The Mr. Hanson Scholarship is being offered to senior students of Smoky Hill High School, and the deadline is March 23, 2016.

While it has been a little over a year since Mitch Hanson passed away, his parents want to keep his spirit alive within the Smoky Hill community. The scholarship is intended to provide college nce to those actively pursuing the college path, and is said to be “worth our while”.

So, what would make a strong candidate for the scholarship?  A senior who has demonstrated an outstanding work ethic, a generous spirit, and has the desire to pursue college immediately after high school. While the scholarship was first offered to AVID seniors, anyone is welcome to apply. However, there are a few requirements to all applicants:

• Have a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher (can be weighted)
• Demonstrates financial need, based on FAFSA or school counselor verification
• Applied and accepted to college for the Fall 2016 term (can be a four-year, two-year, or community college)
• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident

All applicants will go through a very personal and detailed process. All applications will be reviewed by Ryan Vaughn and Kate Sheil, a couple of Hanson’s closest friends. They are looking for those who were deeply impacted by Hanson’s presence. After they are reviewed, finalists’ applications will proceed to Hanson’s parents.

All applicants will be required to complete the application and a personal essay, and submit a current unofficial transcript and a copy of EFC from FAFSA 2016.

Vannessa Ruby, an AVID senior, will be an applicant of the scholarship. All AVID seniors had Mr. Hanson as an AVID teacher during their sophomore year, and most had a very close bond with him.

“We were all so close to him, and I feel like he would’ve liked to see all of us succeed in college,” Ruby said.

She described feeling extremely blessed that his parents are offering something so meaningful to students.

“Thinking about how he affected us, it is still hard to write and think about. But, I still have a lot of positive memories and good things to say,” Ruby said.

Anyone who isn interested, is welcome to apply. Turn in the applications to Mr. Vaughn by March 23, 2016.