NHSEF Scholarship Winners, 2024
Pursuit of Education Scholarship (3-$2000 each)
NHSEF recognizes barriers many students must overcome in order to successfully complete
high school and work toward a post-secondary education. The NHSEF Pursuit of Education
Scholarship is designed to benefit motivated students who recognize the power and impact of
post-secondary education.
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Grace Schulist plans to study Creative Technology and Design at CU Boulder. She is interested in programming and engineering, as well as art, design, and music, and this major will allow her to explore and meld these skills and interests. While at Niwot High School, Grace served as the
Front Ensemble Captain for the NHS marching band, and held other leadership roles within the music department. She has worked on marketing and other projects for the Music Innovation team, and designed a logo for freshman orientation, again combining her love of music with
development and design. She is part of Club Heartbeat (a program that brings live music to retirement home residents and hospitalized children). One of her teachers commented that “Grace” is well-named; she “possesses a quiet grace, is steady and persistent, and her laugh
lights up a room. Her coursework is impeccable. She is a great listener, neither boastful nor domineering.” These attributes have also served her well in her role with Hearts and Horses Therapeutic Riding Center, where she has volunteered many hours.
Alexandra Sequeros plans to attend CSU to pursue a dual engineering degree in the biomedical and mechanical engineering fields, with the goal of making prosthetics and advancing their technology. She also loves the Fort Collins campus, proximity to home and family, and its
affordable tuition. While at Niwot High School, Alexandra has been member of Link Crew, a rewarding and transformative experience that taught her the value of community and of stepping out of her comfort zone. She is also a member of the robotics team and National Honor Society. One of her teachers commented on Alexandra’s “deep commitment to improving”; her essay reflected this value, when she discussed challenging herself with more rigorous academic classes in her junior and senior year, and the ways she struggled, learned, grew, and succeeded through this experience.
Trade/Vocational/Technical School Scholarship (2-$2000 each)
The NHSEF T/V/T scholarship recognizes a graduating senior who seeks further educational opportunities at a trade or vocational program, associate degree program, apprenticeship, or journeyman program.
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Jaydon Tahara has been surrounded by automotive enthusiasts all his life. Not only has he watched people “spend every waking moment making money only to spend it on their car”, but also “people who will go five hundred miles overdue for an oil change without even knowing they need one in the first place.” It’s only natural that he would have a special interest in cars. He plans to study at Front Range Community college, and is excited about the ability to make something new with his hands, as well as change and repair something that can “improve humankind”.
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Founding Directors Scholarships (2-$2000 each)
The NHSEF Founding Directors Scholarship recognizes graduating seniors from Niwot High School who have made a positive impact on or contribution to Niwot High School and the community through service, academic performance, and leadership.
Sia Patel plans to attend Texas State to study Elementary Education. While at Niwot High School, she has served as the Student Council Treasurer, the manager of the Niwot Baseball team, and has volunteered 185 service hours for National Honor Society. She was also a member of the Make-A-Wish Youth Leadership Council and, as a team captain, raised over $10,000 for this organization. Sia is part of the Niwot Link Crew, a program which helps incoming Freshman students with the transition to high school. She is originally from Houston, an ethnically diverse city, and found the transition to Niwot difficult; she is proud of how she has modeled positivity and inclusiveness to her peers, and how she “brings sunshine on a cloudy day”. One of her teachers commented on her warm and bubbly presence, and her ability to create a “positive and inclusive classroom environment where students feel valued and encouraged to learn.”
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Fredrik Zorgdrager plans to study nuclear physics or electrical engineering at CU Boulder or
Colorado School of Mines. He is passionate about closing the gap in world energy production and distribution, and about pitching in to help wherever and whenever is needed. He is a “connector”, and his experience while at Niwot High School reflects this value. Fred is member of Link Crew, the Student Advisory Committee (a program that brings student struggles to the district level), and on the Unified Bowling team. He participated in the Niwot Feeders School Board Presentation where he pitched a student buddy program. He also worked on a proposal
challenging the superintendent to discontinue online learning snow days in favor of traditional snow days, and he and a fellow student initiated a leadership group at the Innovation Center. He has participated in multiple local and international service trips with his church, and serves
as a weekly peer mentor for younger members of the congregation. And he can sing! Fred had the most letters of recommendation submitted for consideration, and all highlighted his dedicated, helpful, and unwavering genuine demeanor; one stated that Fred is “honestly one of the best humans I know.”