Ridgeline senior receives $40,000 scholarship from nationwide program – The Herald Journal
Samuel Frandsen, center, speaks as his parents David and Laura Frandsen stand next to him, after receiving a $40,000 scholarship from College Board’s BigFuture Scholarship program on Wednesday at Ridgeline High School.
Samuel Frandsen, center, speaks as his parents David and Laura Frandsen stand next to him, after receiving a $40,000 scholarship from College Board’s BigFuture Scholarship program on Wednesday at Ridgeline High School.
When Ridgeline High School senior Sam Frandsen walked into the school’s lecture hall Wednesday morning, he expected a presentation about the importance of planning for college, how to do so and where to find scholarships.
However, the “presentation” resulted in Frandsen being presented a $40,000 scholarship from College Board’s BigFuture Scholarship program — a clever ploy set up by the Cache County School District, RHS’s administration and representatives from College Board.
After being asked to come up to the front of the room and tell his fellow classmates about his positive experience with bigfuture.collegeboard.org, which allows students to pursue scholarships, research colleges and more, they dropped the news on him.
A surprised expression immediately materialized on Frandsen’s face as his parents, Laura and David, emerged from their hiding spot in a nearby stairwell to celebrate with him.
“It’s insane,” Sam later told The Herald Journal. “I can’t believe that I’ve been able to win this scholarship. It’s hard to wrap my mind around the fact that I was able to win $40,000.”
“I think it’s quite exciting, because we’ve always encouraged our children to work to get scholarships, because we aren’t able to pay for all of them to go to college,” Laura, previously overcome with emotion, said. “This helps greatly.”
The process Sam went through to win the scholarship is much different than the typical scholarship application process, which often requires students to meet certain academic criteria, write essays or prove their need for assistance through other means.
With College Board’s Big Future Scholarship program, Sam and any other students who take advantage of the organization’s free-to-use website, and opt-in to being considered for the scholarships are automatically considered.
Each month, students are chosen at random, with two students from the United States of America and its associated territories winning the $40,000 scholarship and hundreds of students winning $500 scholarships.
“I’m just amazed that there is an organization that is so willing to encourage the young people and then actually do something that will financially make a difference in helping them achieve their goals,” David said.
For Sam, a hopeful-neurosurgeon who is considering the University of Michigan, Utah State University and other colleges, the mere act of planning his future with the help of a school counselor during his freshman year resulted in a life-changing scholarship.
He is also the first-ever Utah-based student to win the $40,000 scholarship.
“We’re happy for Sam — that he’s genuinely taken an interest in his future and is trying to plan for that, and that there’s been more than just our family,” David said. “His counselors helped him, teachers helped him and now we have this organization that has stepped in.”
With Sam expressing a sentiment of increased financial freedom, College Board’s Western Region Associate Director Amber Cleveland said the students’ reactions are inspiring.
“It’s definitely inspiring to see the families’ and the students’ reactions; they’re always so thankful and so appreciative,” Cleveland said. “It’s why we do what we do.”
DeAnna Stallings, RHS vice principal, said Sam’s award serves as a reminder to other students.
“I think there’s so much more out there for students than they know,” she said. “To take any opportunity that is afforded to them, to explore, to find out what’s out there is just imperative, and I think our Ridgeline counselors do such a great job at letting students know, ‘Here’s what’s out there.’”
According to College Board, Sam is one of more than 24,000 students who have received a scholarship.
For more information on College Board’s BigFuture Scholarship program, visit bigfuture.org/scholarships.
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