Ep. 204 - Celebrating The 2026 Selfless Scholars

At a Minnesota Masonic Charities scholarship event, the CEO explains a scholarship program designed to recognize everyday kindness by having students nominate a peer and share the award. The program’s purpose is to uncover and celebrate stories of service that often go unnoticed, highlighting how simple actions can create ripple effects across schools and communities. Throughout the night, several nominations are read and discussed, featuring special young people who consistently put others first through inclusion, support during difficult times, volunteering, leadership, and service to people with disabilities, younger students, seniors, and community organizations. Families and guests reflect on the values behind these actions and the importance of compassion, forgiveness, and noticing those who feel alone. The event concludes by thanking attendees and encouraging future students to keep nominating quiet difference-makers.

Transcript

SPEAKER_16 0:00

And it is my great pleasure to introduce the Folically Challenge CEO of Minnesota Masonic Charity, John Schwartz. So this is uh uh a very enjoyable night for us. Um we had some very uh high academic achievers that uh received the signature scholarships. I think those are six thousand dollars a year for each of the next four years. We're hoping you get out in four years. Took me five, but I'm still a good person. Um and then the uh the legacy scholarships are for students that are currently college students, and then we also had the uh the heritage scholarships as well. But we have uh our program tonight is really kind of centered around what we call our selfless scholarship program. It's a selfless scholar. Um I've had the privilege over the last 20 years of going to a lot of high schools throughout the state of Minnesota, and uh we give out some pretty sizable scholarships, and typically what would happen is they would work their way up to the larger scholarships. So by the time they got to the Masonic scholarships, um the kids that received our academic scholarships tended to get a lot of scholarships. And I got a feeling some of you probably have experienced that in your life. And as one of those people that never would have been, let's just say, eligible for those academic scholarships, kind of bugged me. So I said, let's a scholarship that anybody could apply for. And my son, who at the time was an eighth grader, he said, uh, we had been talking about what if there was a kindness scholarship? And we were talking about having people apply for the scholarships. And my little son, Ben, who at the time was in eighth grade, he was in the living room overhearing us talk about this, and Kevin Gorg was there, and he said, Well, that's a stupid idea. I said, Oh, okay, big shot. What do you mean? He goes, the type of people that you're looking for in these selfless scholarships aren't going to brag about themselves. Why don't you have them nominate a friend and talk about the kindness that that friend or peer has shown to the people around them? And we're like, oh my God, Ben, where did that come from? Because he clearly wasn't one of those academic achievers. Um, but and he said, here's what would make it cool. You would split the scholarship award between the person who took the time to nominate and the person that they nominated. So a couple of years ago, we created the Minnesota Masonic Charity Selfless Scholarship Program. And we get literally hundreds and hundreds of scholarship applications. So, those of you that got the scholarships, you know, some of you must be splitting atoms or something because it is a very competitive academic scholarship. Um I said to our staff who reviews all those scholarship applications, I will take care of the first year of selfless scholarships. I'll review all of those. Terrible idea. Because we got like 300 applications or nominations for these selfless scholars. And the stories were it would blow your mind, just these beautiful stories of kindness that exist throughout the uh throughout the community. And are you familiar with the oxytocin? Oxytocin is the happiness hormone. I would be high on oxytocin every night driving home. Now be careful, that's not the other oxy situation. But the point is there's a lot of great stories out there. And one of the objectives of this program is to under uncover stories of kindness that would otherwise go untold. And we're going to tell some of those stories here tonight.

SPEAKER_23 3:40

I'm going to read the uh first submission. Again, the recipient is not here, but this is a story you definitely want to hear. Dear Scholarship Committee, I am honored to nominate Ann Sullivan, a doctor, a doctorate, a physical therapy student at the University of Minnesota for the Selfless Scholar Award. Anne Sullivan is defined by a rare alignment of character and action, where compassion, integrity, and kindness function not as distant ideals, but as the very foundation of her work and relationships. Anne's commitment to service is best seen in her work as a personal care assistant for a young girl with physical disabilities. While many would view this demanding role as a means to support their education, for Anne, it is an extension of her identity as a healer. She speaks of her work with genuine joy, focusing entirely on the progress of her clients rather than the physical or mental exhaustion of the job. This pattern of putting others first is intentional and consistent. Within her academic community and as a cornerstone of support, despite the rigors of a doctorate program, she routinely organizes study groups and carves out time to provide emotional sanctuary for friends in need. She navigates these sacrifices with a selfless grace, never complaining about her own workload. Instead, she speaks only of her hope to one day restore the lives of those suffering from injury. Her character has a profound ripple effect. Personally, Anne's dedication was a catalyst for my own decision to return to graduate school in a health-related field. Witnessing her bridge the gap between technical excellence and profound empathy showed me the impact of a dedicated scholar can have on the world. Anne does not act out of a desire for recognition. She does good simply because she is good. She embodies the spirit of this award by making her community better through quiet, consistent leadership, and an unwavering commitment to the well-being of others. Anne is supporting herself through graduate school, relying on scholarships and funding that are incredibly competitive at the doctoral level. At the same time, she and her long-term boyfriend, John, are navigating the challenges of his first deployment as an airman. Balancing the rigors of a doctoral program with the weight of a deployment is no small feat, but she has handled it all with grace. As a close friend of both Anne and John, I can vouch that she has been an absolute rock for him during this first chapter of his military career. Mason Hayden, I don't I'm surprised I could get through that without tearing up. That was uh outstanding submission. Come on, Ab.

SPEAKER_16 6:44

Is this on? There it is. Congratulations, Mason. So I uh for starters, have a Steve Mason. Um want to introduce uh Steve Brown. And I think you might be sitting on this is Kevin Gorg. Some of you that might watch Minnesota Wild Hockey might recognize Kevin. He interviews people professionally.

SPEAKER_20 7:06

I've got care envy right now. Look at that. Fabio, doesn't he?

SPEAKER_16 7:10

So here's what's interesting. So most of the people that are here that are receiving these scholarships tonight aren't members of our Secret Handshake Society. Are you familiar any of you familiar with what the Freemasons are? Well, the Freemasons are uh we are a fraternity, and uh some of those members of our fraternity are here tonight. If you're a Mason, would you please just take a moment and stand up? We've got some of our board members in the back, our grandmaster, uh Sean Carrick is in the back there, the chairman of our board, Steve Johnson. Anyways, those people all know the secret handshake. And coincidentally, this guy named Mason happens to be a Mason.

SPEAKER_20 7:49

No way.

SPEAKER_16 7:50

And when I was reading this, I uh I recognized his name, and I thought, that sounds like a guy that is connected to Terrence Schaefer, who takes pictures even when you ask him not to.

SPEAKER_24 8:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_16 8:02

No one said anything. Anyways, and uh Mason is the godson of Terrence Schaefer. Is that is that right? And I I recognize him because I've been to meetings and I'm like, who is the guy with the hair? So you got good hair. I don't know what's this is this is next level right here. But anyways, Mason, tell us uh tell us a little bit about uh Ann.

SPEAKER_24 8:23

Well, it's hard to match, I guess, my writing with what I can say, but Anne's been a personal friend of mine for going on 10 years now, and it's just she's one of those people where you read the scholarship and you're like, oh, she win. Easy. I'm like, I'm like, this is gonna be perfect. Here's someone who, like you're saying, doesn't necessarily go out of her way to to be boisterous about you know how good her work is and how much her ethic and caring and selflessness really does make an impact on me and our friends. And like that emotional sanctuary is something that I've taken advantage of a bunch, and it's just I've never heard Anne complain about honestly anything. So it was just a perfect and you're a student. I am a student. I'm I'm studying uh Masters of Science uh for environmental health.

SPEAKER_16 9:12

I think very nice, very nice. Steve, any questions?

SPEAKER_24 9:17

Can you hear me?

SPEAKER_18 9:18

Nope, nope, okay. Um I think it's amazing that first of all, you look great too. You have a suit as well. Not only do you have a good suit, but uh tie. Um I I just think that you recognizing that to begin with, recognizing that your friend is so selfless, I think that's amazing to begin with. That you you can find that in someone else and and recognize it and want to celebrate that person. I love that. That's fantastic.

SPEAKER_24 9:46

I think it's like it plays on itself too, because Anne is so selfless and compassionate. You know, if you're around someone like that, you're eventually it's gonna rub off. It's easy, yeah. Yeah, and you you associate with your like too. So good. That's great.

SPEAKER_20 9:58

How does she handle the stress of having uh her boyfriend deployed for the first time? And I can't imagine for for family members and for friends, and clearly they're in a relationship, how that would be as her friend, how does she deal with that stress?

SPEAKER_24 10:16

It's it's kind of hard because you don't hear a lot from Anne about it, but you can tell that you know it affects her. But you know, you never see Anne bow, even though she's under a lot of weight. So it's just one of those things where just being around her, I think just supporting her through that time. And she's just someone who really appreciates just being there. So that's just how I I've been supporting her and and seeing her go through this time with her partner.

unknown 10:41

Cool.

SPEAKER_16 10:41

Well, congratulations, Mason. Thank you.

SPEAKER_23 10:48

Our next submission that would like to read to you, Dear Scholarship Committee. My friend and nominee is someone who consistently puts others before himself. His daily actions show a level of empathy and awareness that many people overlook, especially in environments where everyone is busy with their own lives. What stands out to me most about him is how naturally selfless he is. He is a type of person who notices when someone might not be having a good day and takes the time to check in with him. I know this firsthand because he supported me during a difficult mental health period, while others assumed I was fine. He noticed subtle signs and asked if I was okay. That simple question opened up a conversation I needed. He listened without judgment and made me feel understood when I felt overwhelmed and alone. What meant the most was that his support did not end with that one conversation. He continued to check in on me and made sure I always had someone to talk to. Knowing that someone genuinely cared made a huge difference in my life. This is not something my nominee only does for me. He is genuinely one of the kindest people I know. He treats everyone with respect and shows appreciation for even the smallest things. He makes an effort to be polite and welcoming to everyone around him. These small actions might seem simple, but they show the type of person he is every day. My own mother has told me that I need more friends like him because he's the kind of because of the kind of person that he is. His kindness, respect, and selflessness make a positive impact on everyone around him. When I was looking through scholarships and saw one called the Selfless Scholar, my friend Carson Stidge instantly came to mind. People like Carson don't always get recognized for the quiet ways they help others, but they truly deserve it. Thank you for considering him for this great recognition and sincerely sign Cole Pitzel from Eden Prairie High School. Cole, please come on up. Come on up, Cole.

SPEAKER_16 13:20

Cole, you comfortable sitting down for a minute? All right. Cole's parents here? I Cole's parents. Kid you, why don't you go down there and talk to Cole's parents? So, Eden Prairie, so we made it convenient for you. It's not a very long drive. I know that there's people here from uh from far and wide throughout the state of Minnesota. But uh, how did you find out about this scholarship program?

SPEAKER_19 13:43

Um, I was just like looking around online and I just saw it, and I was like, I just saw the selfless part about it, and I was like, I just know a perfect person for this. And Carson Stidger, he's just been a long buddy, he's been my friend for a long time, and just he has but supported me for from so many things, and just like he's just been a friend that's been there all throughout my life, and I just really appreciate him for that.

SPEAKER_16 14:12

One of the things that was a common theme through uh many of the the uh nominations that I read was you know the importance of having that one person that you could that you just always knew that you could lean on, and just how important that is for every student in a school. And uh, I'm happy that you found yours.

SPEAKER_18 14:32

Where where do you think Carson gets that from?

SPEAKER_19 14:35

What's the what where's that source, do you think? I would say his mom. And I think both of his parents, I think they're just great people in general, but his mom, she's just she always gives me a hug when she's around me, she always checks up on me. She's just like a great person. She just is always there for me, and I know that I can always talk to her and open up to her as well. You're graduating this year? Yeah. What's the plan for next year?

SPEAKER_16 14:59

I'm going to University of Tampa to study sports management. Very nice. Sportsman, speaking of sports management, uh, Kevin Gorg.

SPEAKER_20 15:06

Well, yeah, I want to talk to dad here. I'm next to dad here. And when when you when you hear your son's letter and and the great things he's saying about his friend, and just to be in that chair, to be somebody that thought of somebody else, take us back to when he was just a little guy. He's all grown up now and he's going off to college. But from a dad's perspective, I know this is a very proud moment, rightfully so. What is it within him when he was a little guy, from the playground to where we are now that allowed him to have such a keen eye for kindness?

SPEAKER_01 15:40

Yeah, I mean, uh it's it's been a journey with him. The um to your point, uh just thinking about him as a real young boy, uh, the compassion that I saw coming from him to other kids that either didn't have as much or maybe were getting picked on or even had a disability. He's he's always been that person to um just reach out and uh you know listen and sort of befriend people. Uh it's yeah.

SPEAKER_16 16:13

We won't ask mom any questions because she's got to get it together back there.

SPEAKER_20 16:16

She's well hold on one more, John. Really sent me out here, I gotta do my job. Eden Prairie, I think of the Eagles, I think of the tremendous football program, all the athletics there and the accolades those student athletes get, which is great. But to see your son involved in something like this, where it it really is more about the character and the the friendships that they have, whether it's out of the classroom or off of the athletic fields or stadiums, from a parent's perspective. I know you guys have had a little time to digest what he has accomplished. Where does this stack up in terms of things he's done as a young person to make you proud?

SPEAKER_01 16:58

It's pretty much the most important part of being a human being. That's to uh, you know, just be compassionate and caring and thoughtful to other people. And I'm I'm we couldn't be more proud to you know to have him with those characteristics. Great job. Congrats, you guys.

SPEAKER_16 17:14

And Cole, you know, I I just want to mention that you know it takes courage to take the time to do that. And you really got to open up a vein. And uh I'm just very grateful that you took the time to introduce us to your friend. Congratulations.

SPEAKER_19 17:27

Thank you so much. Thank you.

SPEAKER_20 17:30

Thank you, Rabbi Dan.

unknown 17:32

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_20 17:33

Outstanding gender.

SPEAKER_16 17:35

Way to go, Cole. Now it's gonna get fun because not only do we have the nominee tours, but we also have their nominees here. And in some cases, you know, we have a bunch of finalists out there, but uh hopefully you'll be picked.

SPEAKER_15 17:50

Let's go.

SPEAKER_23 17:50

It's the best night of the year, by the way. Yes. I'm proud to nominate a fellow senior at my high school for the selfless scholarship. My nominee is someone who consistently demonstrates what it means to be a selfless leader in both our school and community. Throughout high school, I have seen Brady lead, not seeking recognition, but through intentional actions he takes every day to support and uplift others. His empathy, patience, and ability to make people feel valued are what truly makes him stand out. One of the most significant ways he contributes to our school community is through his involvement in Unified Club. This is an organization focused on creating an inclusive environment where students with special needs can participate in high school activities and school life among their peers. My nominee actively participates in drawing up plays and playing basketball with unified students, but what stands out most are the everyday interactions he has with them. One moment that truly reflects his character happened in the hallway at school. While walking through the hallway, he noticed one of the unified students who looked down and discouraged. Recognizing the student needed encouragement, he stopped to talk with them for a few minutes. What might have seemed like a small interaction quickly turned into a meaningful moment as the student's mood noticeably lifted simply because someone took the time to acknowledge them. My nominee often says that even a short conversation can make someone's entire week. His compassion extends beyond school as well. He works at a senior living facility where he treats residents with patience and respect and always takes the time to listen. Whether he is supporting students in unified club or serving residents at work, he always prioritizes the well-being of others. Through his kindness, humility, and consistent actions, my nominee positively impacts the lives of those around him and is truly deserving of this special recognition. But what truly sets him apart is his character. His actions are guided by a genuine desire to support and uplift the people around him. He's someone people naturally trust because he listens carefully, he values others' perspective, and makes thoughtful decisions that benefit the group as a whole. His leadership style is grounded in empathy and respect, allowing him to build connections with people from different backgrounds. His ability to bring people together and help others feel valued strengthens a sense of community around him, making him a great candidate for this scholarship. Please consider my friend Brady Dvorak for this great opportunity, sincerely signed by Morgan Taylor. Brady and Morgan, come on.

SPEAKER_16 20:42

Are you really? Very nice. Thank you. Let me give you that. That's uh suitable for a frame. So uh thank you, Morgan, for taking the time. Tell us what school do you go to?

SPEAKER_08 20:59

We both go to Champlin Park High School.

SPEAKER_16 21:01

Champlain Park. Very nice. And your seniors? Yeah. What's the plan for next year, Morgan?

SPEAKER_08 21:06

I'm going to Indiana University to study business at the Kelly School of Business.

SPEAKER_16 21:10

Kelly School. Did you get in? Hoosier's. All review.

SPEAKER_08 21:12

Hoosier's.

SPEAKER_16 21:13

Very nice. And how about you, Brady?

SPEAKER_17 21:15

I'm going to Purdue for aerospace engineering.

SPEAKER_16 21:18

Oh, God, we've got some smart ones. Holy cow. Oh my goodness. This could get ugly.

SPEAKER_20 21:22

The old oak and bucket when the football teams play. Yeah, it's the huge robbery. I love it.

SPEAKER_16 21:27

So this is the sports guy. I just have to tell you. So we have this podcast that I mentioned, the Kindness Chronicles. They all listen. Yeah, I mentioned the Kindness Chronicles. You have no idea why we're here. Kevin is kind of a one-trick pony. It's just sports, sports, sports. This guy here, Steve Brown, is the lead singer of a bang called Johnny Clueless. He was famous once upon a time. Now he's just old and gray like the rest of us. Absolutely, yes. But um, it's really fun when he starts talking sports, he starts to fall asleep, and vice versa. Back to you people. So, Morgan, when you saw how did you find out about this uh this program?

SPEAKER_08 21:58

Well, actually, I was Getting help obviously from my parents, you know, looking for scholarships. And um, this one came out to be, and I looked at it and I was going through the list of people in my head like who would be the perfect candidate for this? And I was like, Brady has been a rock from day one. Like, I've since I've known him, he's just been an awesome person in my community, a really good friend, and what he does in our community isn't is amazing. So I just knew Brady would be the perfect person for this.

SPEAKER_20 22:26

How did you find out that you were nominated?

SPEAKER_17 22:28

Uh, I got a text from my mom saying, Hey, uh, you need to go do some yard work at your grandparents this day. I was like, sure, because they live, I mean, maybe two minutes from here. And then I said, Hey, I kind of have work plans after this. And he's like, Okay, here's the real deal. You gotta go, you got a big scholarship to go down. I was like, Wow. And I just thought it was really cool that someone could nominate me.

SPEAKER_16 22:47

So we tried to trick you to get here, and it almost worked. That's fantastic.

SPEAKER_20 22:53

Very cool.

SPEAKER_16 22:54

Um, you tell us about the work that you do in uh with the the unified program.

SPEAKER_17 22:59

Yeah, we just had a track and field event today at our school, so I was outside with them, but look like you got a little sun. Yeah, I know. I'm it was you should try sunscreen. Finally, first day. My mom's a dermatologist, so you'd think she'd uh put more values in me. But no. Uh we meet every week or every other week uh before school, and we just have a club and we kind of have usually it's either a physical event or kind of like a drawing, coloring, making something. But I would say that the most important aspect of unified is what happens outside the classroom and how um how much you mean to them, even if it's a little interaction in the hall, like this kid after or during passing time every day, give them a high five and say it's nice to meet you. And I think that the biggest thing you do you can do for those kids is just treat them like normal people and treat them like their students at the high school just like you, and it makes a world of difference seeing how just how happy they get to talk to you and how happy they are to see you.

SPEAKER_16 23:53

Johnny Clueless, you have anything to say?

SPEAKER_18 23:55

I yeah, I do. I I'm I know he gets through a weepy. No, you two are both obviously very smart, but Brady, you I get a sense based on what we heard about you, and I just heard that for the first time, you have like a wisdom about you, like an emotional intelligence. Um, that's beyond just being a smart person. That is seeing a need and seeing something that is in front of everyone that no one is seeing. Someone is needing an extra uh conversation, someone needs some help, someone needs to be uh a friend. Where do you get that from? That's what I'm always kind of curious about. You have a little more than just being a good person, you have a wisdom to see it all. What do you attribute to that?

SPEAKER_17 24:42

I would say that just both of my parents that's the right answer, by the way.

SPEAKER_18 24:46

Always appearance.

SPEAKER_17 24:47

No, I I don't know if that's always true with just saying it's a good answer. Always the right answer. Yeah. Anyway, I would say that both of my parents are kind of, I wouldn't say opposites, but they definitely have some different aspects about them. But I would say that seeing how they handle their problems differently and how how they treat people differently gives me such a wide range of seeing, like, okay, how do some people look like when they're sad or when they're down or when they don't want to talk? I think that sometimes the best thing to do is just let a person know that they're being seen and that you can tell that there's something's wrong, not necessarily trying to fix the problem. Got that from my parents kind of arguing about that sometimes. Good. That's good.

SPEAKER_16 25:22

We're not gonna go there.

SPEAKER_17 25:24

Probably smart, but I just think that and eventually, you know, after you help so many people, you get to understand how some people look or just what you need to do to help people. So I think that, you know, just trying to help people for so long, eventually you just kind of gain that sort of wisdom that you're talking about. Emotional intelligence.

SPEAKER_16 25:41

Morgan, who is your second choice? I'm just teasing. We're not gonna do it.

SPEAKER_20 25:45

It was always brady. Why would you go there, Jim? Kevin. Do we have some parents out here? Uh you want to go right over here. Okay. Okay. All right, Kelly. They say birds of a feather flock together, right? And this kid clearly has a lot of kindness about him, plus I don't know, all that emotional stuff that Steve was talking about. I'm a sports guy. Um, when he was a kid and and growing up, was that the case? I mean, when you can see the people he associated with, hung out with, how did that affect him?

SPEAKER_14 26:14

He just has been this person from day one. Yeah, he's always concerned about you know how everyone else is doing around him and and everything.

SPEAKER_20 26:23

We live in a world where social media is everything. I've got three daughters, they're a little older. What one just graduated college, my youngest, but it's easy to get wrapped up in the Facebook and the Instagram and all that mumbo jumbo. How much does it give you maybe just peace of mind, knowing he's going off to college? It's an emotional time for any parent, that he has that aspect of his personality and character where maybe he won't get wrapped up in all the social media and just connect with people and have a great college experience.

SPEAKER_14 26:52

Uh we're just so excited for him. And um, I don't it it he's such a great person. So we just know he's gonna do well.

SPEAKER_16 27:01

Let's hear from Morgan's parents real quick.

SPEAKER_20 27:06

Can you do the hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo, jerse? Right? That's a big deal. Let me ask you this though, they're great friends, right? So, what's gonna happen when Indiana and Purdue are playing in football? Because anybody that knows when they go to college, you get tied into this thing emotionally, right? This is your team against their team. How's that gonna play out?

SPEAKER_25 27:25

Well, IE's gonna win for sure. We are the national champions, but no, we're so excited for both of them. It's gonna be a good vibe rivalry for the two of them.

SPEAKER_20 27:33

And how long have they been friends and how has that been fun to watch? Because I I just look at my kids and those those friendships that do go beyond high school that last a lifetime, and this is clearly pretty special connection they have. When did that start? When did you realize that that was a really cool aspect of maybe the social experience at high school for these kids?

SPEAKER_15 27:53

You've been friends for quite a while now, right?

SPEAKER_25 27:55

Yeah, yeah. So our younger sons play ball together, and so they've always been together at all the things, so they've known each other for quite some time.

SPEAKER_20 28:02

When you hear that letter, though. I mean, that to me, that's what really, as a parent, tugs on the heartstrings. When you see a young person that can really bring out the best in somebody else, that I I guess for a parent's got to make you feel pretty damn good.

SPEAKER_15 28:15

Yeah, it's pretty amazing, actually. And I'm uh participating in a lot of lasts for my daughter. And so I might cry because I actually I went to go ahead and cry. I went to a player concert uh just this couple days ago, and I was crying, so I'm trying not to do it right now. But love my daughter, Brady, you're awesome. Great job. Um, keep on doing great things.

SPEAKER_20 28:38

Awesome. Congrats to you guys too. Really cool.

SPEAKER_16 28:41

And the the the Kelly School at Indiana and Purdue in aerospace engineering. So clearly, underachievers academically, and have fun with that tuition. That'll be fantastic. Congratulations.

SPEAKER_12 28:55

Thank you so much. Congratulations at all. Congratulations. Some people don't just overcome challenges, they rise above them in ways that change the lives of everyone around them. My best friend, my nominee, is one of those people. From a young age, my friend faced more responsibility than anyone I know. Growing up in Oregon, she helped care for her brothers while navigating personal family circumstances. Eventually, she made the incredibly brave decision to move to Minnesota in 2022, leaving behind everything she once knew. That decision demonstrates who she truly is at her core, someone who embodies genuine, selfless love. Sitting next to her in my first period class has forever changed my life. I met her when we were both new students, trying to find our place. At a time when I was struggling with friendships, school, and feeling unsure of myself, she impacted me in so many ways. She became a constant source of support, kindness, and understanding. What started as a simple seating chart turned into a friendship that helped me rebuild my sense of belonging. She has a way of making people feel seen and valued, no matter what they're going through. She listens without judgment and gives without expecting anything in return. What makes her truly stand out is how she continues to give even after everything she has been through. She facetimes her brothers every day, works hard to save money to visit her family and pay for college, and she continues to push herself every day to be her best. Her strength is quiet, but powerful, and her love for others is constant. She has not only changed my life, but continues to bring hope and light to everyone around her. For that reason, I proudly nominate my friend Chloe Stuttgart for the selfless scholarship, respectfully submitted Natalie Gruba.

SPEAKER_16 30:55

Come on up, you fool. So, full disclosure, I know Natalie. Um, I uh was a mentor for the DECA program at Matamidi, and I mentioned to the students about this the scholarship. So when I narrowed it down to about 30 students, congratulations. I thought this seems uh I need to make sure that I I got this right. So I uh passed along the uh the nominations that we received to uh to a number of other people, and thank God she got into the top group. But uh congratulations, Natalie. Congratulations, Chloe. Thank you. I'll give you this on the way out. But first of all, Natalie, uh, tell us a little bit about where you're going to school next year.

SPEAKER_07 31:40

Um I'm going to the University of St. Thomas next year.

SPEAKER_16 31:43

Now you're talking about that's where John and I met.

SPEAKER_07 31:47

Um and so I'll be studying entrepreneurship and then also business and healthcare.

SPEAKER_16 31:51

And Chloe, what's your plan for next year?

SPEAKER_06 31:53

I'm going to use W Stout in the fall. I'm majoring in business administration and minoring in finance.

SPEAKER_16 31:58

Finance, high finance, very nice. So, Natalie, um Matamidai student. A lot of wonderful people there. My kids went to Matamidai. Um, but uh of all the people you could have nominated, obviously we heard why Chloe. But um what more do you have about Chloe?

SPEAKER_07 32:18

Well, I would really like to just point out like anywhere if I'm my parents are like, oh, where are you right now? I'm like, oh, I'm at Chloe's, or they'll always see my location. They're like, oh, I see you're at Chloe's house tonight. And I think there's just no better person besides Chloe in my life that I could nominate for the scholarship.

SPEAKER_20 32:34

And Chloe, why the connection? I mean, you guys look like you could be sisters and you've got these bubbly smiles. I'm certain personalities that we're starting to get to know a little bit, but why such a great connection?

SPEAKER_06 32:46

Natalie is just a fabulous person. She is so charismatic to every single person she meets. And she brings just such a light to any room she walks into. She she's always about inclusion. She gives everyone the benefit of the doubt. She's just an absolute amazing person and just a sunshine to be around. She's incredible.

SPEAKER_16 33:10

She's incredible. She's also a very talented uh the DECA person. What tell for anybody that doesn't know, what is the DECA program?

SPEAKER_07 33:17

Yeah, DECA stands for Distributive Club Business Clubs of America. And so it's essentially like a business club for high school students where they're able to um develop leadership skills, business skills. Um, and Chloe was in DECA with me too. So go DECA. Um, and so it's just a really, really great program for high school students that are interested in learning more about what it means to be in the business world.

SPEAKER_16 33:40

Well, um, I think we have some parents down there. Where are the parents? Right here. There's these are the parents of uh of Natalie.

SPEAKER_20 33:47

I'll be right there.

SPEAKER_16 33:48

Which one of these lovely ladies is your daughter? Natalie.

SPEAKER_22 33:50

Natalie Gruba's our daughter.

SPEAKER_20 33:52

Okay, so let me ask you. I heard a lot about connecting and charisma. Where does she get that from, mom or dad?

SPEAKER_22 33:59

Probably mom. Definitely the introvert is here. She kind of more or less loves crowds and people and gets energized with meeting people and doing things. Um they both started kind of as sophomores at Matamira. We kind of homeschooled her for quite a while, and then she really wanted to jump into high school and high school things. And so we did one year at a kind of a shift school, and then we went to Matamirai. So they both started like lacking that freshman year. And so they kind of became fast friends in Matamirai coming in as sophomores, um, mostly, yeah.

SPEAKER_20 34:30

And mom, that connection, that that friendship that they have, you know, I think every parent craves that connection for their kid to have someone that's their rock. How have you seen that blossom?

SPEAKER_13 34:42

They they can just rely on each other for all the things. Um, they don't see each other every day because Chloe does post-secondary, right? And so they're not in school together, but they talk daily, they work together, they reach out for support, and they they just have a lot of fun. Mostly. I see them having a good time.

SPEAKER_16 35:05

That's what it's all about. Natalie, are you still having a good time? You seem like you need to get it together a little bit up here.

SPEAKER_07 35:12

She's smiling. I'm just an emotional person. So this is always like so sincere to me to have like just a moment to recognize Chloe and everything that she does for the people around her.

SPEAKER_16 35:21

Anyways, congratulations, you guys. Congratulations. Congratulations here. Why don't you guys get those congratulations?

SPEAKER_23 35:32

When I think of someone who truly embodies selflessness, kindness, and inclusivity, I immediately think of my nominee. My friend consistently shows what it means to be an amazing person and an incredible friend through her actions within our school and community. She has dedicated countless hours to supporting the special education community through the best buddies program. Whether it was going out for movies and ice cream, attending school dances, or simply walking friends across the graduation stage, my nomination has been that best buddy. One of the most meaningful examples of her character was when she chose to give up going to prom with her friends and date so that she could attend with a close friend with Down syndrome, ensuring that he had the best night possible. She regularly puts others first. Even when we had plans to attend senior sunrise together, she changed them to give a best buddy a ride so they would not feel left out. Her kindness also extends into the classroom and athletics. She is always willing to help classmates and is an encouraging presence on her gymnastics team. She supports younger teammates by helping them learn new skills, offering rides to practices, and making sure they feel included. Her passion for helping others is so strong that she also volunteers her time coaching adaptive sports teams, finding joy in watching athletes achieve goals and celebrate their successes. Beyond school, my nominee has traveled to Jamaica to help at orphanages and support individuals with disabilities. Her experience was so meaningful that she returned again to continue building those connections. She also participates in the developmental psychology program at our school, where she teaches sixth graders important life skills such as communication, goal setting, and teamwork. She creates engaging lesson plans and serves as a role model they deeply admire. Her compassion, dedication, and passion for helping others makes her truly inspiring. I am proud to nominate my friend, Sophia Fornicoya, for the Minnesota Masonic Charity Selfless Scholarship Recognition. Signed sincerely, Alexandra Matthews. Sophia and Alexandria, please come on up.

SPEAKER_04 38:10

But probably not that much. Okay.

SPEAKER_16 38:11

I knew a little bit, but so tell us about uh I heard you the gymnastics. Are you a gymnast?

SPEAKER_04 38:18

Yeah, um, I've done gymnastics since I was like four. Um, and I joined, I started doing high school when I was in eighth grade.

SPEAKER_16 38:24

Okay. Were you in a club before that? Yeah which club? Just curious.

SPEAKER_04 38:27

I was at Gleason's in East.

SPEAKER_16 38:29

Oh, Gleason's, okay. My daughter was a gymnast. The parents here. I've decided that gymnastics is like child abuse. My poor kids were it was terrible. Four and a half hours a day. But look at you turned out pretty good. Tell us about Jamaica. How did you end up uh becoming uh working in Jamaica?

SPEAKER_04 38:48

Um, well, one of my friends' aunt um kind of helps run this organization called Mission Jamaica, and it basically has a bunch of churches that go down there and they go down there throughout the months of January through March. And there's many different things you can do there. There's um an orphanage which has people with um varying disabilities, both physical and intellectual. And then there's also like they build houses and they do like um, they open up free clinics for people that maybe can't afford healthcare down there. Um, and so when my friend told me about this, I was like, oh my gosh, I want to go. And with everything I'd done with best buddies, I was like, oh, I want to be in the orphanage. And when I went, it was genuinely the best experience of my life in. So I got to go twice. Um, this January was my second time going.

SPEAKER_18 39:34

Cool. I I in listening to your story, I get a sense of sacrifice. So I feel like you know, the prom and different things that you're doing, you're giving up your time, you're giving up your energy to sacrifice something. Talk about that. What are you getting out of it by making those sacrifices?

SPEAKER_04 39:52

Um, I feel like the main thing is a lot of times people will like kind of see what I do and I think they think like, oh my gosh, but really most of the time it's also like giving back to me. Like it's not necessarily that I'm always giving back to others. Really, the friendships that I've made through best buddies and the friends I made in Jamaica and just all of the things I do, they all of the people with disabilities that I've met, they have genuinely become the they're the most selfless people ever, and they are the most kind people that I've ever met. And they their friendship means more to me than I could have ever imagined. So I really get a lot back from it as well.

SPEAKER_20 40:29

Alexandra, where do you guys go to school?

SPEAKER_04 40:31

We go to East View High School.

SPEAKER_20 40:32

Go Lightning, nice, very cool. Southern Metro. Yeah, a Burnsville guy myself. Um, I think your letter was beautiful. Um, clearly getting to know her a little bit, hearing that story, and now listening to her talk about that Jamaican experience, you can see the good person she is. How long have you guys been friends? And how how did this motivate you? Like a lot of times students have great friends that do great things, but clearly to write that letter and to go to the next level, um, how did that kind of come together? Did you have like your parents get involved or another friend that you ran the idea by, or did you just do it all by yourself?

SPEAKER_03 41:08

Well, so me and Sophia have been friends for just a couple years now, like not anything like long term, like since childhood. But no, me and my mom have been looking for scholarships ever since like I knew where I was going to school. And she brought this one up to me a while ago, and it was kind of both me and her were just like she's the perfect person for it. And I'm like everything she just said pretty much now. I'm sure you can see why, but she's just such a light to other people, and she's the most selfless person I know for all those reasons. So it was a no-brainer.

SPEAKER_16 41:36

What's the plan for next year?

SPEAKER_03 41:38

I'm going to Olmis, Mississippi.

SPEAKER_16 41:40

Oh boy.

SPEAKER_20 41:40

Oh, the tailgates of the football. Oh, that's SEC football girl.

SPEAKER_16 41:45

You're gonna have a good time. You won't have any fun there now. Sophia, how about you?

SPEAKER_04 41:50

I'm going to Bethel to study special education. Nice.

SPEAKER_16 41:52

God, I'll tell you what. Holy cow. Well, congratulations to both of you. Thank you for uh introducing us to uh Sophia and uh Ole Miss. You're gonna have a lot of fun down there.

SPEAKER_20 42:04

Bethel's fun too.

SPEAKER_16 42:05

Bethel's fun. It's a different kind of fun.

SPEAKER_20 42:08

Their football team's good.

SPEAKER_16 42:09

Yeah, they are, they are very good.

SPEAKER_20 42:11

The tailgate's a little different, but you can both have a great experience, and you're great people.

SPEAKER_16 42:15

Okay. At that note, this has been fantastic. Thank you. Congratulations. Thank you. You know, it's amazing to me when when I read through these, uh, and I I hear about students that uh that have a special interest in those kids that are in the special needs programs, the best buddies programs, uh the adapted sports, uh the unified sports programs. It just to me, those are the students that just generally speaking don't have the natural connection that uh that the rest of us have. Um and it's just it's just so heartwarming to me that that people recognize how important it is to to make those people feel like like like uh kind of like Brady mentioned, just they're just other students, you know, you gotta love them up just like you'd love anybody else up. So anyway, next, sir.

SPEAKER_12 43:12

All right, dear scholarship committee. I would like to nominate my friend and peer for the Minnesota Masonic Charity's Selfless Scholarship Recognition. Thank you for considering her for this unique opportunity. I think it's noteworthy that my nominee has had health issues her entire life and even had even needed chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant in order to live. But even though she has been through so much, this has not stopped her from caring about others. She always looks out for and looks after those in need. Her kindness really shined through at school when she noticed that a student was sitting alone and in tears at lunch. My nominee simply asked that student to join her table. The student agreed and even smiled. This started something truly special. Each day my nominee would scan the lunchroom looking for that someone who was sitting alone. She would ask the student to join her table, and each time the student would agree. Soon her lunch table was full, and there were eight other students visiting, eating, laughing, and having a wonderful time. Soon there were so many kids that another table was started, and then another. Eventually there was no one sitting alone in the lunchroom. My nominee is always looking to make sure that no one is sitting alone. She said that one time she was so sad because she was the only one sitting at her lunch table and she wanted to be make sure that that had never happened to anyone else. Now, every day, instead of dreading going to lunch, the students rush to the table to be a part of the group and enjoy their time. My sister gives a voice to the voiceless and attention for the forgotten. She makes sure that everyone knows they matter. For this and countless other reasons, I'd like to introduce you to Paige Jacobson, who also happens to be my sister, for your consideration. Thank you, Adam Jacobson. Come on up.

SPEAKER_16 45:14

So, Adam, I I want to apologize for him. No, no, no, no. Hold on a second. He's got the best hair.

SPEAKER_20 45:22

Uncle Thorpe.

SPEAKER_16 45:23

He looks like uh, you do look like a professional hockey player, though, from Once Upon a Time. I know, right? Look, won't run from it. Congratulations, Adam. Way to go. Good to see you again. Paige, congratulations. Here, I'm gonna give you those, sir. I I gotta start this one, John. Well, I of course you do.

SPEAKER_20 45:38

I I gotta tell you, that lunchroom story, uh all these stories tug at the heart, right? But we all, even though we're old now, a lot of us remember those days and how the lunchroom can be stressful for people. So I want to take you back to that first time because when you see someone crying in the lunchroom, you don't know what it is. Like it can be something completely personal or they can just be feeling left out. Where did you get the idea, the motivation, the courage to like, because you don't know how that's gonna turn out. They could be having a personal issue, a really bad day. Take us through that exact moment because clearly it led to some wonderful stuff.

SPEAKER_05 46:14

Yeah, so um, when I was in sixth grade, I ended up sitting alone at lunch sometimes, and it's a really uh isolating feeling for you to have that. And so um when I saw another student going through that, I knew personally what that was like, and I didn't want other people to have to feel like that, to feel that sadness or that isolation, because at the end of the day, we're all one huge community, we're all one family, and so inviting them to sit at the lunch table was something small that I could do that to help bring us all together, and now I know we've made some of our best friends just from that that even you just you never know what somebody else is going through, and you never know who they are until you come up and say, Hey, you wanna you wanna sit by us and just see how it goes?

SPEAKER_16 47:10

I just have to tell you when I read this, I am a sucker for the lunchroom story, and I mean that sincerely because he is we talk about the fact that you know one of the most lonely places in the world can be a high school lunchroom. You know, in in your in a in a high high school classroom, you have an assigned seat, but when you're in that lunchroom and you're all alone, your uh isolation is just on display for everybody. So you are my hero, Paige. I mean, to me, that is it's one of the most meaningful things that you could, and and you know what, those of you that are going to be freshmen in college next year, first year of college can be very, very difficult. Um, you know, your kids might have all kinds of connections, moms and dads. Your kids can have all kinds of connections in high school, but I can tell you, my two boys did great socially, uh, and my daughter did when they were in high school. And those first couple of days of college can be very tough because you just don't have your people yet. So lean into those things. I want to ask you, um, your sister.

SPEAKER_21 48:16

That's right. I mean, that's wonderful. Tell us a little bit about yes. So, first, I just want to steal the show for a second. Steal it away, hair. I should get nomination for best hair. Well, we failed. So who's gonna are you? I think you already get out here, right? Right? Yeah, absolutely. So um, yes, nominating my sister Paige was absolutely the first thing that came to my mind when I came across this scholarship. I read the scholarship like criteria, and it was like pick someone that's really selfless and does the little things, doesn't want to get really recognized, make a big deal out of the little things that they do. Just shows that that's the type of person that they are, that they're gonna go above and beyond to be there for others and make sure that everyone feels welcome. And I realized, okay, well, I want to write about Paige, but I don't know what like specific, nice part about Paige that I want to write about because there's so many great things that Paige really does. She goes above and beyond to volunteer. She works at an internship to help the elderly and little kids make sure that they feel welcome in healthcare facilities and other places like that. She volunteers at a um project called Project Read to help combat child illiteracy, give every child a book in their hands to read and a book to unwrap at Christmas time so they can have a present too when bills are tight, especially with everything going on today. And I wanted to write about something that not only matters to other people, but also matters to me as well. Uh so, like a little bit said before, there was times where I had to sit alone at lunch too, especially just starting out the first days of school, trying to find your people that you want to interact with and be around, be good influences that you want to make lifelong, meaningful friendships with. And then I realized that Paige told me about her story about how she got people to sit by her when they were alone. So I thought, well, if Paige can do it, my big older sister that I really looked up to, although of course we sometimes we fight, but most of the time look up to. I thought, I'm gonna do what Paige does, or at least I'm gonna try. And then that's the inspiration for writing about this event for Paige for the scholarship. She started doing this back in middle school, continued doing it through high school, still does it in college, and still's keeping contact with the people that she met, even back in middle school, which is really phenomenal to not only make that connection, but also maintain it throughout time, like we said before as well. Page, where do you go to school?

SPEAKER_05 50:51

I go to school at Bemidji State University.

SPEAKER_21 50:54

And what are you studying?

SPEAKER_05 50:55

I'm studying biology to go. My goal is to become a rural healthcare physician.

SPEAKER_16 51:00

Oh, rural healthcare. Love that. Yes.

SPEAKER_21 51:03

And how about you? Where are you going to school, Adam? So I'm gonna graduate high school in this next month, and I want to go to Bemidji State as well and become a rural family practice physician. Wonderful. Um, our mom is a clinical nurse practitioner right there in the crowd. There she is. Can everyone say hi to mom right over here? Yes. She works in family practice, yes. What high school? Uh Grand Rapids High School. So it's about kidding. Yeah, Grand Rabbit the Thunderhawk. Okay.

SPEAKER_16 51:32

On that note, Paige Adam, thank you. We don't want him to start telling us about his high school. Congratulations.

SPEAKER_23 51:42

There you go. Congratulations. Greetings, scholarship committee. My selfless scholarship nominee is a senior at my high school. She is the kindest and most selfless person I know. She is constantly finding ways to help people and always puts the needs of others before her own. She is also a talented musician, a beautiful singer, and pianist, and she uses these skills to be a blessing to other people. She and her grandfather travel to care centers and play music to encourage and engage with the residents. My nominee is always willing to invest in others. At school, she intentionally reaches out to students who are often overlooked. Last semester, she sat by a student with Down syndrome every day at lunch and often shared her food with him. She is always willing to pick people up and bring them to events. Personally, she picks me up for school every Tuesday because I share a car with my brother, and he uses it then. She also consistently drives 15 minutes to pick up a sophomore who cannot drive and bring her to youth events. This semester she took a lighter classload because she wanted to be able to spend more time with her grandparents as they are getting older. She always gives others the benefit of the doubt. My nominee is a welcoming presence in and out of school. She always asks her teammates if they need a ride home before she leaves, and she's always willing to take time out of her busy schedule to invest in others. She also travels to the elementary school three days per week to work with the special ed students. She has an amazing servant's heart and cares for the elementary students so well. She is an example to those around her and a blessing to everyone she interacts with. Please accept my nomination and my friend, Luella Jesh, for the selfless scholar recognition. Signed gratefully, Abigail Langseth. Luella and Abigail, please come on up. Come on up.

SPEAKER_16 53:39

Some of you might recognize Abigail from earlier today. Congratulations. Congratulations. Here, you already got one of these. You got another one. Before we get started, I just have to uh this uh this is very heartwarming. Um Abigail called me and she said, Hey, I just want you to know that I I'm I won the signature scholarship, or I was awarded the signature scholarship. And uh I know that we're supposed to split this scholarship reward between the person who did the nominating and the person that was nominated. Would it be okay if we gave the full scholarship to Luella? So how about that? Congratulations. So let's start with you, Abigail. Where do you go to school?

SPEAKER_10 54:36

Uh we both go to school at Stuartville High School.

SPEAKER_16 54:39

At where? Stuartville. Stuartville, Southern Minnesota. Lovely. You don't know what Stuartville is?

SPEAKER_20 54:45

I don't know their nickname. I know there you go. All I know is it's 507, right? Is it 507?

SPEAKER_10 54:51

Yes, it is.

SPEAKER_16 54:52

What is the what is the mascot of Stuartville?

SPEAKER_10 54:54

The Tigers.

SPEAKER_16 54:55

The what?

SPEAKER_10 54:55

The Tigers.

SPEAKER_16 54:56

It's a popular church. It's a popular church.

SPEAKER_20 54:58

Orange and black?

SPEAKER_10 54:59

Yes. Well, maroon and gold. We're marooning gold times.

SPEAKER_20 55:01

Oh, she's a copy of the gopher. Gotcha. How long a drive hold on. How long a drive is it from Stuartville to here? Two two hours? Do you go through Fairbo at all? On the drive here. I don't know if it's a lot of things. Is that a long story? Quiet down here.

SPEAKER_10 55:15

I don't know.

SPEAKER_20 55:16

No, you don't.

SPEAKER_10 55:17

I don't I don't know.

SPEAKER_20 55:18

We're moving on. Sorry.

SPEAKER_10 55:20

Okay.

SPEAKER_16 55:20

So why Luella? Obviously, what you describe, but um tell us more.

SPEAKER_10 55:27

Oh well, my mom found this scholarship, and we both thought of Luella initially because she is honestly the most selfless person that I know. Um, I said a couple of things in there, but she does consistently volunteer for special ed. Um and she consistently picks up people, which is a big commitment. Like it's not just like a one-time thing, she's always willing to do um that sort of thing. And I could go on and on about her.

SPEAKER_16 55:52

And driving those pesky sophomores around. I mean, my goodness. Lwell, what's your plan for school next year?

SPEAKER_02 55:59

I'm going to Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa to study special education.

SPEAKER_16 56:04

Very cool. You know what? There is a special place in heaven for you people. Seriously, congratulations. That's really cool. So tell us about your relationship with Abigail. Why are you did she tell you why you were coming up here today?

SPEAKER_02 56:16

I knew very little, I'm gonna be honest. That's fun. Yeah. So I don't know how old I was when we met, but it's been most of our lives growing up in the same community and going to the same church and school. Um, and we've been friends um as long as I can remember, I think.

SPEAKER_20 56:39

How many people in your graduating class?

SPEAKER_06 56:41

150?

SPEAKER_20 56:42

Yeah. So you I think in smaller school you have such a great connection with your classmates. And this is a question for either one of you, though, when you have that smaller school environment when you go to high school and you go off to college, do you select colleges based on maybe a smaller college because of that same environment there, or do you just wing it and go wherever you find the the right academics?

SPEAKER_10 57:07

I personally like just looked for academics and people places that had my major.

SPEAKER_20 57:12

Do you think you guys are gonna stay in touch all the way through?

SPEAKER_10 57:15

I think so.

SPEAKER_20 57:16

Yeah. Where are you going, Abigail?

SPEAKER_10 57:17

I'm going to Mankato State. Okay. Very nice.

SPEAKER_16 57:20

Horns up. What are you going to study?

SPEAKER_10 57:21

Speech pathology.

SPEAKER_16 57:23

You know. Just so happens we have a speech and language disorders clinic up in Duluth. So if you're ever looking for an internship, I know a guy that might be able to help you. All it in all sincerity, we do have a speech and language disorders clinic, and the work that the that you do is so incredibly important. Um, we often talk about the fact that, you know, if you're a person that hasn't a young person that hasn't been able to find your voice, can you imagine how frustrating that would be for you as a child, but also for the parents? So helping people find their voice is just such a critically important, uh, important work to be done. Steve, you looked like you were chomping at the belt over there.

SPEAKER_18 58:03

I was just gonna ask Lwell, what kind of car do you have? Where do you drive?

SPEAKER_02 58:07

I drive 2001, I believe, Toyota Avalon.

SPEAKER_18 58:11

Yes. I only asked because it sounds like you you're very giving of your time. It sounds like you give people rides everywhere. You must love to drive, and you must be very, you know, you know, sacrificing your time and your your gas money to drive your friends and drive people around in your in your Avalon, did you ever said?

SPEAKER_02 58:30

My green avalon, yes.

SPEAKER_20 58:31

Who picks the music in your car? Are you in control of the music? I think that's a big aspect of I look back on my high school experience. The driver got to kind of control to be the DJ. Is that how you roll with your Avalon?

SPEAKER_02 58:44

Well, my car's kind of special. The Bluetooth doesn't exactly work, so we listen to a lot of the radio. That's okay.

SPEAKER_16 58:50

So that you know what? Let the radio people choose for you. There you go. You'll notice that Kevin Lakes has spent a lot of time talking about his high school days. He peaked in high school. He peaked in 1985. Yep. State champion goal. We don't need to go down to the Burnsville Braves. But uh, that's enough. Anyways, uh, thank you for making the trek up from Stuartville. Uh again, congratulations. Double congratulations to you. Your generosity is just heartwarming. Way to go, girl. Congratulations.

SPEAKER_20 59:15

Outstanding.

SPEAKER_12 59:26

My selfless scholarship nominee is an empathetic person who uses her talents to serve others every day. While she is a sensationally selfless person every day, there is an experience that has personally s stuck out to me. In my junior year of high school, I sat with her and her friends at lunch. This time of my life, I didn't have a close group of friends. She and I have known each other since middle school, but had a bit of a rocky relationship for a while. I said and did things, many things that I regret. I know that my past actions affected and hurt her. Why this is important is because she did not let this past experience affect her actions towards me in the future. She could have kept me from sitting with her at lunch based on our past hardships, but instead she set out all of that aside and let me join her and showed me respect and kindness. We ended up becoming very close after we sat together at lunch for a while. I know this is not a special occurrence when it comes to my friend. She is always willing to let somebody join her so that they're not alone. It could be letting somebody sit with her, join her group for a project, or help somebody with a question. This quality of hers is definitely always shows up in every aspect of her life. Her relationships with her peers, teachers, and coworkers are unmatched. She doesn't let her past grievances with a person keep her from showing compassion and helping others find success. That is a quality that I admire and work to incorporate more into my life now that I've experienced how beautiful of a trait that is. For this reason and many others, I proudly nominate Belinda Drake for this MMC Selfless Scholarship. Gratefully, Brooke Pizza.

SPEAKER_16 1:01:29

I have to admit, which ones you brook? You're Brooke. I brooke. We have a little program uh in our fraternity called uh the Civility Project, and the Civility Project talks about uh a whole number of things that uh that that help you become the best version of yourself. And what struck me with with your nomination is the power of an apology and the power of forgiveness and just how important it is and just how meaningful that it can be. Of course, the lunchroom thing came in again, and I'm a sucker for that lunchroom story. But Brooke, tell us a little bit about your uh about your friend here.

SPEAKER_11 1:02:06

Yeah, I mean, she's just one of the most like forgiving and like selfless people I know. She's she's such a hard worker and like everything she does, and like she just so inclusive, and you just want to be like her.

SPEAKER_16 1:02:19

Where do you guys go to school?

SPEAKER_11 1:02:21

Jefferson.

SPEAKER_16 1:02:22

In prestigious West Bloomington? The Jaguar. Very nice. Oh boy. There, of course, he knows the mascot. How what's Kennedy's mascot? Well, they're the Eagles, of course they are. Um so you we made this convenient for you, so it's not a bad commute for you. Um, were you aware of what was going on here tonight?

SPEAKER_09 1:02:40

Not really.

SPEAKER_20 1:02:41

No kidding. You got a little emotional when that story was being read. So that to me tells me you didn't know a great deal of the details. What does it say about your friend, though, that she'll take the time to acknowledge your kindness and exact acknowledge your character and to hear I mean, it's a big deal in front of this crowd to hear somebody talk about your accolades, and you've certainly earned it, but maybe if you didn't know what was going to go on, how emotional was that for you?

SPEAKER_09 1:03:05

Yeah, um, I've had the privilege of knowing Brooke since middle school. And um since we met for the first time, we really just clicked, and her personality is something that I can only aspire to be half of the person who she is, and it means the world that um she was able to nominate me for this.

SPEAKER_16 1:03:23

What's the plan for next year? Do we have a plan yet?

SPEAKER_09 1:03:26

Yes, I will be going to the University of Wisconsin lacrosse studying biology on the pre-position assistant track.

SPEAKER_16 1:03:32

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_11 1:03:33

Um, I'll be going to the University of Wisconsin El Claire to study nursing.

SPEAKER_16 1:03:38

You know, we're in the nursing business here as well. Well, uh Steve, do you have any questions? Uh see, I'll put you on the spot. Oh, that was fun.

SPEAKER_18 1:03:47

I think it's uh just a beautiful story of forgiveness. Whatever, whatever went on, you I obviously overcame that and actually got something even better out of it. I think that's amazing.

SPEAKER_16 1:03:57

So the fact that you uh are pursuing healthcare, I just want to give a plug to the fact that so those of us that know the secret handshake, the Masons, many people, that's what we're known for, secret handshake, funny hats. We would prefer to be known for things like the Masonic Children's Hospital or the Masonic Cancer Center or the Masonic Home or the Masonic Clinic uh up in Duluth for uh children with uh communication disorders. So if you are ever interested in pursuing senior health care or uh working with children, we might be able to help you find something in that department. But uh thank you very much for sharing your story. And uh again, I'm I'm moved by the uh the the willingness to you know cut open a vein and tell about uh the power of forgiveness and the power of uh of an apology. Congrats. Way to go, ladies. Very nice.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:56

Thank you.

SPEAKER_16 1:04:58

Thank you.

SPEAKER_23 1:04:58

And finally, imagine someone who serves as captain of volleyball and softball, gladly volunteers at blood drives and ditch cleanups, and grows pumpkins to collect donations for various places in need throughout the community. I do not need to imagine because I have the pleasure of attending high school with her. I am honored to nominate my friend for the 2026 Minnesota Masonic Selfless Scholar because her daily actions deserve recognition. An impactful action that deserves the most recognition is her community project called Pumpkins for a Purpose. It began small with her growing pumpkins for anyone to take and leave a free will donation as desired. Then the money raised would be sent to a child she sponsored in Kenya, Africa, to pay for school tuition, school supplies, and food. The project expanded with more pumpkins being grown and the funds helping her entire community. She supports over 20 organizations, local and distant. Her outstanding work has touched the lives of many people. She is extremely humble about this project, but I am personally in awe of her passion to help others and think Pumpkins for a Purpose is an incredible project that she developed. Her pumpkin project is just one of many extraordinary acts. She was nominated captain of softball and volleyball by her teammates because of her qualities of compassion and leadership. She gives rides to younger teammates without hesitation, even if it takes extra time and effort. She also volunteers her time to be a proud member of her town's parks and recreations board, a testament of her care for developing a well-kept community. I feel privileged to have this opportunity to nominate one of my peers who demonstrates exceptional selflessness for her community. Please consider my friend Isabel O'Neill for this award. Signed sincerely, Kaya Elferin.

SPEAKER_16 1:06:57

Is Kaya here? Okay. Kaya had mentioned that they may not be able to make it tonight because of a service project, of course, that they were working on. But I said, you know what, we're gonna we're gonna put together the script just in case you do make it. Uh they go to, I think, uh bold high school. Is that Bird Island, Olivia Lake Lily, and Danube? Thank you very much. The birds, obviously they made that up.

SPEAKER_20 1:07:25

Yeah, I mean, come on.

SPEAKER_16 1:07:26

Um I just uh uh I want to conclude by thanking everybody for uh for coming here tonight. Uh the selfless scholar thing is truly one of the the great joys of uh of the work that we do. And uh those of you that are high school students, next year, uh regardless of uh if you're at a Minnesota school or not, I encourage you to think of people that you're going to school with uh that might be a person worthy of telling a story about. Um just because you got one of our other scholarships doesn't mean you can't get a selfless scholarship. And uh we just love hearing those stories. So congratulations. I want to thank Nick Flood for uh for making it all the way in. Nick is uh thank you.