United Heritage H. Ralph Wilburn Memorial Scholarship
The United Heritage Charity Foundation awards college scholarship funds to high school seniors who best exemplify the credit union philosophy of “People Helping People.” The Charity Foundation recognizes it's important for students to have a well-rounded scholastic, extra-curricular, community service and character building experience throughout their high school careers. We have developed an application and selection process to find these extraordinary students each year.
Where our scholarship name originated
In Memoriam - Dr. H. Ralph Wilburn
Dr. H. Ralph Wilburn was a longtime United Heritage Credit Union and United Heritage Charity Foundation Board member who passed away in August of 2021. He was passionate about education and taught at St. Edward's University for nearly 20 years, until the time of his passing. His commitment to education was also highlighted through the scholarship program of United Heritage Charity Foundation as the driving force behind the application and selection process. Because of Dr. Wilburn's involvement with the scholarship program, the United Heritage Charity Foundation Board of Directors elected to re-name the scholarship program as the United Heritage H. Ralph Wilburn Memorial Scholarship in his honor.
Sandali Srivastasa
2022 Scholarship Recipient
Congratulations to Sandali, the 2022 United Heritage H. Ralph Wilburn Memorial Scholarship winner! She will be entering as a first-year student in the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University. Sandali was chosen to receive the $5,000 scholarship based on her well-rounded academic and personal achievements. She truly exemplifies the credit union philosophy of “People Helping People”! We wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors!
Everything Required of Scholarship Applicants
Qualifications & Requirements
Applications must be submitted by March 31, 2023.
Applicants must be a member of United Heritage Credit Union. To become a member, visit uhcu.org and select 'Open an Account' at top of the page.
Applicants must complete the full online scholarship application and upload the required additional documents (listed below).
Scholarship Activities Workbook (Scholastic, Extracurricular & Community Service)
One (1) Essay Response
Two (2) Letters of Recommendation
Scholarship recipient must attend an institution of higher learning or a UHCF approved non-traditional school the following fall.
If under the age of 18, applicants must have a parent or legal guardian digitally sign the application.
Interviews may be held with the top five scholarship finalists.
All honors courses, AP courses, college prep courses, etc.
Extracurricular Activities
All extracurricular activities you participated in during the past 4 years (e.g., student government, music/ band, drill team, sports, etc.). Describe your participation in each activity. Also include the number of hours per month invested in each endeavor, the total hours for each, and a grand total of hours for all for all extracurricular activities. Include any leadership positions held and any special awards received. Please do not list any paid work.
Community Service Involvement
All volunteer community service activities you have participated in during the past 4 years (e.g., Red Cross, hospital volunteer, recycling project, food kitchen, etc.). Describe your participation in each activity. Also include the number of hours per month invested in each endeavor, the total hours for each, and a grand total of hours for all community and civic service. Include any leadership positions held and any special awards received. Please do not list any paid work.
Unofficial School Transcript
An unofficial school transcript is also required. This can either be uploaded with the applicant's application or sent separately by the school. It should show details from the applicant's full high school record up to as close to the application date as possible.
Essay
Applicants must complete one essay. Your essay should not exceed 1000 words. Please type this essay on a separate document and upload it with your online application. The topics your essay should cover are included below.
Your essay must cover 1 of the 2 topics below:
Explain your financial need and why you should be considered for this scholarship.
How have you contributed to your community and how has it impacted you personally?
You will also select 2 topics below to cover in your essay:
Share a time you failed and learned from it.
Share a time you stepped up as a leader.
What are your academic (or professional) goals?
Two (2) Letters of Recommendation
Submit two letters of recommendation.
From a supervisor/teacher with a school affiliation to the applicant
From a supervisor of a community service or other organization the applicant is/was a part of during their high school career
Start Your Scholarship Application
Before You Start - Be sure you've downloaded the Scholarship Activities Workbook
You will need to complete this document and upload it within the application form.
Scholarship History
Since 2000, we've been able to award almost 30 scholarships to deserving high school students for a total of over $100,000. Learning about these students every year and being a part of their education story means a lot to everyone involved with the Charity Foundation. We appreciate everyone who has taken the time to share their story with us over the years and look forward to many more in the years to come.
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