Gift for Life Scholarship recipients announced for 2024
March 21, 2024
ARLINGTON, Texas – The International Bowling Campus Youth Committee has selected 12 United States Bowling Congress Youth members to receive a Gift for Life Scholarship in 2024.
The Gift for Life Scholarships are presented annually to youth bowlers who are in high school and can demonstrate financial need. Applicants are selected based on submitted applications, must have a GPA of 2.5 or higher (based on a 4.0 scale) and provide at least two letters of recommendation.
Each award winner receives a $1,000 scholarship, managed through the SMART program.
The Gift for Life Scholarship recipients for 2024 are as follows:
Shelby Brown, Saraland, Alabama – A senior at Saraland High School, Brown has been taking honors and AP classes since her freshman year, maintaining a 4.0 GPA and honor roll every year, along with being a National Honor Society member since the seventh grade. She also earned Career Tech Student of the Year in 2020, participates in a variety of extracurricular activities outside of bowling, including softball, and is a member of the Leo Club.
Madison Bruner, Great Falls, Montana – Bruner is a senior at Charles M. Russell High School and is a Junior National Honor Society and National Honor Society member, along with being an honor student while taking AP courses and maintaining a 3.8 GPA. She was part of the Girl Scouts of America growing up and is now part of the Health Occupations Students of America club at school and a major volunteer in her area.
Katarina Hagler, Cape Coral, Florida – A senior at Oasis Charter High School, Hagler has maintained a 3.94 GPA and been on the school’s honor roll every semester while taking honors classes and serving in the National Honor Society. Her extracurricular activities include being in the school choir, TV production and a stage tech for theater, as well as captain of the school’s bowling team. In 2023, she was nominated for the Al Oerter Award for Academic and Athletic Excellence in Lee County, which is for students that demonstrate excellence in an individual sport and in the classroom.
Jessica Gopanchuk, Warrenville, Illinois – Gopanchuk, a senior at Wheaton Warrenville South, has a 3.95 GPA while taking honors and AP classes while also being a member of the NHS and Spanish Honor Society. Out of the classroom, she is a bowler and team captain for the leagues she participates in, a volleyball player, a member of the student council and a volunteer at the Central DuPage Hospital.
Emily Holian, Lee, Massachusetts – A member of her school’s varsity bowling team since the seventh grade, Holian has a 3.7 GPA while taking honors classes all throughout high school and has been on the honor roll every year. In addition to bowling, she’s also a member of her school’s cross country and tennis teams, as well as the prom committee. Off campus, she helps with her church’s community dinners and youth group, while also volunteering at the local nursing home.
Kyra Italien, Dorchester, Massachusetts – A senior at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, Italien has a 3.8 GPA while taking a litany of honors and AP classes and has earned a variety of school awards, including the Visual Arts Award, History Department Achievement and the Cultural Awareness Award. She is also a member of the Yearbook club and Mediation club and is a volunteer at the local Boys and Girls Club and Cradles to Crayons organization.
Madison Morant, Elgin, South Carolina – Morant is not only an excellent student in the classroom, with a 3.93 GPA, honors, AP and dual-enrollment classes under her belt, along with being an active club member, she is also an active volunteer member in her community. Some of the volunteer opportunities she has taken include helping out at a local food pantry, feeding the homeless, reading to local first graders and contributing to Operation One Bead at a Time.
Edwin Ortiz, Medina, Ohio – Oritz excels in the high school classroom with a 4.5 GPA and will have also earned an associate degree to go along with his high school diploma as a result of completing over 60 credit hours at his local community college. He has earned the President’s Award for Educational Excellence and is a graduate of Space Academy at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. Outside of the classroom, Ortiz is a Boy Scout and has attained Eagle Scout ranking, is a three-sport athlete (bowling, golf, track and field), and is an NHS member who has volunteered over 450 hours of his time since June 2020. Along with the Gift for Life scholarship, Oritz is also an Earl Anthony Memorial Scholarship recipient.
Anna Osias, Memphis, Tennessee – At St. Agnes Academy, Osias has earned numerous honors while having a 4.44 GPA. Those honors include the following distinctions: Dean’s List every year, Presidential Service Award, the Paul and Charlotte Clarke Scholarship for Excellence in Art and the Bronze SCAD Summer Seminars Scholarship. Out of the classroom, Osias founded the academy’s Athletic Council, is a member of the STEM Club and is chief editor of the Calliope Art & Literary Magazine. She also volunteers as part of the Bridge Builders COLLABORATE Program. Like Ortiz, Osias is also an Earl Anthony Memorial Scholarship recipient.
Averyanna Thomas, Connelly, New York – Thomas is a student at the Hudson Valley Pathways Academy, where she has a 4.0 GPA while taking college-level courses and is a member of the National Technical Honor Society. When not in the classroom, Thomas is the team captain of the school’s bowling team, is part of the school’s band and choir, is local president of Kingston Youth and is an active volunteer at ASPCA and her local soup kitchen. She is also State Vice President of the New York State Youth Leaders and Local Secretary.
Taylor Waltier, Fircrest, Washington – An honor roll student at Dr. Dolores Silas High School, Waltier is active in extracurricular activities outside of being the team captain of the bowling team. She is also in JROTC, created the Chess Club, is part of choir and the choir counsel, and is in the Environmental Club. When not in the classroom, she is active in her church and parish, as well as Unified Sports, which is part of the Special Olympics.
Sandler Wiekamp, Chamberlain, South Dakota – Wiekamp has been on the honor roll every year and is a member of the NHS while taking AP classes and enrolled in three sports (baseball, golf, bowling). He has earned Academic All-American honors while playing those sports, and along with participating in sports, Wiekamp is a broadcaster for football, volleyball, basketball and wrestling. Outside of school, Wiekamp is a member of the Harvest Festival Committee and his local church.
Each year, two of the Gift for Life Scholarships are reserved for the children of fire department, emergency rescue or police personnel. The families of Holian and Morant serve in those respective areas.
Click here to view a list of past Gift for Life Scholarship winners.
Visit BOWL.com/ScholarshipsAwards to learn more about scholarship opportunities for youth bowlers.
The Gift for Life Scholarships are presented annually to youth bowlers who are in high school and can demonstrate financial need. Applicants are selected based on submitted applications, must have a GPA of 2.5 or higher (based on a 4.0 scale) and provide at least two letters of recommendation.
Each award winner receives a $1,000 scholarship, managed through the SMART program.
The Gift for Life Scholarship recipients for 2024 are as follows:
Shelby Brown, Saraland, Alabama – A senior at Saraland High School, Brown has been taking honors and AP classes since her freshman year, maintaining a 4.0 GPA and honor roll every year, along with being a National Honor Society member since the seventh grade. She also earned Career Tech Student of the Year in 2020, participates in a variety of extracurricular activities outside of bowling, including softball, and is a member of the Leo Club.
Madison Bruner, Great Falls, Montana – Bruner is a senior at Charles M. Russell High School and is a Junior National Honor Society and National Honor Society member, along with being an honor student while taking AP courses and maintaining a 3.8 GPA. She was part of the Girl Scouts of America growing up and is now part of the Health Occupations Students of America club at school and a major volunteer in her area.
Katarina Hagler, Cape Coral, Florida – A senior at Oasis Charter High School, Hagler has maintained a 3.94 GPA and been on the school’s honor roll every semester while taking honors classes and serving in the National Honor Society. Her extracurricular activities include being in the school choir, TV production and a stage tech for theater, as well as captain of the school’s bowling team. In 2023, she was nominated for the Al Oerter Award for Academic and Athletic Excellence in Lee County, which is for students that demonstrate excellence in an individual sport and in the classroom.
Jessica Gopanchuk, Warrenville, Illinois – Gopanchuk, a senior at Wheaton Warrenville South, has a 3.95 GPA while taking honors and AP classes while also being a member of the NHS and Spanish Honor Society. Out of the classroom, she is a bowler and team captain for the leagues she participates in, a volleyball player, a member of the student council and a volunteer at the Central DuPage Hospital.
Emily Holian, Lee, Massachusetts – A member of her school’s varsity bowling team since the seventh grade, Holian has a 3.7 GPA while taking honors classes all throughout high school and has been on the honor roll every year. In addition to bowling, she’s also a member of her school’s cross country and tennis teams, as well as the prom committee. Off campus, she helps with her church’s community dinners and youth group, while also volunteering at the local nursing home.
Kyra Italien, Dorchester, Massachusetts – A senior at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, Italien has a 3.8 GPA while taking a litany of honors and AP classes and has earned a variety of school awards, including the Visual Arts Award, History Department Achievement and the Cultural Awareness Award. She is also a member of the Yearbook club and Mediation club and is a volunteer at the local Boys and Girls Club and Cradles to Crayons organization.
Madison Morant, Elgin, South Carolina – Morant is not only an excellent student in the classroom, with a 3.93 GPA, honors, AP and dual-enrollment classes under her belt, along with being an active club member, she is also an active volunteer member in her community. Some of the volunteer opportunities she has taken include helping out at a local food pantry, feeding the homeless, reading to local first graders and contributing to Operation One Bead at a Time.
Edwin Ortiz, Medina, Ohio – Oritz excels in the high school classroom with a 4.5 GPA and will have also earned an associate degree to go along with his high school diploma as a result of completing over 60 credit hours at his local community college. He has earned the President’s Award for Educational Excellence and is a graduate of Space Academy at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. Outside of the classroom, Ortiz is a Boy Scout and has attained Eagle Scout ranking, is a three-sport athlete (bowling, golf, track and field), and is an NHS member who has volunteered over 450 hours of his time since June 2020. Along with the Gift for Life scholarship, Oritz is also an Earl Anthony Memorial Scholarship recipient.
Anna Osias, Memphis, Tennessee – At St. Agnes Academy, Osias has earned numerous honors while having a 4.44 GPA. Those honors include the following distinctions: Dean’s List every year, Presidential Service Award, the Paul and Charlotte Clarke Scholarship for Excellence in Art and the Bronze SCAD Summer Seminars Scholarship. Out of the classroom, Osias founded the academy’s Athletic Council, is a member of the STEM Club and is chief editor of the Calliope Art & Literary Magazine. She also volunteers as part of the Bridge Builders COLLABORATE Program. Like Ortiz, Osias is also an Earl Anthony Memorial Scholarship recipient.
Averyanna Thomas, Connelly, New York – Thomas is a student at the Hudson Valley Pathways Academy, where she has a 4.0 GPA while taking college-level courses and is a member of the National Technical Honor Society. When not in the classroom, Thomas is the team captain of the school’s bowling team, is part of the school’s band and choir, is local president of Kingston Youth and is an active volunteer at ASPCA and her local soup kitchen. She is also State Vice President of the New York State Youth Leaders and Local Secretary.
Taylor Waltier, Fircrest, Washington – An honor roll student at Dr. Dolores Silas High School, Waltier is active in extracurricular activities outside of being the team captain of the bowling team. She is also in JROTC, created the Chess Club, is part of choir and the choir counsel, and is in the Environmental Club. When not in the classroom, she is active in her church and parish, as well as Unified Sports, which is part of the Special Olympics.
Sandler Wiekamp, Chamberlain, South Dakota – Wiekamp has been on the honor roll every year and is a member of the NHS while taking AP classes and enrolled in three sports (baseball, golf, bowling). He has earned Academic All-American honors while playing those sports, and along with participating in sports, Wiekamp is a broadcaster for football, volleyball, basketball and wrestling. Outside of school, Wiekamp is a member of the Harvest Festival Committee and his local church.
Each year, two of the Gift for Life Scholarships are reserved for the children of fire department, emergency rescue or police personnel. The families of Holian and Morant serve in those respective areas.
Click here to view a list of past Gift for Life Scholarship winners.
Visit BOWL.com/ScholarshipsAwards to learn more about scholarship opportunities for youth bowlers.