Scholarship Recipients | Imprints of Honor

2019 VHP Scholarship Recipients

1st Place - Harrison Kessel

“VHP has been a constant help over the past four years, giving me self-confidence when other aspects of my life did the opposite. Every story I recorded taught me the infinite value of a quiet, yet strong determination to overcome the challenges life offers. I’ve also had the privilege of laying out four Editions of Since You Asked Phoenix Edition 1. This experience too has transformed my life immensely, as it is in the VHP room where I found a second family of dedicated students and advisors who became my best friends. With them I learned the practical skills associated with creating a book; time management; organization; and teamwork.”

2nd Place - Mikaela Morris

“I have interviewed eight veterans, all of whom have had different life experiences. Some served in war time, others during peace, some were on land, others on sea, but all were shaped by their service and had something to teach me. I think the greatest lesson my veterans have taught me is compassion. Seldom do you find people who are willing to share extremely personal experiences with someone they barely know, let alone a teenager. I will take the lessons learned and relationships built with me as I enter college, and even further into the United States Air Force. My veterans and VHP have shown me how to live with honor and dignity.”

3rd Place - Joanna Mona

“Partaking in VHP has not only given me the strength to be there for people, but also grow academically. It can be a challenge to set my priorities straight and stay organized; however, as the current VHP President, I have sharpened these skills. VHP inspires me to continue pursuing my studies in nursing then join the Navy. Our heroes have taught me to serve with a willing heart. “

Above & Beyond - Karrisa Franks

“As the club historian I go to the club events and take pictures to capture moments I will remember forever. I also seek out veterans at my work. Due to asking others, I was able to receive ten other veterans’ information for them to be interviewed for future books. One of the veterans I interviewed cried at the end and told me how grateful he was that there was a program like this for people like him to share his story. Another veteran asked me to be his adopted granddaughter, and we get together at least once a month.”

Sponsor a Scholarship

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Caitlin Campbell Travel Scholarship

“I would travel through Germany and visit prominent battle sites, paying my respects to the lives lost in the war. In Poland, I wish to visit the concentration camps and be able to reflect on the sacrifices that were made by the Jewish people, minorities, prisoners of war, and the service members. In the Netherlands, I would have the honor to visit the Anne Frank House. This scholarship would gift me the ability to embark on a powerful journey throughout the lands that made up World War II.” - Emma Suttell, Athem, AZ

Copper Lamp of Knowledge Scholarships

Awarded by the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame Society

Harrison - Cave Creek, AZ

“VHP has gifted to me a perspective that has, in turn, defined the direction of my life. This perspective is rooted first and foremost in the veterans I have interviewed: John Eloff, Seth McKee, Jeannene Blaes, Jerome Bess, Lou Conter, and Bill Maughan. Their stories vary in time period and experience: John Eloff was a Marine who stormed the beaches of Saipan and Iwo Jima in World War II; Jeannene Blaes pioneered paths for women in the military as a logistician; and Bill Maughan was ran over by a truck on the blizzard choked road out of Chosin in the Marines. All of my veterans had stirring experiences, and they were able to pass the lessons of those experiences on to me through their stories. I received a crash course on the fundamental aspects of life.”

Laura - Gilbert, AZ

“When I started high school, I had no idea who I was or who I wanted to be. I had lost my mother only eight months before and was still heart-broken. I simply had no motivation because I did not believe I would become anything. I never thought I could be a leader. My voice would shiver and crack when I spoke to anyone I had just met, and most definitely to bigs crowds. I did not know how to speak with authority let alone be responsible for others. Veterans Heritage Project has taught me to be a leader, but a leader who encouraged and grew with others. Veterans Heritage Project has introduced me to people who influenced me and constantly taught me. I will forever be grateful for what I have learned the past three years of participating in such an amazing organization. “

Sabrina - Scottsdale, AZ

“I have learned and adapted skills that I can bring with me throughout my life. I have had a plethora of opportunities to work on organizing, writing, and editing stories. Language is a critical skill in any profession; and, I believe that, because of my time with VHP, I have honed one of the most important skills in our world today and in the future. VHP has given me tremendous opportunities to work on public speaking and has helped me learn how to collaborate, communicate, and delegate. Through the crunch time of getting stories written and published, to the glorious moment of watching a veteran see their story in the book, every aspect of being in VHP has taught me an important lesson. Whether that lesson is social, academic, or patriotic, my journey with VHP has helped me grow as a person, and more importantly, as a citizen."