Student Spotlight: Brock Burgan & Kathryn Senter

This month, we are spotlighting TWO WINNERS of the “Thanks for Giving Scholarship!” Brock Burgan and Kathryn (“Kate”) Senter both applied for this scholarship through the ScholarshipOwl platform, and they were thrilled to hear they won! They each received a $750 scholarship AND ScholarshipOwl donated $500 to their favorite charity as well!

Fast facts about Brock:

• Year in School: High school senior
• College He Will Attend: Looking at a few in his home state of Texas: University of North Texas, Abilene Christian University and Midwestern State University
• Educational Focus/Major: Journalism & Mass Communications
• Career Plan: Plans to pursue a career in sports broadcasting, journalism and media
• ScholarshipOwl Member: Since October, 2021

Fast facts about Kate:

• Year in School: Junior in college
• College She Attends: University of Texas at Austin
• Educational Focus/Major: Special Education
• Career Plan: Plans to be a 1st or 2nd grade inclusion teacher
• ScholarshipOwl Member: Since March, 2021

Winning Entries:

Here are their winning entries for the Thanks for Giving Scholarship:

Check out our interview below and find out how earning these scholarships through the ScholarshipOwl platform helped make Brock and Kathryn’s education more affordable, AND take notes on their scholarship success strategies!

What led you to join ScholarshipOwl?

Brock: I heard about ScholarshipOwl through online research for scholarships. I was looking for search engines to make my scholarship hunt a little easier. ScholarshipOwl allows me to see multiple matches for my profile and gives me easy access to each one to apply. It saves me time and I get info on many that I probably would never have found without ScholarshipOwl. It also helps me keep track of the ones I have applied to.

Kathryn: I heard about ScholarshipOwl through my friend, Kaitlyn, who has won some scholarships herself through the website! She encouraged me to join to help pay for my college tuition.

What scholarships have you earned so far?

Brock: From the ScholarshipOwl platform, so far I’ve won the “Thanks for Giving Scholarship,” and hope to win more in the future. I have also earned other scholarships, mainly from colleges that I’ve applied to.

Kate: So far, I have won the “Thanks for Giving Scholarship” for $750!

For the “Thanks for Giving Scholarship,” you not only earned yourself a $750 scholarship; you also earned a $500 donation for the charity you support. Can you briefly tell us about this organization, and what you have done to support it?

Brock: Mission Arlington is an awesome faith-based organization that provides the basic needs such as food, clothing, housing, and medical support to anyone in the community free of charge. It relies on volunteers who provide their time and donations to support those in need. For years, my family and I have volunteered to help whenever we can and I’ve always wanted to do more. Last year, I found out that socks are some of the most needed items in the community, and that most people do not realize that. As a result, I started my own organization, Brox Sox, to help the cause. For my 17th birthday, instead of requesting gifts, I asked friends and family to donate socks. Word spread quickly and I collected a couple thousand pair. I donated my first 800 pair to Mission Arlington because I believe in what they do!

Kate: I was so happy to hear that my favorite organization, Dream Outside The Box, was also receiving a donation! Dream Outside The Box is an organization where college students partner with elementary-aged students living in “dream deserts.” Dream deserts are places where students lack access to educational and curricular opportunities. These are typically low-income areas where students have little access to mentorship and enrichment programming. So, each week, the University of Texas (UT) chapter partners with a local YMCA in a “dream desert” and teaches students about different career paths they might have never even considered, ultimately encouraging the pursuit of higher education. This year, I have the privilege of being the president of UT’s chapter of Dream Outside The Box. This means that I coordinate officers and volunteers, plan curriculum and programming, and communicate with Dream Outside the Box nationals and the local YMCA. 

And how did it make you feel to know that simply by winning this scholarship, the organization that matters to you also received a donation in honor of your efforts?

Brock: Winning this scholarship was so exciting because it was for something that I am passionate in – community service. Not only do I get money for books and other items for school next year, but a great
organization can do more good work in the community. It’s a win win!

Kate: It meant so much knowing that Dream Outside the Box was receiving a donation in honor of my efforts, because that money will go towards materials that will help educate students on different career opportunities. I care about the children in the program so much and it is so fulfilling knowing that this money goes straight to them!

What features of the ScholarshipOwl platform do you find most helpful, and why?

Brock: I like being able to see how much money I could qualify for and having easy access to each one. As a premium member, they also automatically re-apply for recurring scholarships that match my profile. It saves me time and energy, especially on the repeat ones.

Kate: I have the premium membership, and I think it is especially helpful to see the number of applicants for each scholarship. If the number of applicants is lower, it is much more likely that I win the scholarship, which is very helpful when deciding which essays I should focus my time on.

Compared to other methods of searching/applying for scholarships, what do you like best about the ScholarshipOwl platform?

Brock: The auto-apply feature is the best. With this being my senior year, I am quite busy with a lot of things. I don’t miss out on potential scholarship money opportunities this way.

Kate: ScholarshipOwl is easy to use, and you can apply for the scholarships straight through the website, whereas similar search methods only take you to a link where you have to fill out the application.

Applying for scholarships takes time, energy and persistence. How do you stay motivated to apply for scholarships?

Brock: I want to be in a position to go to my college of choice completely debt-free. I’ve gotten closer, but I’m not quite there. That’s what motivates me to keep pushing. Every little bit helps.

Kate: I remind myself that if I put in the work and apply for scholarships now, my life will be so much easier in the future when I graduate and am paying off my student loans. I just want to try to support my future self!

We would love to hear about your scholarship strategies! When you are using the scholarship platform, how do you decide which scholarships to apply for?

Brock: I go for the bigger ones, but pay closer attention to the smaller money amounts also. Most people want to go for the easy ones that require little effort (I like those too!). I don’t mind those that require essays
or additional information. I have all of my information at my finger tips and I am able to tweak my essays to fit the requirements for each scholarship.

Kate: First, I see how many applicants there are and decide if the scholarship is realistic to apply to. Then, if I see a scholarship topic that I am passionate about, I typically choose that one because I know that I can show my passion and write authentically about it.

What tip(s) can you offer to students that might boost their chances of earning scholarships through the ScholarshipOwl platform?

Brock: Keep at it. Don’t limit yourself to apply for the bigger dollar scholarships and don’t be afraid of those that require extra work.

Kate: I would invest in the premium membership so you can see which scholarships are best for you, as well as how many applicants there are. 

How has the ScholarshipOwl community on Discord helped you with your college planning, financial aid / scholarship questions, applying for college, etc?

Brock: It has allowed me to find answers to questions about applying for scholarships.

Kate: The Discord community has really helped in motivating me. It was such a good feeling being shouted out on that platform when I won this scholarship, and whenever I get a notification from the ScholarshipOwl discord, it reminds me to keep applying to scholarships.

When you found out you had won a scholarship through our platform, how did it make you feel?

Brock: I was shocked and pleasantly surprised! It was an honor to receive the text and email, especially since it was a reward for something that I love to do.

Kate: I felt so proud and relieved. First, it was such an honor receiving a scholarship for my work with an organization that means so much to me. Second, it is such a relief that this money will be going towards helping pay for my college tuition.

If you could give one piece of advice to other students, what would it be?

Brock: Start early. Do not wait until senior year to start applying. With ScholarshipOwl, you can start your freshman year.

Kate: Get involved!! Getting involved in clubs that peak your interest are not only fun, but they give you valuable life experience that will help you in the future. If I never got involved with Dream Outside The Box, I would have never been able to create the posts that helped me win this scholarship!

Lastly, what is your superpower?

Brock: My superpowers include quoting sport data facts, taking fabulous photos and caring for others in the community.

Kate: This is a tricky one! I would say my superpower is sensitivity. I am good at telling how people around me are feeling and what they are thinking, and I am good at identifying when something is wrong and fixing it.