Scholarship Current Students Applicant review page
In 2025, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful will award two $1,000 merit based scholarships: one to a current YA student and one to an alum. Reviwers, please review the scoring rubric then select an applicant by clicking on the ID number on the left below. Read the application then enter a score for the three short essay questions. An optional box for comments is at the end. Thank you for your help!
For any questions or problems with the form, please contact Rob Dubas at rdubas@keeppabeautiful.org for questions on the scholarship or Young Ambassador Program, please contact Kylie McCutcheon at kmccutcheon@keeppabeautiful.org.
Click to view the scoring rubric.Young Ambassador has not been just a label—it's been a mind-set change in thinking about how I fit into the world. I learned stewardship is more than preserving parks and organizing cleanups. It is showing up for your community, listening to stories, and belonging to something more than yourself.
I believe the most gratifying part was volunteering with the Sudanese Youth of Greater Philadelphia. We met not just as volunteers, but as young adults with shared heritage, shared ambitions, and shared appreciation for our community. Whether we were planning events or just sitting down and talking about our culture and issues our community faces, I felt a huge sense of belonging and purpose. We didn't simply assist—we were healing, constructing, and developing together.
Along the way, civics became real to me. It's not voting or laws, it's compassion. It's in the places where we choose to stand up for one another, to speak out, and to lead with heart. That's what stewardship has come to represent me: a lifetime commitment to uplift my community, and to carry the voices of those around me with pride and responsibility.
Since becoming a Young Ambassador, I've come to believe that keeping a community beautiful isn't just about cleaning up, it's about caring deeply, consistently, and quietly when no one's watching. That's how I've tried to serve.
After events with the Sudanese Youth of Greater Philadelphia, I would stay back, not because anyone asked me to, but because I felt it was my responsibility to leave our spaces better than we found them. Whether it was cleaning up trash, stacking chairs, or simply making sure nothing had been forgotten, I knew that stewardship started in these small, simple moments of care.
We would often have iftars in the park for Ramadan as a community—spiritual, full, and vibrant. But I would see what was left behind: garbage scattered around, recycling not taken into account. It wasn't due to disrespect—it was simply not taken into account. So I began taking bins. I labeled them, set them up, and quietly requested others to make use of them. Watching children place their juice boxes in the correct bin or elders nodding in approval provided me with the reminded that small actions have a tendency to ripple out.
Now I'm working on planning a community cleanup event, something that brings people together not just to clean, but to connect, to take pride in our communities. I want it to be more than just collecting garbage; I want it to be about ownership, togetherness, and love for our shared spaces. Just sowing the seeds for this event has made me feel more connected to my community.
These experiences have shown me that impact doesn't have to be loud. Sometimes it's working late. Sometimes it's paying attention to what others tend to overlook. And sometimes, it's simply believing that even the smallest action can leave a place —and the people in it— better than it was.
Serving as one of the Young Ambassadors has helped me uncover parts of my identity that I didn't know existed. This experience hasn't just been about what I've done, it's about who i'm becoming. While there were definitely moments where I felt proud of my accomplishments. the most powerful lessons came from the quiet, reflective spaces. Through this role, I've been encouraged to think more critically, step outside of my comfort zone, and see myself through a new lens.
One of the most important things I've learned is that I'm more resilient and resourceful than I had given myself credit for. I've learned how to adapt to new situations, how to take initiative without needing everything to be perfectly planned, and how to keep moving forward even when things don't go the way I expected. Before this I used to way for the "right" moment for the "perfect" idea. Now I've grown to trust myself more. I've learned that it matters more to show up, to care deeply, and to be present than to always have the perfect solution.
I've also discovered something meaningful about the kind of leader I am. I used to believe that leadership meant standing out or taking up space. But through this experience, I've come to see that leadership can be quiet, collaborative, and grounded in community. I've realized that I strive when I"m a part of something shared, something with meaning and purpose that bring people together. That sense of connection has become a powerful motivation for me. Knowing that others are working alongside me, with shared values and goals, inspires me to keep showing up and giving my best,
Being a Young Ambassador didn't just change the way I contribute to my community, it changed how I see myself. And that growth is something I'll carry with me long after this experience ends.
