Scholarships
The club is once again offering scholarships to Skagit County high school seniors who are involved in running. We are looking for candidates of good character who are successful students, both athletically and academically, and will most likely pursue the sport of running during college and beyond. Applicants do not necessarily need to be involved in track or cross country, but their high school athletics should involve running in some form.
The Skagit Runner’s scholarship committee will make the final decisions based on information provided by the candidates on the application forms.
Please note, handwritten applications will not be accepted.
Applications will need to be submitted using the linked Google Form. Scholarship application due date is April 18th.
(If no application button is present, the scholarship application is not currently available.)
Scholarship Application FAQ’s and Tips
Completing the Application
Why is the word count limited in my responses?
Skagit Runners wants to make the scholarship scoring process as fair as possible. We limit the word count so that there isn’t an unfair advantage to one applicant over another. One of the goals of our application process is to have you think about what you want to say and to say it as clearly as possible in the space that is provided for you. Any alterations to the application format will result in a disqualified application.
Can I submit the application online?
Yes! Since we have moved to a Google form for our application format for this year you can only submit online.
Can students outside of Skagit County apply? Can college students apply?
No. Skagit Runners scholarships are awarded to students who attend Skagit County high schools. We are a local running group and this is one way that we have decided to support our local youth running community.
Why do students who are not in track or cross country win these scholarships?
Skagit Runners is a recreational running group. While we do have runners in our group who are competitive, the focus of this group is running for recreation and fun. We feel that students who apply for this scholarship do not have to participate specifically in track or cross country, but can participate in other sports that involve running, as shown in their answers on the application.
Submitting the Application
How can I know that my scholarship application was submitted?
When you complete the Google Form scholarship application you will receive a confirmation message from Skagit Runners stating that your application has been accepted.
Scoring the Application
What happens once my application is submitted?
All applications that are received by the deadline are processed. Each application is reviewed to make sure that all the necessary requirements have been met. Once they are reviewed, each applicant and application is given a number. The original application then gets duplicated so it can be modified for anonymity. This ensures that the applications are completely anonymous to our scoring committee. Once they have been modified they are then copied so that each scorer on the committee has their own copy of the application. The originals are kept by the committee chairperson for verification if any questions should come up.
How is my application scored?
The committee uses a scoring guide to score the applications. Each answer receives a score, all scores are totaled. The winners are those with the highest total scores.
What can I do to make sure that I receive top scores on my application?
In order to ensure that your application receives the highest scores possible, you need to make sure that you follow directions when completing the application and that you answer the questions as completely and clearly as possible in the spaces provided. Scores are not based on your athletic or academic ability, but by how well you answer the question.
How does my application remain anonymous?
The scholarship committee chairperson is the only member of the committee who sees the entire application. Once the deadline has been met and the applications are checked for requirements, the chairperson assigns a number to each applicant. The scoring committee will only know your application by its number. Not until after the winners are determined does the chairperson release the names and schools of the winners.
Notification of Winners
How and when are the winners notified?
You should receive either an approval or denial letter in the mail by the middle of May. Skagit Runners will contact the schools for the scholarship winners so that their accomplishment can be included in any school programs or ceremonies.
How does the money have to be applied?
The scholarship recipients must be enrolled in a university, college, or trade school during the following school year. The scholarship may only be applied to the first year of school. If you do not use the scholarship within 12 months of receiving your approval letter you forfeit the scholarship. Should you receive a scholarship, instructions will accompany your approval letter.
Previous Winners
2024 Skagit Runners scholarship winners
$2,000 – Anna Hansen of Burlinton-Edison
$2,000 – Sophia Grechishkin of Mount Vernon
$1,000 – Kiera Link of Mount Vernon Christian
$1,000 – Dalton Kurtz-Rios of Mount Vernon
2023 Skagit Runners scholarship winners
$2,000 – Abigail Goodwin of Anacortes
$2,000 – Ethan Miller of Anacortes
$1,000 – Ava Rifenbury of Mount Vernon
$1,000 – Gabriella Searle of Burlington-Edison
2022 Skagit Runners scholarship winners
$1,500 – Caitlin Brar of Anacortes
$1,500 – Sage Mailhiot of Burlington-Edison
$1,500 – Zoie Youngren of Mount Vernon
2020 Skagit Runners scholarship winners
$2,500 – Tessa Smith of Sedro Woolley
$2,500 – Emma Symmank of Mount Vernon Christian
$1,000 – Cynthia Elston of Mount Vernon
$1,000 – Macy Yanega of Anacortes
$1,000 – Zoe Yanega of Anacortes
$1,000 – Charlie Cram of LaConner
