I am proud to announce the winner of the first ever Frugal Dad Undergraduate Scholarship. Congratulations to Douglas McErlean, a nineteen year old student at Brown University who will receive $5,000 to put towards his college tuition. But before I sing Douglas’s praises, I want to sincerely thank our scholarship applicants. All told, we received over one thousand applications.
It should come as no surprise, but these applicants are remarkably hard working students, with collegiate pursuits as unique as they are inspiring. I reviewed impressive application after impressive application, each one marked with academic excellence, volunteer work, and extracurriculars. Their essays demonstrated an intelligence and integrity hard to find in people twice their age. I wish Frugaldad could afford to invest in the aspirations of each of these applicants.
I started this scholarship because I intimately understand how hard it is for students to find financial support when earning a degree. Our first scholarship recipient, Douglas echoed this sentiment and made it personal in his essay. As he pursues a degree in Computer Science, Douglas continues to enjoy the study of the past and how it informs new ideas and new solutions. He points out that all of the resources available at a university give students an unparalleled opportunity for greater discovery and responsibility. This summer, Douglas will be participating in the Alan Turing Fellowship in New York City working for Pontiflex. Douglas’ energy and ambition is obvious to everyone here and we’re thrilled to be a part of his success story.
Once again, congrats to Douglas and many thanks to our applicants! This has been to great of an experience to do just once, so be sure to check Frugal Dad’s Scholarships for updates regarding future scholarships. Also, be sure to direct interested family members, friends, or even schools to the Frugal Dad Scholarship. The more buzz we generate, the bigger our budding scholarship can get!