The Hannah Warburton Resilience Award is a $500.00 cash award established for Utah high school seniors who have shown resilience in overcoming difficult obstacles to completing their high school education. Fifteen Utah seniors will be awarded at the end of each school year.
Celebrating Resilience
Apply for the award by sharing an essay with your story of resilience about how you graduated (or will graduate) in the face of tremendous obstacles. You may not graduate at the top of your class, but deserve an award for the courage and strength it took to get where you are.
We want to recognize what you've overcome!
Every year at high school graduations across the country, students receive awards for their outstanding efforts. Why aren’t the kids who struggle acknowledged? There are kids who face overwhelming odds and exhibit tremendous resilience to simply graduate. We want to acknowledge these amazing kids!
How Does It Work?
What is the Award?
The Hannah Warburton Resilience Award is a $500.00 cash award established for Utah high school seniors who have shown resilience in overcoming difficult obstacles to completing their high school education and write an essay about their experiences.
Utah seniors will be awarded at the end of each school year. This is not a scholarship, but rather a cash award to offset any costs associated with the recipient’s efforts to attain higher education, including tuition, books, supplies, transportation costs, or simply to take a well-deserved summer vacation.
The number of students awarded is dependant on donations received.
We Share Your Story So It Will Help Others
In the process of applying for this award, students will share their story of resilience. Their stories will go on to help kids of all ages overcome struggles in their own lives. Awardees will be highlighted in their schools, social media, and local news outlets where possible.
We Present The Award
Whenever possible we present this award to the student at their H.S. award assembly. It’s a great way to break the stigma that prevents kids from speaking out when they are in pain. Let’s celebrate resilience!
Award
Stories
Hannah Johnson, Weber HS, 2018 Awardee
It felt like I was sitting there for hours on end shaking my head, begging God to take all of the pain away.
Kennedy Johnson, American Fork HS, 2018 Awardee
I was so engulfed with my own problems and hardships, that I had forgotten to look around and see all the other people struggling along with me.
Brooklyn Gittens, Riverton HS, 2018 Awardee
My parents took me out of high school and put me in a treatment center for eating disorders.
Jeff Gurney, Rockwell HS, 2018 Awardee
I was born to a drug addicted teenage girl on the streets of Haiti.
Aracely Barrera, West HS, 2018
She was always wanting to take everything out on me like I was her punching bag.
Sydney White, W Jordan HS, 2018 Awardee
When I was six years old, I was diagnosed with a severe anxiety disorder and spent the summer at a residential treatment center.
Melanie Merrill, Mountain View HS, 2018 Awardee
When I was younger, I woke up with intense, awful pain in my knee and lower leg.
Shawnee Jones, Dixie HS, 2018 Awardee
My general perspective on life also changed. Before this experience, I was judgmental about any situation I felt wasn’t “normal” or “right”.
Chase Callister, Bountiful HS, 2018 Awardee
When I was a kid I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.
Rylie Holmberg, AISU HS, 2018
“Well, why would you want to throw away your life so easily, when grandma fought so hard to keep hers?”