Each year, DutchCrafters, the leading retailer of Amish furniture at www.dutchcrafters.com, awards its Heritage Scholarship to three deserving individuals. DutchCrafters reviewed over 200 applications to select this year’s winners for the Heritage Scholarship.

The 2024-25 school year winners are Matthew Peak of Kingwood, Texas, Beau Sackman of Omak, Wash., and Solomia Mendyuk of Lake Zurich, Ill.

The scholarship challenges students to reflect on their heritage and how it will impact their future careers. The award of $500 is divided between their Fall and Spring semesters. The application consists of a formal application, a statement of financial need, and an essay that asks students to share how their background has influenced their career goals, how they can be an asset to their future employer, and how they contribute to their community.

Peak plans to study psychology at Texas A&M University and become a doctor. This choice comes from seeing the struggles his grandmother had while trying to receive healthcare. He would watch his mother translate for his grandmother, as her first language is not English, and he saw how issues in care could arise from miscommunication. As he dives into his academic future, he says, “I see myself as a physician and an advocate for the Hispanic community. I envision creating programs that address the unique health concerns of my people, promoting preventive care, and fostering an environment where cultural sensitivity is the norm, not the exception.”

Sackman’s goal is to aid the environment where he was raised. He grew up helping his Papa on a cattle ranch in rural Washington, working diligently to maintain the land. Three summers ago, his family’s ranch was hit with wildfires. They were helpless as the fire damaged the land, and they could do nothing but wait it out. This experience inspired Sackman to study Environmental Science and focus on forest management and preparation for emergencies such as wildfires. He says, “through this I will be able to assist my community and give back regarding how to best manage and protect our forests.” He hopes to take what he learns from his degree and use it to continue his family’s legacy with the cattle ranch.

Lastly, Mendyuk’s Ukrainian heritage has led her to study illustration. Her parents came to America in the ‘90’s and began their life here, but she stayed connected to her Ukrainian roots through her extended family and enriched herself in the culture. The war in Ukraine and the hardship for her family opened her eyes to how she views the world and sparked her passion for expressing herself creatively. Her culture has always inspired her, and she has infused it into her art, “I was surrounded by Ukrainian artwork and imagery in my community and in my home and took on many motifs from it to use in my own work.” She plans to use her degree in illustration to develop her artistic skills and create artwork that embraces her culture and brings a fresh perspective.

The Heritage Scholarship, established in 2011, is awarded yearly to undergraduate students nationwide. The scholarship continually challenges students to reflect on their heritage and how they can use it to impact the world around them.