Skip to main content

A Proud Member of the Elks Family

By 2009 Elks Legacy Scholar Lauren Kuhn
2015 Miss America 4th runner-up Lauren Kuhn
speaking to Hoop Shoot Finalists at the 2015 National Finals
Springfield, Massachusetts—the birthplace of basketball. Believe it or not, my time as Miss Massachusetts had not yet taken me to Springfield for an event surrounding basketball. I jumped at the opportunity to be the keynote speaker and National Anthem performer for the Elks Hoop Shoot National Finals. As a 2009 Elks Legacy scholar, I looked forward to the chance to reunite with my Elks family but what I didn’t know was that I’d be reuniting with some of my biological family too! When I stepped through the elevators in my downtown hotel in Springfield, I was stunned to see my grandmother and grandfather waiting for me. They live more than two hours from Seattle, Washington, so they had a long way to travel! The Elks National Foundation surprised me with their attendance. Why was this so meaningful? Let me share.

Lauren taking a selfie with her grandparents!
My grandfather Melvin Thompson is a life-long Elk and ran the Hoop Shoot at Hoquiam, Wash., Lodge No. 1082 for many years. My mom, sister, and I all participated. Then, when it came time to apply for college, my grandpa was there to sponsor my application to become an Elks Legacy scholar. He not only helped me, he helped many young people in the community by being an involved member of his Lodge for so long.


When the athletes and their regional Elks leaders came onto the court, I could see the pride radiating from all of the Elks involved. These Elks weren’t even related to the athletes, but they were still proud. This type of mentorship and support was showed their contagiously selfless attitudes. Then, I watched the Hoop Shoot stars and immediately noticed the excitement in their eyes as they planned each shot. I saw the pride they had in what they were accomplishing—they knew they’d made it very far. When it was time to narrow the field, I couldn’t help but feel my heart break as I knew that every athlete was impressive and was deserving of the national title. After meeting athletes that did not win the contest, I could relate to their mixed feelings of excitement and disappointment. The maturity that these young people show is impressive, because many adults still struggle with these feelings and have a tough time feeling proud of their accomplishments when they aren’t the ultimate “winner.” So, what can we learn from these impressive young athletes?

1. There’s always next year! Whether it is a sporting event, scholarship opportunity or job opportunity, there is no reason we can’t try again for the same or a similar opportunity in the future. Perseverance is the key to success.

2. Sportsmanship is the name of the game. When I placed 5th in the Miss America 2015 pageant, I was still thrilled for the four women who finished above me—just as the young athletes at the Hoop Shoot congratulated those who received awards.

3. Sometimes we gain more by not winning. It’s true that winners learn from their mistakes and channel their determination to help them improve! Each time a competitor doesn’t finish at the top, he or she has the opportunity to evaluate ways to improve ultimately helping them learn valuable life skills. The trip to success isn’t always direct… there might be a few layovers along the way.


I am incredibly proud of all the athletes. Regardless of their placement in the contest, they are a success and they earned their way to the top! Congratulations!

Lauren Kuhn 2017
Doctor of Dental Medicine candidate, Harvard University
2015 Miss America 4th runner-up
2009 Elks Legacy scholar


In 2015-16, the Elks National Foundation appropriated $4.16 million to fund the ENF scholarship program, which provides college scholarships, ensuring a bright future for our nation’s youth. As important parts of the Elks family, Elks scholars have many social and service opportunities to connect with the Elks and each other. For more information about our scholarship programs, and for ways Lodges can get involved with Elks scholars, visit www.elks.org/enf/scholars. For more information about the Hoop Shoot, including videos and news from the court, visit www.elks.org/hoopshoot.

Comments

Labels

Show more

Popular posts from this blog

Seizing Every Opportunity

Reflections from the SAB President By Kat Nakamura 2019 MVS Scholar Hi, Elks Family! I’m Kat Nakamura, a 2019 MVS Scholar currently serving as the president of the Scholar Advisory Board. My time with the Elks has been a transformative experience, not only providing me with financial support for my education but opening the door to a nurturing community of like-minded individuals and remarkable opportunities. My journey began when I applied for the Elks Most Valuable Student scholarship, and little did I know it was just the beginning of a life-changing adventure. Months later, my mom encouraged me to apply to join the Scholar Advisory Board. Initially hesitant, I thought there was no chance of being accepted. Little did I realize that this decision would lead me to one of my most cherished experiences throughout college. The Scholar Advisory Board are the representatives that advise the ENF on scholar relations. Apart from being on the board, members attend the Elks National Conve

A Boatload of Scholars, a Busload of Clothes

By: Aditi V. Patel,  2019 Most Valuable Student scholar Last week, I had the pleasure of serving alongside 20 other amazing Elks scholars as a part of the Tampa Elks Scholar Service Trip. I did my research before the trip and found that Hurricane Ian had displaced more than 40,000 Floridians in September 2022—I wanted to do something to help! After landing in Tampa, we got right to work by sorting a busload (literally) of clothing that Tampa, Fla., Lodge No. 708 collected from the community for Greater Pine Island. We organized each item of clothing by size, made sure each item was in good condition, and placed them into bags. Whenever there weren’t clothes at my table, I would shift to another station to help others, and I saw other scholars doing the same. It was amazing to see everyone laboriously working for hours without any complaints, learning names and fun facts as we went. We had dinner at the Tampa Elks Lodge, which is where I had my first genuine conversations with the s

Finding a Place in the #ElksFamily

by Aleah Hahn, Most Valuable Student Scholar Aleah Hahn received a second place Most Valuable Student scholarship in 2018. She graduated from Michigan State University in 2021 with degrees in Biosystem Engineering and German. She is pursuing her master’s degree in Marine Resource Management at Oregon State. In her free time, she likes to cycle, forage and hike. Over my spring break I was able to partake in the 2022 Spring Elks Scholar Service Trip in Chicago! In 2018, I attended the 150 for 150 Service Trip in San Antonio, where we celebrated the Elks 150th anniversary through service. Both were amazing experiences to serve in the name of the Elks. They were alike but also different in many ways.  In San Antonio, I connected with Elks state leadership from my home state of Michigan since the trip was at the Elks National Convention!  I served with 149 other scholars and met many of them. It was a great opportunity to connect with other scholars. The majority of our service was at Haven