The BBB Students of Integrity scholarship program awards 12 high school seniors $2,000 scholarships. Three students are selected from each metro area that BBB serves: Omaha/Southwest Iowa, Lincoln/Greater Nebraska, South Dakota and the Kansas Plains.
In the Nebraska and Southwest Iowa regions, we asked the scholarship winners: How does this scholarship impact your personal and professional trajectory?
Anthony Nguyen
“My parents, they’re immigrants from Vietnam, and I’m a first-generation student so receiving an education means so much to me and it’s kind of like being able to fulfill a lifelong dream of not only mine but for my parents as well – and I just want to make them proud.”
Kaylin Paul
“I am honored to have been selected as one of the 12 recipients of the 2023 Better Business Bureau Student of Integrity Scholarship. Not only is it a privilege to share my experiences of living with integrity, but to be recognized for such is an honor.”
Megan Wells
“As one of seven adopted kids it is imperative for me to be able to support underrepresented children and underprivileged children in the schools or out of the schools. By receiving this scholarship, I am able to continue to support these children in the schools as I work to be a speech therapist.”
Nina Marie Kudlacz
“I think this scholarship is a great reminder that even in today’s times there are still people who care about being held and holding others accountable. I’d like to thank the Better Business Bureau for giving me the opportunity to further my education and for rewarding students like me who believe there is always room to do what’s right.”
Trinity Houchin
“Being a student-athlete is a full-time job and receiving this scholarship is a big help toward being my best both academically and athletically.”
Trista Swain
“To me this scholarship means achieving my dreams. It has given me the opportunity to receive an education without the burden of financial stress. For that reason I am extremely grateful.”
In the Kansas and South Dakota regions, we asked the scholarship winners:
What do the principles of integrity and ethics mean to you?
Ava Gooch
“To me, integrity means to be truthful and honest in one’s own dealings, regardless of merit or reward. Only you know who you are and what you do, so would you be proud for everyone to know you this way too? In tandem with good ethics, or the moral law of our community, we are representing the depth of humanity.”
Cassandra Zimmerman
“To me, integrity is a lot of what your morals are. Ethics is how you uphold yourself with your morals. I do this on a daily basis by staying true to what I believe in and apply this to all aspects of the day.”
Taylor Even
“The meaning of integrity and ethics is knowing right from wrong and choosing right regardless of what others think and do. I do not let other people’s views change mine and I know what is right and it does not matter if I am the only one doing it.”
Gavin Sannes
“To me, ethics are my personal beliefs that are derived from my experiences as well as my upbringing. Integrity is how I follow these principles even if no one is watching. Whether it be as simple as picking up garbage or be willing to help a friend with a labor-intensive job, integrity is always doing what you believe is right.”
Jane Letourneau
“Integrity and good ethics are essentially principles that I use to guide my daily decisions. They are both qualities that I strive for because they uphold the dignity of human life in both words and actions. Integrity and good ethics can look like small acts such as assisting a neighbor in need, or bigger ones such as making an honest business decision even if it may not bring about a personal benefit.”
Sydney Puetz
“Having integrity is doing the right thing — even when it’s hard. It’s being true to who you are and having strong morals in difficult situations. Relating this to the practice of ethics can become a bit more complicated because ethics involves understanding our ever-changing world and acting accordingly, trying to be the best you can be!”
