Seniors Chimi Youdon and Connor Hickman receive the prestigious Daniels Fund Scholarship providing them will full ride funds to the colleges of their choice.
Outstanding Seniors Chimi Youdon and Conner Hickman. Photo by Ed Gloor
On Friday, April 20th, Seniors Chimi Youdon and Conner Hickman were presented with the Daniels Fund Scholarship, which grants them with a four-year full ride scholarship to the colleges of their choice.
“I’m just so grateful I don’t have to pay for college for the next five years,” said Scholarship Recipient Conner Hickman, who plans to attend the University of Colorado at Boulder in the fall, with a major in Engineering.
The second recipient, Chimi Youdon, said she plans to attend Colorado State University and is currently undeclared in health sciences. “It’s a real honor to receive the scholarship, and both Chimi and Conner are more than worthy recipients. I’m so proud of both of them,” said Counselor Dawn Catalano.
Each year, over 2,400 applications for the Daniels Fund Scholarship come in within four states, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming with approximately 250 scholarships awarded. “We usually have one or two students from TJ that are awarded with the scholarship. Last year we didn’t have anyone get it, however previous TJ recipients include 2010’s Paige Wilson and Andrew Craig.
“We were notified that we got the scholarship on April 20th, when Mrs. Catalano told us to meet her down at the 9 News Station for an interview on pathways to college. We had no idea what was going on, and when we got there, there was a huge group of students in the room, and that’s when we were all notified that we got the scholarship!” said Youdon.
The Daniels Fund was founded by Bill Daniels, who was born in Greeley, Colorado in 1920. Daniels was widely known and respected for his humanitarian efforts, and believed that people fortunate enough to succeed have a responsibility to help others who do not have those same advantages. His beliefs resulted in numerous donations and contributions to the community, including the annual Daniels Fund Scholarship. Bill Daniels passed away in 2000, with his entire estate transferred to the Daniels Fund, making it one of the largest foundations in the Rocky Mountain Region.
The application process is a rigorous one, with several essays, two required teacher recommendations, an online application, as well as an interview. “It’s amazing knowing that I won’t have to pay off any student loans later on, and it’s an honor that I got it and to see all my hard work paying off,” said Youdon.
The Daniels Fund Scholarship will pay for tuition, room and board, books, and food for all four years they attend.
“Both Chimi and Conner have great futures ahead of them, and I look forward to seeing their potential successes. So many students here at TJ have what it takes to get the scholarship, so I encourage more seniors in next years to come to apply,” said Catalano.
