Athletics have changed so many aspects of my life. My involvement in athletics began when I joined ballet at the age of 2. I did ballet until I was 11 and then I switched to soccer and swim team. I continued soccer through high school and in high school I also participated in track and field. During the 2022-2023 club soccer season, my coach appointed me as team captain. As captain, I attended all practices and games, and I represented the team at games. Communicating with teammates and coaches, I discussed player positions and tactical ideas. When players missed practices or games, I checked in on them and encouraged them to prioritize the team. In order to strengthen team chemistry, I also organized team hangouts and a pool party. In previous seasons, my teammates and I secretly complained about "annoying teammates." I learned the difference between annoying and damaging behavior. I realized that complaining wasn't productive and possibly detrimental to the team. When problematic situations arose such as a massive outburst from our goalie, I worked to address the situation with the players and coaches. Thankfully, the situation improved towards the end of the season. I enjoy practices and games, in fact, they are normally my favorite part of each week. However, I discovered that not everyone felt this way. Some dreaded practices or feared games. Learning to sympathize with these teammates, I encouraged them by talking through their worries. We discussed position changes, playing time, and how we could improve. I encouraged them to voice their concerns to coaches rather than allowing them to grow and combust later. Suddenly, all would voice their feelings to me and I became a sort of team confidant. By hearing everyone's voice, I found common interests and strengthened teammates' bonds, which improved our on-field chemistry. Fostering lasting friendships and memories like the pool party had a bigger effect than I knew. Two of the girls mentioned that they'd never hung out with teammates before and appreciated building relationships off the field. This newfound ability to sympathize as a leader allowed me to lead more engaging physics lessons in my homeschool community. In addition, my relationships with my younger siblings improved as I found ways to bridge age gaps as large as six years by remembering what it was like to be that age. Leading on the soccer team, I developed lasting leadership and communication skills.

When I think of Cannon Beach, I think of my mom. My mom served in the Navy as a Lieutenant. She was a doctor and traveled to many states for her work. My favorite memory of my mom is of our first trip together. I was 12 years old and we drove to Cannon Beach, Oregon. We spent two days exploring the beach, biking, and drinking coffee. When we arrived at Cannon Beach, we headed straight for the ocean. The first time my mom had the opportunity to visit the ocean, she was 16 years old. She had never seen the ocean before this because she grew up in Missouri. We reached the beach during low tide and so we walked to Haystack Rock. By the rock, we saw coral reefs, starfish, crabs, sea anemones, and much more. We watched the sunset and the next morning we watched the sunrise from our bedroom window. That morning we waded into the water and soaked up the sun. We observed people fly their kites and we relaxed in the sand. The ocean is our favorite place to be. The hotel we stayed at included complimentary bikes. After low tide, we borrowed two bikes and biked to the beach. My mom’s bike was light blue and mine was black and red. We spent an hour or two biking on the shore. It’s the only time we biked together. When the sun started to set we stopped biking, took off our sandy flip-flops, and sat down on the beach. We viewed the sunset and talked. My mom shared a memory of when she was a teen that biking had reminded her of. When my mom was 15 years old, she threw her brother’s bike down a hill by their house because he had shot her in the forehead with a BB gun. Then we biked back to the hotel. My mom and I love to be active, and biking together is one of my earliest memories of exercising with her. My mom’s love for coffee has influenced my whole family. She introduced my dad to coffee when they first started dating and my mom let me try her cappuccino when I was 11. Cannon Beach has many exceptional coffee shops, so we decided to have a coffee tour. The first coffee shop we sampled was Sea Level Coffee. Sea Level had a cute, beachy aesthetic. At Sea Level, my mom told me about her first date with my dad. They met at a coffee shop. My dad was late and when he arrived he said, "Sorry I was late. I was sailing." We laughed about that. Next, we tried Insomnia Coffee. Insomnia had delicious coffee and pastries. Later we discovered Insomnia has locations close to home. Lastly, we visited Sleepy Monk Coffee. Sleepy Monk had specialty mochas, bagels, and many types of beans. We both ordered specialty mochas and instantly fell in love. To this day, Sleepy Monk is our favorite coffee shop and every time we go to Cannon Beach it is our first stop. Over the years, my mom and I have continued to visit coffee shops together and chat over Americanos and mochas. My favorite memory of my mom is the first time we went on a trip with just the two of us. We got to share our love of nature, sports, and coffee. We had so many deep conversations and I learned a lot about her life as a teenager. Cannon Beach is my favorite place to be because of all the memories I made with my mom there.

Lifeguard in need of assistance! I need 911, AED, emergency equipment, and a backboard! Thankfully, in over a year of lifeguarding, I have only called for help during monthly training. My love for swim has evolved from swim lessons to swim team to lifeguarding in high school. What I didn’t realize when I first started swimming was the second I learned to freestyle, I became part of a global family. When I show up to work each day, I guard about 100 patrons over the course of 6 hours. The 100+ patrons that attend my pool daily display the diversity of swimming. Swimmers of every age, gender, and race use the facilities for various purposes including recreation, exercise, and therapy. These patrons range from infants playing in the water for the first time to D1 swimmers practicing over school breaks. When I am guarding, I have the privilege of watching a unique combination of people all coming together for the love of swimming. I work with a wide range of people as well. My co-workers' ages range from 16 to early 40s. Interacting with my co-workers made me realize that I will consistently encounter unpleasant people in my life. In order to maintain an efficient and safe workplace, I respect even the most disagreeable guards. This has been a useful lesson that taught me how to work with teammates on my soccer team who I personally struggle to get along with off the field. In both cases, I am part of a bigger team that needs to accomplish a goal. Through this, something I've learned is that no matter where you go, there will always be people who make doing your job difficult. However, in order to maintain an efficient workplace, there must be enough respect for everyone no matter your age or background. In addition to lifeguarding, my job has many growth opportunities. I am a certified water safety instructor, recreation assistant, head guard, and auditor. Ensuring attentiveness, auditors perform audits by throwing a doll into the pool for the active lifeguard to save. As an auditor, I perform two to three audits per month. Accountability can be difficult in school, but since becoming an auditor, I have been keeping myself more accountable and motivated by ordering my school tasks from least to most enjoyable. Swimming is a lifelong sport and the community has a place for everyone. Lifeguarding taught me about diversity, respect, and personal development.

This scholarship will help fund my education in mechanical engineering at a college or university this fall. My interest in mechanical engineering began with my love for math and science. Throughout my schooling, math and science were consistently my favorite subjects, and I found that learning concepts in these subjects came naturally. In my freshman year of high school, I began to research jobs in the STEM field. Immediately, engineering stood out to me. Its basis in math and science sparked my interest. Digging deeper, I discovered mechanical engineering and its focus on machines, math, and physics beckoned me. Mechanical engineering’s broad applications will allow me to explore the wonderful world of cars. Because I enjoy problem-solving and improvement, I hope to work in the research and development automotive industry. Within the research and development category, I specifically would like to work on making cars more environmentally friendly. Cars can always be faster or have better gas mileage, however, those things are not nearly as important as protecting the environment. Mechanical engineers have a special opportunity to protect the planet. As a mechanical engineer, I could not only advocate for but also impact environmentalism. Living in the Pacific Northwest has instilled a strong connection to nature in me. What is a car or drive without a scenic route or breath-taking destination? Alternatives to gas fuel and even electric batteries are a necessity. I am very excited to see where current experimentation in hydrogen and nuclear fuel will take the automotive industry and I am even more excited to be a part of this research. This scholarship would help fund my college education. With scholarships like the William A. Stuart Dream Scholarship, I will be able to pick a college based on criteria other than costs. I am looking for a college that prioritizes excellence. By taking part in opportunities such as research, internships, and co-ops, I will set myself up for a successful career. The college must also value community. I want to be surrounded by the best during my time at college. People who will challenge, motivate, and inspire me during my education will help my personal development. Collaborating with creative and passionate peers will allow us all to achieve success. The William A. Stuart Dream Scholarship will allow me to pursue my dream of studying mechanical engineering in college. After college, I will enter the research and development industry to help create positive change in the automotive industry. This matters to me because I do not want college costs to limit my potential.

“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it” - Robert Swan. My name is Ruth Tully. I am a homeschooled high school Senior from Vancouver, Washington. My time in nature has led to my involvement in environmentalism. In the future, I hope to study environmentalism, which the Carol S. Comeau Environmental Scholarship would help me accomplish. My love of the outdoors led to my interest in environmentalism. Throughout my life, I have played many sports including soccer and track. I enjoy spending warm summer afternoons playing Spikeball with friends. Through my involvement in the North West Association for Blind Athletes, I was able to help volunteer at a blind soccer clinic for blind athletes at the Nike Campus in Beaverton, Oregon. All of these experiences have strengthened my passion for the outdoors and my appreciation for the stunning environment I live in. On a trip to Cannon Beach, after a relaxing day playing in the sand, I perused the shops in town. I came across a bracelet made by 4Ocean in one of these shops. Reading the package’s mission statement: to pull trash from the ocean for every purchase, I immediately purchased the bracelet. At home, I researched 4Ocean and went on a deep dive into ocean conservation. Realizing that I could not consistently volunteer at the beach because I live inland, I joined my local high school’s Green Team Club. Green Team’s mission is to help protect our planet and animals. Joining Green Team is only the first step in my long-term plan for working in environmentalism. In college, I hope to study either mechanical engineering or environmental engineering. Even if I pursue mechanical engineering, I plan to either minor in environmentalism or earn a concentration in environmentalism. In addition, I hope to perform undergraduate research in the environmental engineering field. While searching for colleges, I carefully ensured that all of my options have an environmental engineering major. In my free time, I plan to join an environmentalism club similar to Green Team in college. One such club I am interested in is the Surfrider Club. The Surfrider Club is available at most costal schools, and even some colleges further inland. The Surfrider Foundation’s mission is to engage young people in the protection of the ocean and marine life. After college, my career goal is to work in research and development in the automotive industry. I will specifically work to make car production and use more environmentally friendly. The Carol S. Comeau Environmental Scholarship would help fund my pursuits and in doing so, fund environmentalism. My life in the Pacific Northwest has cultivated my love for the outdoors and environmentalism. While I am currently involved in environmentalism, my long-term goals include much more work for the conservation of our planet. Why would I settle for donating to environmental causes when I can be the cause?

Success is reaching contentment in life while also constantly working on self-improvement. In today’s day and age, many people base “success” on ideas like money, fame, and power. However, I would like to argue that these things do not measure true success. In fact, I believe in many cases they can hinder one from becoming successful. There are three key aspects to success: self-improvement, close relationships, and independence. This scholarship will allow me to improve myself by attending a college or university in the fall. One part of success is self-improvement. Success starts with a decision to work for your goals. One person’s vision of success will be different than another’s. Like personal development, success is unlimited. One can always be working towards a “higher level” of success, but one should find peace in where you are and not rush what is coming. Success is not based on materialism, but it is found within oneself. Throughout high school, I have worked to improve my attitude at work and in sports. While I have certainly made a great deal of progress, I acknowledge that I have plenty of room to grow. Another part of success is fostering close relationships. When someone is successful, they should be helping and caring for those close to them. What is the point of success if you are self-centered and lonely and do not have anyone to share your success with? Those close to us help us grow and can lead us to success. Some people think success is fame and recognition, but working for those things leads only to self-obsession. In my own life, I have been successful with relationships, by working to make friends through sports, as I am homeschooled. Without these friends, I would not have enjoyed my time in high school. Consequentially, I would not have reached the same level of achievement in my academic pursuits. Success also requires independence. Success cannot be given to you. Part of being successful is being free to make your own decisions and learn from experience. Success does not conform to one strict idea. For example, some might say that to be successful, you must gain power. Instead, success can be whatever fulfills you and your values. Currently, I do not have much freedom, as I am a high schooler and a minor. I have not taken for granted the freedom I do have. The freedoms I have been given have allowed me to achieve some of my goals. One example is by earning my driver’s license, I was able to become employed as a lifeguard. This fulfilled my goal of working while in high school. With this scholarship, I will have the chance to pursue my goals by attending a college and studying mechanical engineering. This scholarship will allow me to choose a college based on the best fit, not on the price. In college, I will build relationships, and gain independence. College will undoubtedly be a huge period of personal development in my life. Post-college, a degree with allow me to work in research and development in the automotive industry. I hope to make the production and use of cars more environmentally friendly. Success is subjective, but personal success starts with self-assessment. Close relationships can foster success and success demands nonconformity. This matters to me because, with the Redefining Victory Scholarship’s help, I can push forward on my path to success.

Junior-year history discussions consisted of strong opinions, unsound evidence, and disagreements. The American history book we read showed strong bias and occasionally completely skipped over important events. Many classmates believed everything it taught and added their own facts without sources. When researching for history papers, I found evidence that conflicted with our textbook. In class, I brought it up and most of my classmates dismissed my misgivings. One of these classmates would reference her “dad’s stories” as a credible source. Unfortunately, religious and political beliefs blinded many of my classmates to the truth that our history book contained preconceived notions. Our curriculum teaches us to think for ourselves, and I detested the hypocrisy taking place. I knew that my political opinions differed from the majority of the class, but I assumed that they would still respect me and my perspectives. Realizing this was incorrect, I determined that I must perform extensive research to open the ears and eyes of my peers. Two options faced me: I could remain quiet or share my views and information. Choosing the latter option, I pointed out biased opinions in the textbook and asked my peers for their sources. Some of my classmates became flustered and despised my inquiry. While I read the history book, I also explored historical events online, checking many credible sources. Sacrificing my free time, I researched topics heavily to have a well-rounded understanding of our history. During discussions, I would refer to these sources and state the facts without becoming emotional. While debating with classmates, I called out their lack of sources. I remained open-minded because I refused to turn into a hypocrite. While one classmate had always thought and inquired like me, the others began to change. As the year progressed, some classmates decided to perform their own research as well. They even started to point out bias on their own. Unfortunately, two classmates refused to listen to me or other classmates with differing views and they became more indignant. Because most of my peers were more willing to share information and opinions, discussions became more lively. Although more lively, our conversations shifted from uncivil to respectful. Even the classmates who had differing opinions learned to listen more. Personally, junior year instilled in me the importance of the pursuit and sharing of knowledge and truth. I carried this ideal to work where my coworkers and I exchange ideas daily. Through this experience, I learned to listen to my peers more attentively. These discussions forced me to become a better reasoner and more knowledgeable on the topics taught. Specifically, this challenging experience led to me becoming more informed on current events. I gained valuable practice in self-control and patience. As a senior this year, I regularly do extra research for our history syllabus. In addition, I am more prepared for discussions and the possibility of peers rudely rejecting debate. So far this year my classmates and I can share ideas in a well-mannered fashion. Everywhere I go, I like to stop and check myself before I speak on a topic while uninformed. During discussions, I acknowledge whether I researched something and encourage my peers to follow my example. I will always remember junior-year history discussions as the turning point in my research tactics.

More and more families in Vancouver, Washington are struggling to provide as the cost of living is on the rise. Homeless families struggle to provide for their children, affecting the kids' physical and mental health as well as their academic development. The homeless lack daily necessities and stability, causing distress, which can lead to coping mechanisms such as substance abuse. Homelessness has many other consequences including mental disorders, sleep deprivation, low self-esteem, and physical harm. Our youth are our future and when they grow up homeless, they are at higher risk for learning disorders and development disorders. This worldwide issue of homelessness inspired me to get involved in the homeless community in my area. I became involved through volunteering at Open House Ministries. Founded in 1986, Open House Ministries is a nonprofit family shelter in downtown Vancouver, Washington. Open House Ministries's mission is to, "Help homeless families by providing shelter and intervention through Christ-centered, life-changing programs." In addition to the shelter, Open House Ministries runs Wheel Deals Bicycles and Secondhand Solutions, providing jobs for residents. During the summer of 2023, I volunteered at Wheel Deals. All bikes at the shop are donations and homeless people receive bikes and repairs for free. For general customers, all of the money they pay goes directly back into Open House Ministries. My previous experience with bike repair included chain repair, steering correction, and tire repair. To volunteer at the shop I learned bike mechanics, which included skills such as brake repair, wheel truing, and bearing repair. With these newly gained skills, I helped repair and refurbish bikes with reused parts. I also cleaned the shop, ran the front desk, and helped organize new donations. The shelter has 33 studio apartments and provides food and shelter to about 100 residents each day - over half of which are children. One lady I worked with at Wheel Deals was once homeless and had found shelter at Open House Ministries. She received bike mechanic training and worked at the shop while attending school. Eventually, she moved out and got a new job in the skill she had learned at school. Volunteering at Open House Ministries opened my eyes to the worldwide issue of homelessness. Besides teaching me the skills of bike mechanics, Open House Ministries also made me realize how much I take for granted such as daily necessities like food, clothes, running water, and transportation. The communication skills I gained volunteering allowed me to be more understanding in my job as a lifeguard.