Scholarships. When the word is mentioned the following thoughts consist of hard work, money, and more work. Scholarships are made to give students a benefit of the doubt when first going to college by supplying a certain amount of money. Most people think there are only scholarships for the all-star athlete or the valedictorian though most scholarships are for sports, in actuality there are various scholarships for bizarre talents. You don’t need to have a six-pack or straight A’s to receive one. Millions of dollars are wasted a year due to unused scholarships. If you have an unusual talent you should do your research because you’d be surprised to find many overlooked scholarship grants.

Embrace your talent and land scholarships. Some odd scholarships include being named Zolp, having a sweet tooth, making prom dresses out of duct tape, welding, being a vegetarian, loving nature, and even being involved in viticulture. Some even have to do with your own personal genes. There is a club called The Bill Barty Foundation, a scholarship directed toward short people. You have to be under 4’10” and have proof of dwarfism. There is also a scholarship for the complete opposite. The Tall Clubs International scholarship offers up to $1,000 to any male over 6’2” and any female over 5’10”. Like this one, most scholarships have requirements like having to write an essay. The Tall Clubs International requires an essay on “What being tall means to me.” If you are a descendant through birth/adoption of Lambert and Annetje Van Valkenburg you are qualified to earn a $1,000 scholarship.

“So many students pass up the opportunity to have it easy,” said Guidance Counselor Jamie Dowd. “If they could see my bills now, they would probably change their mindset.”

There are also scholarships for interests. One well-known scholarship is the Chick and Sophie Major Memorial Duck Calling Contest. If you love talking to ducks, in order to apply you must be a senior, be able to call ducks, and be willing to compete in the competition that takes place in Stuttgart, Arkansas. There is even a scholarship that has to do with llamas. The Michigan Llama Association is funded through the Llamafest silent auction. They select two students chosen by a selection committee determined by the MLA board and award them $1,000.

If you have an odd interest or an unusual talent you do not have to let it go to waste. Who would have thought there was a scholarship for calling ducks? You never know how much money you can put toward college when you embrace your talent. You may find yourself without a financial burden when you stack up and land scholarships.

There are many benefits of scholarships to the ones who need financial aid, but everyone knows that. Though the knowledge is there, people lack the motivation. The Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) helps kids with financial aid and gets them scholarships. Freedom alone has earned more than six million dollars in scholarships and it could be you that it is benefiting. You just have to want to and set your mind on a track that you won’t veer off.

“You can lead a horse to water,” said Mrs. Dowd. “But the horse has to do the drinking.”