2026 Embracing Challenges Scholarship

At Erkan & Sullivan, PC, we understand that the path to success is rarely a straight line. In our legal practice, we work with individuals who are often navigating some of the most difficult chapters of their lives. We have seen firsthand that while adversity is an inevitable part of the human experience, it is our response to those hurdles, the resilience we summon, and the wisdom we gain that truly defines our character.

The 2026 Embracing Challenges Scholarship was created to honor students who have faced significant obstacles head-on. Whether you successfully overcame a hurdle or are still navigating the aftermath, we want to hear your story. We believe that there is immense value in the lessons learned through struggle, and we are proud to support a student who can articulate how their experiences have prepared them for the future.

This scholarship recognizes the strength found in vulnerability and the growth found in hardship. We invite you to share your journey with us and explain how your unique takeaways will serve as a roadmap for any adversity you may face in the years to come.

Application Deadline: November 30th, 2026

Award Amount: $1,000

Eligibility

• The scholarship is open to any current high school senior, vocational student, college student, or graduate student who is a legal resident of the United States, resides in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia, and is enrolled in a vocational program or a two- to four-year post-secondary institution.
• Employees of Erkan & Sullivan, PC, their immediate families (parent, child, sibling, and spouse), and persons living in the same households of such individuals (whether related or not), are not eligible to participate in the competition. 
• Candidates for this scholarship should have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and be in good academic standing.

Application Requirements

• The candidate must fill out the form below with all necessary information
• The candidate must submit a 750-1,000-word essay response to this question: We all face adversity and challenges in our lives. What matters is how we respond to them, learn from them, and grow from them. For this scholarship, students will detail a particular challenge or set of challenges they have faced and what they learned in the process (even if they weren’t ‘successful’). This scholarship will be awarded to the student who best explains a particular problem and describes how that experience prepared them to overcome challenges they may encounter in the future.
  • Please note that all essays will be checked for AI writing. If AI writing is deemed present in the essay, the application will be denied.
• The candidate must submit a professional resumé that lists their experience, both professional and academic.
• The candidate must submit a transcript from their current school. First-year college students, graduate students, or individuals who have recently transferred schools may submit an unofficial transcript from their current school and the most recent official transcript from their prior school. High school students can submit proof of acceptance to their college or university.
• Preference will be given to students either from or attending secondary school in the state.

The recipient of the 2026 Embracing Challenges Scholarship will be chosen during the month following the scholarship deadline. 

For all scholarship-related inquiries, please use this contact form. We are unable to answer scholarship questions by phone, email, or through any other contact forms listed on this website.