Scholarship Winner Highlight: Trey Voeller

Trey Voeller, from Prairie City, Iowa, is one of two winners of the Grow the Game Volleyball Scholarship awarded on Bold.org. Voeller is a rising junior at PCM High School, where he is heavily involved in music extracurriculars, volunteer work, and of course, volleyball. Voeller plays both indoor and beach volleyball, and even referees games for the younger kids. He enjoys being outside in nature and does a lot of hiking, as well as beekeeping and gardening too! Voeller is also a part of the FFA, a premier youth organization preparing its members for leadership and career success in the science, business, and agriculture industries. Voeller takes inspiration from his parents, Emily and Stuart, his older sister Shelby, and God. In his winning scholarship application, Voeller wrote about the positive impact that playing volleyball has had on his life and how volleyball has heavily influenced his desired career path.

1. What are you studying?

Currently, I am not attending a college nor have I decided on what I would like to study. Right now, I am looking into possibly majoring in the fields of business, education, or nursing. These would allow me to stay involved with people in the community around me that I really enjoy.

2. How did you hear about Bold.org?

I first heard about Bold.org when I was looking up different ways to earn money for college. Ever since I was young, paying for college has been a big deal to me. As a freshman in high school, I was looking for any way to get ahead with various scholarships and other experiences that would help me. Bold.org instantly grabbed my attention, and I soon came to love the idea of finding scholarships that related to the activities and topics I was passionate about.

3. How will winning this scholarship help you achieve your goals?

Winning this scholarship has enabled me not to worry as much about student debt and possible student loans. It also has helped me realize to put in time for the things I care most about. I know that whether I decide to follow my passions for either music, volleyball, or agriculture, this scholarship has allowed me to follow my goals in any of those fields.

4. How do you feel that the scholarship has helped you so far?

Although I am not in college yet, this scholarship has been very beneficial for me. It gave me the chance to work on telling my story while also writing an essay in a way that came off professional with allowing the reader to connect to what I am writing. It also helped me to realize how much volleyball specifically means to me and how much I have learned about life through volleyball. It also has helped me to increase my confidence for other scholarships moving forward.

5. What does your scholarship mean to you?

This scholarship means a lot to me because it is helping me to pursue my goals of going to college. Right now I would love to play volleyball out of state but that would take a lot of money. If I stay in Iowa for college, this scholarship will help me with deciding which college I should go to and which college will match with what I would be looking for. This is a significant accomplishment because it allowed me to write competitively against other passionate volleyball players all around the U.S. It is a very unique accomplishment and because of that it also means a lot more to me.

6. What is the most important factor in applying for a scholarship?

I personally believe the most important factor in applying for a scholarship is being passionate about the subject of the scholarship. When you are passionate about the scholarship the scholarship panel/reviewer will be able to feel that passion. Also, being passionate about a subject leads you to really focus on that scholarship and do what is needed for that scholarship whether it be research, a project, or possible reflection on your own life. Another thing that I did to help me write my paper was reading other people's winning scholarship papers.

7. What do you know now about scholarships that you had wished you’d known then?

I learned about scholarships that I wish I would have known sooner because some scholarships have requirements for how you can use the scholarship money. For example, some scholarships are only for college tuition while others can be used for room and board or even books. I also wish I would have been informed to make a list of scholarships I was interested in and then narrow down which ones are most important for my specific needs.

8. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to fellow students applying for scholarships?

When choosing which scholarship to apply for I would strongly consider choosing the one that you are most passionate about or the one you can relate to most. Also, while applying to scholarships, whether it be an application, project, or paper, take your time and double-check your work to make sure it gives the right message you are trying to convey. If you don't know where to find scholarships you would be interested in, start by looking for scholarships that connect to activities you already do and that you enjoy. Websites like Bold.org and several others give you the capability to do this very easily and narrow down your selection to ones that fit you and your own personality.

9. What are you most excited about for this upcoming year?

A couple of things I am excited about moving forward this year as a high school junior would include being an upperclassman, which allows me to apply for more scholarships. I also am super excited for my upcoming indoor volleyball season as well as beach volleyball season. One thing that I might be excited about above everything else though is being able to apply to different grants that will enable me to have a greater impact on my community and the needs around me. Some of these grants are available through online websites like Bold.org but also through my FFA chapter. Finally, I am excited to help serve others through some other clubs in my community that enable me to fundraise for different events and take a stand for numerous issues like mental and physical health.

10. What are your plans for the next 5 years?

In five years, I will hopefully be going into my senior year of college. Although I don't know what activities I would like to continue in college, and I don't know what I would like to study either, I hope to be pursuing an education that will help allow me to continue to make a difference towards different problems in my community. Within the next five years, I would also like to see myself in a financially stable place with not a lot of student debt.

Conclusion

Bold.org is an organization committed to eliminating student debt and democratizing philanthropy. Bold.org's platform offers hundreds of brand new scholarships in an effort to reduce student loan debt. The organization makes it possible for any person or company to create personalized scholarships, fellowships or grants in minutes. Each day, Bold.org connects donors with students like Trey for customized, exclusive scholarship opportunities. These scholarship opportunities are vital resources for students who require financial assistance to be able to attend college or graduate school. It’s never too early to start applying for scholarships, so get started today!