12 Student Recognition Opportunities: Scholarships and Creative Contests
- My Pathway to College
- Mar 1
- 6 min read
By Dani Houck, College Essay and Scholarship Coach
In addition to extracurriculars, scholarships and contests abound–giving students a way to be recognized and rewarded for their unique talents, perspectives, and expression. It’s worth a contest/scholarship calendar to plot out dates to work toward; these and other recognition and funding opportunities can provide travel and networking opportunities as well–many offer celebration events for students and families. High school is not too early to begin finding “good fit” contests and awards beyond your own school.
The Coca-Cola Scholars Program scholarship is an achievement-based scholarship awarded to students in their final year of high school. Students are recognized for their capacity to lead and serve, as well as their commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities.
With the addition of the 2026 class, the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation will have provided more than 7,200 Coke Scholars nationwide with over $90 million in scholarships as it celebrates 40 years of impact since its founding in 1986. 150 Coca-Cola Scholars are selected each year to receive this $20,000 scholarship. The 2027 application (for high school students graduating in the 2026-2027 academic year) will open on August 1, 2026.”
Eligibility: seniors graduating the next spring
Fee: Free
2. YoungArts “Design” category (1 of 10 categories)
YoungArts is a prestigious national competition that recognizes outstanding high school artists in grades 10–12 across 10 disciplines.
“Designers are ‘agents of change’: They re-imagine our world by creating new products, experiences and services. This discipline is for designers who design for the “real world” in the following categories:
Architectural Design (includes building, interior, landscape, environmental, set design)
Product Design (includes product, furniture, toy, vehicle design)
UI/UX Design (includes app, website, product interface)
Graphic Design (includes communication, packaging, book, signage)
Fashion Design (includes clothing, accessories, jewelry, costume)
Cross-disciplinary Design (a combination of any of the above)
Eligibility: 15–18 or in grades 10–12.
Entry Fee: $35 or waiver
The Contest Chair writes: “The John Locke Institute's Global Essay Prize is acknowledged as the world's most prestigious essay competition.
We welcome tens of thousands of submissions from ambitious students in more than 150 countries, and our examiners–including distinguished philosophers, political scientists, economists, historians, psychologists, theologians, and legal scholars–read and carefully assess every entry.
I encourage you to register for this competition, not only for the hope of winning a prize, and not only for the chance to join the very best contestants at our academic conference and gala ceremony in London, but equally for the opportunity to engage in the serious scholarly enterprise of researching, reflecting on, writing about, and editing an answer to one of the important and provocative questions in this year's Global Essay Prize.
We believe that the skills you will acquire in the process will make you a better thinker and a more effective advocate for the ideas that matter most to you.”
Entry: Free prior to a certain registration date
JASNA (Jane Austen Society of North America) conducts an annual student Essay Contest to encourage the study and appreciation of Jane Austen's works in new generations of readers.
Eligibility: High School: full-time or part-time student at the high school level
Entry Fee: Free
“StudentCam is C-SPAN’s annual national video documentary competition that encourages students to think critically about issues that affect our communities and our nation.”
Students can compete individually or in teams of 2 or 3 members for the 5-6 minute video.
Eligibility: Grades 6-12
Entry Fee: Free
All students answer: “Describe something you have done in recent years that has made a positive impact in your community. How do you plan to support your community in the future?” and additional questions specific to 21 possible memorial scholarships. This San Diego organization notes, “Over 27 years, more than 225 scholarships have been awarded in the amount of $530,000 to well-deserving recipients. In addition to general scholarships, there are scholarships in the specific areas of study: STEM, Art, Education, Health Services, Community College, and Vocational Studies.”
Eligibility: LGBTQ+ high school seniors continuing on to higher education or full-time undergraduate and graduate students through a competitive application and essay process.
The Executive Women International Scholarship Program awards scholarships to high school seniors who demonstrate strong academic performance, leadership skills, and community involvement. This scholarship supports students pursuing associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degrees, as well as certain certification programs. Award amounts and deadlines vary by chapter.
Eligibility: high school seniors and older
8. Society for Women Engineers: “Emerging First Year Scholars”; San Diego chapter information here
All SWE Scholarship applicants must be planning to attend a school with ABET-accredited programs. Undergraduate and community college applicants must be planning to study an ABET-accredited program in engineering, technology, or computing in the upcoming academic year.
SWE offers more than $1 million in scholarships each year to collegians. SWE Scholarships support students who pursue an ABET-accredited bachelor's or graduate program in preparation for careers in engineering, engineering technology, and fields related to engineering globally. In 2025, SWE disbursed over 330 scholarships valued at nearly $1,600,000.
Eligibility: students entering their first year of undergraduate study (including current high school seniors)
The San Diego Air & Space Museum administers three competitive scholarship programs for San Diego County graduating seniors who plan to attend a four-year college or university.
Two of these programs, the Bill Gibbs and R.A. Rearwin scholarships, are reserved for students with strong aviation or aerospace-related interests who plan to pursue a degree in mathematics, physics, the sciences, or engineering.
Eligibility: San Diego County graduating seniors
In Profiles in Courage, John F. Kennedy recounted the stories of eight U.S. senators who risked their careers to do what was right for the nation. These leaders demonstrated political courage by taking a stand for the public good in spite of pressure from interest groups, their political party, or even their constituents. The Profile in Courage Essay Contest challenges students to write an original and creative essay that demonstrates an understanding of political courage as described by John F. Kennedy in Profiles in Courage.
“Describe and analyze an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official who served during or after 1917, the year John F. Kennedy was born. Include an analysis of the obstacles, risks, and consequences associated with the act. The essay may concern an issue at the local, state, national, or international level.”
Eligibility: Grades 9-12
New in 2026, New York Life’s Golden Futures Scholarship Program supports high school juniors and seniors by acknowledging students who take steps toward a stronger financial future.
Students complete interactive financial literacy modules covering essential topics such as budgeting, saving and credit management, then apply for scholarships of $10,000 or $20,000 to support their post-secondary education.
Twenty scholarships totaling $280,000 will be awarded to students nationwide. Awards are distributed based on academic achievement, personal goals,
and essay responses, and can be used at accredited two- or four-year colleges, universities, or trade and vocational schools.
Eligibility: high school juniors and seniors
Supported by the New York Life Foundation, the New York Life Award offers $2,500 scholarships/travel stipends to ten teens whose works explore death and personal grief.
Students have the opportunity to explore grief: “Someone I care about died, and it’s sometimes hard for me to talk about it. What is grief, and why should I share my story about my experiences processing death?
Grief is the feeling and reaction associated with death. You can experience it after a loved one dies or after other major changes in your life. The death of a loved one and the grief that follows are a universal yet very unique, personal experience even in normal times.
Sharing your story through art or writing can be a healing experience both for you and other teens who are grieving. Your creative work can help someone with similar experiences to you feel less alone.”
Eligibility: teens in grades 7–12, age 13 and up
Fee: $10 per entry or waiver
Now that you are a bit more familiar with unique awards and scholarships available for your consideration, remember, it’s never too early to get started on these special opportunities, as well as many more out there waiting for applicants! Special recognition is valuable for students to experience and helpful to add to their resumes. Reach out to My Pathway to College for strategic ways to add these applications to support your path.
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