2026 Scholarship Recipients
Jacob Klejka Da Cruz
Growing up, I have learned that success is not defined only by accomplishments, but by the values and character a person develops along the way. I am a disciplined, hardworking, and family-driven individual who strives every day to become the best version of myself. The two greatest influences in my life are my family and the discipline they have helped me develop.
Their support, sacrifices, and encouragement have motivated me to work hard, stay focused, and always give my best effort.
Because of everything they have done for me, I feel a responsibility to make them proud through both my achievements and the way I live my life.
Throughout high school, I have challenged myself both academically and personally. I have maintained a 94 GPA while taking Advanced Placement courses and staying actively involved in my school community. I have participated in basketball throughout high school, played volleyball for three years, and been involved in organizations such as the National Honor Society, Student Council, Science Team, Chess Club, Poetry Club, the Interact Club, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In addition, I have completed more than 35 hours of community service.
These experiences have strengthened my leadership skills, taught me the importance of teamwork, and reinforced the value of serving others.
Discipline has become one of my greatest strengths. It influences how I approach my education, athletics, and everyday responsibilities. It has taught me consistency, accountability, and perseverance, especially during difficult moments when it would have been easier to give less effort or take shortcuts. Instead, I have learned to remain committed to my goals and trust that hard work will lead to meaningful results.
In the fall, I plan to attend Monmouth University to study finance. My long-term goal is to build a successful career in business, finance, or real estate while continuing to grow as a dependable and ethical professional. More importantly, I want to create financial stability and opportunities for my family, giving back to the people who have sacrificed so much to help me reach this point. Receiving this scholarship would ease the financial burden of college and allow me to focus on my education and future goals.
I believe I deserve this award because I have demonstrated a commitment to hard work, discipline, and serving my community. I will continue to use these values throughout college and beyond, making the most of every opportunity I am given. This scholarship would not only support my education but also bring me one step closer to achieving my dream of building a successful future and making my family proud.
JUSTIN MCCASKEY
I am applying for this scholarship because I believe that my dedication to academics, athletics, leadership, and community service reflects the values that this award seeks to honor.
Throughout high school, I have worked hard to balance multiple responsibilities while striving to make a positive impact on those around me. Maintaining a 3.2 GPA has required focus, discipline, and perseverance—qualities my family instilled in me from a young age. I have consistently completed my work on time, engaged with challenging assignments, and worked to improve myself academically because I understand that education is not just about grades, but about preparing myself to contribute meaningfully to society.
In addition to academics, I have been deeply involved in athletics, where I have grown as a leader and a teammate. Serving as a senior captain of the boys' basketball team was both an honor and a responsibility. Leading my peers required more than skill on the court—it required communication, patience, and the ability to motivate and support others. I worked to create a positive team culture where everyone felt valued, respected, and inspired to give their best. My dedication and hard work were recognized when I earned All-Conference honors two years in a row, an achievement that reflects both my athletic abilities and my commitment to leadership. Beyond my personal achievements, I have also tried to give back to the sport that has given me so much. During the summers, I coached basketball to children around Southington and volunteered at basketball clinics. Teaching younger players not only allowed me to share my knowledge and love for the game, but it also reinforced important values like discipline, perseverance, and teamwork—lessons I hope they carry with them beyond basketball. My personal life has also shaped me into a responsible, empathetic, and driven individual. I have cared for my brother, who has autism, throughout his time in high school. Supporting him has taught me patience, resilience, and the importance of compassion. I have learned how to advocate for him, help him navigate challenges, and celebrate his accomplishments. Caring for my brother has shown me that leadership is not only about guiding others in public spaces, like on a basketball team, but also about quietly supporting and uplifting those who need help in their everyday lives. This responsibility has strengthened my character and motivated me to approach all aspects of life with empathy and integrity.
Alongside my family responsibilities, I have made a strong commitment to community service. I volunteer with organizations such as More Miracles Made in Waterbury, where we help provide for people who are in need, including families struggling with food insecurity. I have also participated in bottle drives and helped distribute food to the homeless. These experiences have taught me the value of giving back and the impact that consistent acts of kindness can have on a community. Being able to help others, whether through coaching, volunteering, or simply supporting someone in need, has become a guiding principle in my life,
What sets me apart is not just my achievements, but the way I approach each opportunity with dedication, responsibility, and a desire to make a positive difference. I have learned that success is not only measured by personal accomplishments, but also by the ways we lift others up and contribute to the world around us. Whether it is mentoring young basketball players, helping my brother navigate his challenges, or volunteering to provide food for those in need, I have tried to lead by example and inspire others to work hard, show compassion, and stay committed to their goals.
Receiving this scholarship would support my future academic and personal goals while also recognizing the hard work, resilience, and commitment to service that have defined my high school career. I am proud of the dedication I have shown in all areas of my life, and I will continue striving to make a meaningful impact wherever I go. I believe that my balance of academics, athletics, leadership, and community involvement demonstrates that I am a strong candidate for this scholarship.
I have learned that life is not just about personal success, but about using your skills and opportunities to improve the lives of others. I have been fortunate to have supportive coaches, family members, and teachers who encouraged me to work hard, serve others, and lead with integrity. I hope to continue honoring their guidance by applying these values to every future opportunity. In short, I believe I deserve this scholarship because I have consistently demonstrated dedication, leadership, and compassion in multiple areas of my life, and I will continue to embody these qualities as I pursue my future goals.
In the fall of 2026, I will attend Central Connecticut State University as a freshman.
Maddison joseph
When I was eight years old, I laid in a hospital bed waiting to go into surgery, the same surgery my father had undergone just a few years prior, for the same exact condition: an atrial septal defect, a hole in the heart’s wall. As my mother and sister tried their best to distract me while my father was sitting cool as a cucumber, I was not afraid, I was curious. I wanted to understand every monitor beeping around me, every term the cardiologists used, every decision being made on my behalf, and every feeling that I had felt in that moment. That curiosity did not leave when the surgery was over. It followed me home, into classrooms, into libraries, and eventually into the volunteer work I do today. It is the reason I am applying for this scholarship, and the reason I'm going to become a pediatric cardiologist.
I was born in the United States to parents from Trinidad and Tobago. Like many immigrant families, mine carried with them an unspoken agreement: the sacrifices made crossing an ocean would be repaid through education and achievement. My parents wanted me to become a doctor or a lawyer, not out of vanity and the way the jobs sounded, but out of love. They had seen what a lack of access to professional careers could cost a family. But I want to be clear about something: I am not pursuing medicine to fulfill an obligation. I am pursuing it because the day I watched a surgeon explain my father's heart condition to our family, something in me shifted permanently. I realized that medicine is not just a career, it is the closest thing to holding someone's life in your hands and choosing, with knowledge and compassion, to protect it.
My journey toward that operating room has not been a straight, perfect line. In my junior year of high school, I was passed over for the National Honor Society despite maintaining a 3.8 GPA and reaching all of the requirements. I watched from the uncomfortable and not as impressive auditorium seats as my friends crossed a stage I believed I had earned. The honest truth is that I did not fight it. I stayed silent, and that silence haunted me. But it also taught me one of the most important lessons of my life: that self-advocacy is not optional, especially in a field where speaking up can determine a patient's outcome. I stopped waiting to be recognized and started building the evidence of who I was. I asked questions in class I once kept to myself. I emailed teachers for feedback. I pursued leadership roles I used to assume were meant for someone else. That rejection, as painful as it was, carved out the resilience that I now carry with me.
Today, I give back in the ways I know how. I volunteer as a tutor for students in grades 1 through 12 at the Seamen's Society, working with young people who often come from backgrounds where academic support is scarce. I also serve as a volunteer teacher in a local 3K program, working with some of the youngest and most impressionable learners in my community. These experiences have deepened my understanding of what it means to show up for people who cannot yet show up for themselves, a principle that sits at the heart of pediatric medicine.
I will be attending Texas A&M University, an institution whose commitment to excellence, community, and service aligns deeply with my own values. Texas A&M’s rigorous pre-med program and strong health sciences track will provide the academic foundation I need to pursue medical school and, ultimately, a career in pediatric cardiology. What draws me to A&M goes beyond its rankings; it is a place that believes in the whole student, one that fosters leadership, integrity, and a spirit of giving back. I know that I will not just grow as a student there, but as the kind of physician I am determined to become.
I am a first-generation college student. I am the daughter of immigrant parents and I have been overlooked. None of those things diminished me. Every single one of them made me more certain of where I am going. I want to be the pediatric cardiologist who walks into a room and makes a scared child and their family feel understood and safe. I want to be the doctor who explains the monitors, who names the condition clearly for a family to understand without worry, who answers every question, because I remember being the patient who needed that.
This scholarship would not just help me pay for college but it would affirm that the path I have chosen, built on lived experience, service, and an unshakeable sense of purpose, is one worth investing in. I am ready for this next chapter. Not only will this scholarship push me further onto my path without having to worry about the financial portion, but it’s part of something that I have been preparing for my whole life and I’m still not done paving this road for myself. For me, this is just the beginning of all the great things that I know I can and will accomplish.
MYONAH REID
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Unknown
I was first introduced to this quote when I was five years old. After finally defeating the Ender Dragon in Minecraft, the end credits began to roll, and before they concluded, this quote slowly descended down the screen. At the time, I did not fully understand its meaning, but as I grew older, I realized those words stayed with me. This quote reflects the mindset that I not only want to continue to carry into college, but into every aspect of my life.
Growing up as an only child with a single mother, I learned to constantly step out of my comfort zone and pushed myself to become involved. This mindset led me to strive for multiple leadership positions by becoming President of the African American Club, Student Council President, and Captain of the Track & Field team. Because of these roles, I learned to use my voice for myself and others, and I learned how to lead through action by staying disciplined, encouraging those around me, and staying focused even when things prove difficult.
As I prepare for college at Howard University, my goals consist of continuing to “explore, dream, and discover” by earning my undergraduate degree in Biology while challenging myself academically and personally. I hope to maintain a strong GPA, gain hands-on experience through healthcare opportunities, and continue to develop my leadership skills on campus.
I also want to build connections, both professionally and personally, while finding a community that shares the same morals, values, and goals as me. My long-term goal is to pursue a career in the science or healthcare field where I can positively impact others. Most importantly, I want to give back to my family and community. I witnessed firsthand the importance of supporting others emotionally, financially, or through acts of kindness, and I want to honor that legacy by being someone others can rely on.
Not only will the Hesus Fund Scholarship relieve my family and me of financial stress, but it will also allow me to focus more on my studies and future career. I am committed to my education and determined to achieve my goals. I strive to maintain a strong academic performance and will also give back to my family and community. Receiving this scholarship would be a significant step towards becoming a healthcare professional who can help others the way they need it and become a role model and a voice for those who don’t feel represented.
Thank You
YOHENNY FLORES
My name is Yohenni Evangelista Flores, and I am currently a sophomore at Pace University pursuing a major in Human Resource Management. I am writing to express my sincere interest in the Hesus Fund Scholarship and to share a period of my life that shaped my resilience, character, and determination to succeed.
When my father passed away, everything felt heavier. Balancing school, friendships, and family became overwhelming, and I struggled to concentrate in class. For the first time, my academic performance reflected the emotional weight I was carrying. Receiving my first “C” became a reality check and forced me to recognize how deeply grief had affected my focus and motivation.
During this time, I learned that grief does not pause responsibility. Some days I was able to focus, while on others, simple moments like walking onto campus or seeing fathers with their daughters brought the loss back to the surface. Grief was unpredictable, and learning to function through it was one of the hardest challenges I have faced.
What grounded me was finding a healthy outlet through working out. It gave me structure, clarity, and a way to release emotions I did not always have words for. Through this experience, I learned that it is okay not to feel your best every day. What matters most is showing up for yourself, even when it feels difficult. That mindset slowly changed how I approached my education.
Once I refocused academically, I discovered a genuine interest in research and writing, particularly through a research paper on how body image expectations affect both men and women. I enjoyed interviewing people and learning from perspectives different from my own, which helped me reconnect with my confidence and curiosity.
As I explored career paths, Human Resource Management felt like a natural fit. HR aligns with my interest in understanding people, advocating for others, and creating supportive environments, especially during moments of transition and uncertainty.
The Hesus Fund Scholarship would allow me to continue my education with greater stability and focus while easing financial pressures. More than financial support, this scholarship would represent belief in my journey and the growth that emerged from one of the most difficult periods of my life. I am committed to honoring that support by continuing to grow academically and supporting others through my future work in Human Resources.
Thank you for your time and consideration
