The NRA Foundation Says ‘YES’ To The Future Through Grand Scholarship Program

Four patriotic American high school students now have a few thousand more reasons to pursue their college degree, thanks to scholarships from The NRA Foundation’s Youth Education Summit (Y.E.S.) Grand Scholarship Program.

The NRA Foundation awarded a total of $15,000 in scholarships to a quartet of students who went above and beyond their participation in the week-long 2016 Y.E.S. summit, taking what they learned in the nation’s capital back to their communities and making a difference. The scholarship winners are: 

$6,500: Serena Juchnowski of Richfield, Ohio

$5,500: Emily Saltarelli of Montgomery, Texas

$2,000: Bryttani MacNamara of Sulphur, Louisiana

$1,000: Aidan Thomason of Knoxville, Tennessee 


The NRA Foundation’s Youth Education Summit (Y.E.S.) Grand Scholarship Program recipients (left to right): Serena Juchnowski, Emily Saltarelli, Bryttani MacNamara, and Aidan Thomason. 

The students who earned the competitive scholarships will receive their financial aid award paid directly to the accredited college or technical school of their choice.

In the 11 months following the summit, students competing for the scholarship were asked to introduce NRA programs into their communities and create a portfolio documenting their efforts.

Recipients of the 2016 Y.E.S. Grand Scholarship performed a number of activities in their areas to promote firearm safety and raise money for shooting sports programs. These initiatives included hosting Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program youth gun safety and education events, starting NRA-affiliated shooting clubs, and giving speeches about the Y.E.S. program to civic groups.

Students served as ambassadors for the NRA, writing articles for school newsletters, blogs, and newspapers, and even worked to introduce NRA Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC) programs in their communities to help introduce and train youths in hunting and outdoorsmanship in a safe, fun environment.

For two decades, the Y.E.S. program has united some of the nation’s brightest, most ambitious high school minds to help them explore American government while imparting the significance of political involvement and their role in the democratic process. The Y.E.S. Grand Scholarship Program is an even bigger investment in the futures of those students who have demonstrated their commitment to promoting the ideals of the NRA and its tireless pursuit of defending the Second Amendment.

“The Youth Education Summit has awarded more than $518,000 in college scholarships over its 21-year history,” said Sarah Engeset, NRA’s Director of Volunteer Fundraising. “We are proud to assist the next generation of competitive shooters, hunters, and firearms enthusiasts pursue their dreams through higher education.”