inception in my 8th-grade year. I also participated in Youth and Government and National Honor Society. I played basketball all four years of high school and participated in volleyball as a senior. I maintained a 3.8 GPA, and was my class salutatorian, despite taking several online and College in the High School courses. Combined, these experiences taught me leadership, teamwork, time management, and communication. I appreciate your time and consideration in reading my application. Sincerely, Grace Trump

I’ve always believed that every person you meet and everything you do changes you, leaving a mark or imprint. Each imprint that people and experiences leave on us can give insight into where we’ve come from, how we view ourselves, and even who we aspire to become. I often struggled to fit in with kids my age. Adults told me I was mature for my age, and they were probably right. When I was as young as three, my mom says I often held coherent and multi-syllabic conversations with adults. In fourth and fifth grade, I tested so high on reading comprehension tests that the data said I was able to read and write at the college level. The bookish nature that made so many adults dub me an old soul also inhibited my relationships with peers. I relied greatly on having strong and positive relationships with my teachers because I struggled to relate to my peers. I was very blessed to have amazing teachers throughout my school experience. The mark these teachers left on my life, and my passion for learning and working with children, led me to go into education. My family taught me through volunteerism that it was important to be willing to serve to show true leadership. My parents have been involved in Young Life, the local fair, and youth and school sports programs for as long as I can remember. Throughout the past four years, I have tried to find as many ways to give back to my community as possible: helping manage classes at sixth-grade camp, volunteering for Kiwanis, bussing tables for a local Chamber of Commerce event night, and singing with the youth worship rotation at my church. This sense of servant leadership has also led me to pursue several Associated Student Body (ASB) positions throughout Elementary, Middle, and High School. In high school, I have served three terms (not eligible as a freshman) in two different offices since then: public relations manager's assistant as a sophomore, and treasurer for both my junior and senior years. I have been involved with leadership class every year since its inception in my 8th-grade year. I participated in Youth and Government during my freshman and sophomore years of high school, though the club advisor left after my sophomore year. As a freshman, I was able to be a Senate clerk at our state's virtual conference, and I was the vice president my sophomore year. I was inducted into my school's National Honor Society (NHS) chapter at the end of my sophomore year. In NHS, I held a combined treasurer and secretary position as a junior and am our parliamentarian as a senior. I have also played basketball for all four years of high school and participated in volleyball as a senior. Throughout my life, I have learned that every person and experience can leave a lasting mark or impression. This is one of my strongest motivations for going into education. Teachers can impact kids in ways that many others would not be able to; giving kids emotional support and reassurance, helping kids to create a positive relationship with learning, and ensuring that kids can have a safe and positive work environment at school. Teachers have a unique opportunity to leave a mark on their students, to help them to grow and reach their full potential. I cannot wait to leave the world a better place by making my students better people. I believe in teaching people to have responsibilities and to make life better for the people around them by serving their community and giving back.

I'm Grace Trump, and I live in a small agricultural town in Eastern Washington. My small-town values have always taught me to fill in the cracks where I am needed. Throughout high school, that has meant babysitting, volunteering, and leading in my school. Watching my parents as a kid, I gained an understanding of volunteerism. I have continued that throughout the past four years. I have tried to find as many ways to give back to my community as possible: helping manage classes at sixth-grade camp, volunteering for Kiwanis, bussing tables for a local Chamber of Commerce event night, and singing with the youth worship rotation at my church. Growing up, I learned that it was important to be willing to lead. This led to me holding several Associated Student Body (ASB) positions in Elementary, Middle School, and High School. In high school, I have served three terms (not eligible as a freshman) in two different offices since then: public relations manager's assistant as a sophomore, and treasurer for both my junior and senior years. I have been involved with leadership class every year since its inception in my 8th-grade year. I participated in Youth and Government during my freshman and sophomore years of high school, though the club advisor left after my sophomore year. As a freshman, I was able to be a Senate clerk at our state's virtual conference, and I was the vice president my sophomore year. I was inducted into my school's National Honor Society (NHS) chapter at the end of my sophomore year. In NHS, I held a combined treasurer and secretary position as a junior and I am our parliamentarian as a senior. I have also played basketball for all four years of high school and was also able to participate in volleyball as a senior. I have learned a lot from each one of these positions. Leadership, teamwork, time management, communication, and organizational skills have been the most useful skills I have acquired. I have always enjoyed spending time with kids. As I got older, this led me to be a successful babysitter. This passion for working with youth led me to volunteer for my church's Vacation Bible School during the summer of 2023. I led a group of sixteen eight to ten-year-olds through a series of classes, keeping track of "points" for boys and girls in their classes throughout the day, and trying to help them all stay engaged. I participated in skits at the end of the day that would help drive home some of the main points, and either I or another volunteer would get attacked with silly string, based on the "points" the boys and girls earned throughout the day. This experience taught me a lot about interacting with kids on their level and connecting with them. It also helped me recognize how much I enjoy working with children. Several other volunteers approached me and told me I should consider this passion in my plans. I did, which is why I am planning to major in Elementary Education at your institution. Living in a small town, you learn that there is always something more you could be doing. We say we "wear a lot of hats;" we all have a lot of different things we do in and for our community. I may never have had the opportunities to wear the “hats” I have, had I not grown up in an involved family or within my particular community. I am excited to bring these skills and experiences to your institution as I begin the next chapter in my life.

I’ve always known I wanted to work with children. It was just an instinct that this is what I should be doing. There have been things that I’ve done along the way that have solidified my decision in my mind, but I have genuinely always felt the internal push to become an educator. I enjoy learning and teaching and have gained experience teaching and working with youth through volunteering with sixth-grade camps, vacation Bible school, and being a teacher’s assistant. I have gained experience developing strong positive connections with kids from babysitting. The life lessons I have learned by dealing with kids hands-on in these situations have already taught me a lot about my prospective field and have only solidified my interest in going into the field of education. The experience that most influenced me to become an educator happened during the summer of 2023. I volunteered to work with my church’s VBS and lead a group of students through several stations. I enjoyed waking up in the morning, going over the plans for the day, and heading over to the church to finish up any last-minute arrangements and help keep the kids who arrived early occupied. It was a breath of fresh air to engage with kids in the role I had. I was responsible for ensuring that all 17 of us (including myself) made it through several stops throughout the day, tracking “points” that the kids earned by correctly answering questions and trying to keep them engaged and excited about learning. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to play this role, and the praise I received from the adults who had seen me work with my “troop” solidified this feeling. I recently led an art class in a combined fourth and fifth-grade classroom for a project in my Leadership class. Most of them started on the project fairly quickly and everyone was enjoying themselves. Then, a student walked into the classroom about 10 minutes after everyone else began the project. I know this student outside of school, and he has a rough home life that can lead to behavioral issues. This student did not want to be involved and the teacher was struggling to talk him into joining the rest of the group. I convinced him to let me walk him through the project. He spent most of the rest of the class working and when I wrapped up the class, he let me keep his project (which he originally wanted to throw away). It is by far my favorite art project given to me by a kid because of what it represents to me. I see that art project as a huge win for both myself and the child who gave it to me. Ultimately, I want to become the best teacher I can be. I want to be able to help my students grow and blossom into their full potential, whatever that looks like for them. I am going to attend the University of Idaho this fall and begin majoring in Elementary Education. I will need just over $170,000 to cover tuition, housing, food, and other necessities for four years. I am grateful to have received the WUE, which amounts to roughly $72,000 over four years. I will not be receiving financial aid from my family, and I am still waiting to hear back on whether I will receive Federal Financial Aid. I will be doing everything I can to graduate college debt-free, and your consideration for this scholarship will significantly impact my ability to obtain a higher education. I appreciate your time reading my application.

I had hip surgery when I was 14. Yes, you read that right. I have a condition called hip dysplasia (a shallow hip joint) that caused discomfort and pain in my hip joint as I began to grow into adolescence. This is a sign for many with hip dysplasia that it will likely progress into early-onset arthritis. In some cases, this type of arthritis can develop before the patient is 40. So, I had a surgery called a periacetabular osteotomy, which is a fancy way of saying they changed the angle of my hip joint so that it would be less shallow, lessen my daily discomfort levels, and hopefully prevent early onset arthritis in that hip. That surgery left large scars, both physical and mental, but it taught me a lot about myself and the world around me. Life leaves a lot of scars. Some of these scars are reminders of fun times, like the ones on my knees from being a kid and riding scooters and bikes around town. Others are reminders of hard times, and the strength it took to get through. Scars can give us insights into the people around us, such as who they are and where they’ve been. Some tell tales of great feats with bad endings, others may tell only of a papercut that someone nervously picked the scab off of one too many times. All scars have stories. Sometimes, those stories give us a better understanding of who others are and why they do the things they do. I’ve always believed that every person you meet and everything you do changes you, leaving a mark or imprint. Similarly to scars, each mark and imprint that people and experiences leave on us are reminders of where we’ve come from. Growing up, I often struggled to fit in with kids my age. Adults told me I was mature for my age, and they were probably right. When I was three, my mom says I often held coherent and multi-syllabic conversations with adults. In fourth and fifth grade, I remember testing so high on reading comprehension tests that the data said I was already at a college level. The bookish nature that made so many adults dub me an old soul also inhibited my relationships with peers. I relied on having strong relationships with my teachers because I struggled to relate to my peers. I was very blessed to have amazing teachers throughout my school experience. The mark these teachers left on my life, and my passion for learning and working with children, led me to go into education. Throughout my life, I have learned that every person and experience can leave a lasting mark or impression. This is one of my strongest motivations for going into education. Teachers can impact kids in ways that many others would not be able to; giving kids emotional support and reassurance, helping kids to create a positive relationship with learning, and ensuring that kids can have a safe and positive work environment at school. Teachers have a unique opportunity to leave a mark on their students, to help them grow and reach their full potential. I cannot wait to truly leave the world a better place by making my students better people.

“We wear a lot of hats.” I’ll never forget hearing that, or how strongly it resonated with me. I have lived in a small town my entire life, and I have learned from living in a rural area that it’s important to find places to be involved if you want to connect with the heart of the community. For me and the people I have grown up around, that means wearing a lot of hats. I know it sounds silly, but I think it’s an interesting analogy for all the things that the people in our small town do to give back to the community. Growing up, my parents were incredibly involved in community life. Their involvement instilled me with volunteerism from a very young age. In elementary school, I began by taking roles in student government and being a member of the crossing guard. I started devoting time to basketball in third grade, waking up at 6 in the morning and making myself breakfast to be at basketball practice with Coach Donnelley by 6:45. When middle school rolled around, I had a sense of responsibility and leadership. I started taking Leadership classes when they were first offered at the beginning of my eighth-grade year. These classes allowed me to begin to hone my natural talents. As a young leader, I have led projects from game nights at Booker (now Rivers Walk) to leading the clubs and sports I engage in. I participated in Youth and Government during my first two years of high school. As a freshman in Youth and Government, I was a Senate clerk at our state's virtual conference. This gave me the experience I needed to become the Vice President of Youth and Government in my sophomore year. Later that same year, I was inducted into my school's National Honor Society (NHS) chapter. In NHS, I held a combined treasurer and secretary position as a junior and I am currently our parliamentarian. I played basketball for all four years of high school and also participated in volleyball as a senior. As an executive council member for the past three years, I have been able to schedule and coordinate many of our Spirit Week efforts. This past year, I was able to revive several homecoming traditions that had gone by the wayside. As treasurer, I helped lead our Executive team to have one of the most lucrative homecoming events we have held in the past several years. Leadership hasn’t been the only “hat” I’ve worn over the past four years. I have been a student, friend, daughter, and sister. I have been an involved community member. I’ve been a volunteer and student touchpoint for several local groups, such as the Chamber of Commerce and Kiwanis, for their events and booths. I’ve been a church member, continually showing up to help with our youth worship team and helping with the VBS we hosted the past year. These “hats” have all pushed me towards a degree in Elementary Education in one way or another. I am excited about this career because I want to pass the value of wearing many “hats” to the next generation. I believe in teaching people to have responsibilities and to make life better for the people around them by serving their community and giving back. Living in a small town means a lot of things to a lot of people, but to me, it means wearing a lot of hats. I cannot wait to take this work ethic and servant-minded approach into my adult life and pass it on to the next generation.