(Washington D.C.) — Chosen from nearly 10,000 applicants, Evan Osgood, a senior at Loveland High School in Ohio, has been selected as the National Winner of the esteemed and competitive $25,000 National Honor Society (NHS) scholarship. NHS is supported by its parent organization, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). 

“This is the honor of a lifetime,” said Evan Osgood, who was awarded the $25,000 top prize. “Meeting the other finalists and learning their stories this weekend reinvigorated for me the power of our generation. We can do anything.” 

During the pandemic, Evan Osgood’s twin passions for technology and helping others inspired him to start not just one nonprofit but two. After teaching himself how to make masks in accordance with CDC guidelines, Evan established SOSforPPE, a nonprofit through which he makes and ships PPE assembly kits to those interested in making masks. In addition to filling a need for protective equipment, he has also sought to address COVID learning gaps in STEM subjects. That’s why he started STEMsForYouth, a nonprofit committed to improving access to STEM and narrowing the digital divide.  

Evan Osgood, senior at Loveland High School in Ohio. Photo by Leigh Vogel.

NHS is awarding $2 million in scholarships to 600 high school seniors this year. For the first time ever, four finalists were awarded a $10,625 scholarship for embodying the four pillars of NHS membership: scholarship, service, leadership, and character. The recipients of these awards are: Pooja Muthuraj from Richmond, VA for Scholarship; Alyssa Speelman from Ashland, MT for Service; Owen Zhang from Bellaire, TX for Leadership; and Ethan Sandoval from Pasadena, CA for Character. Twenty finalists received $5,625 and the national winner received $25,000. Their bios are here. 

“We’re humbled to honor these students’ powerful initiatives that have helped their communities in this time of need,” said NASSP CEO Ronn Nozoe. “We need passionate and forward-looking leaders like them who combine their quest of knowledge with service and advocate for systemic change. These winners have outstanding potential, and we’re thrilled to be a part of their journey.” 

The announcement is part of NASSP’s Trailblazing Leadership Week, bringing together the 2021 State Principals of the Year and the NHS Scholarship finalists to celebrate their accomplishments and connect with one another. In addition to the gala, the day began at the U.S. Department of Education where officials met with school and student leaders to discuss the most pressing issues in education. 

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