The Samsung American Legion Scholarship is awarding $248,750 to 99 high school students who attended either the 2026 American Legion Boys State or Auxiliary Girls State sessions. The recipients were selected by The American Legion's Committee on Youth Education during the organization’s annual Fall Meetings in Indianapolis the week of Oct. 5.
The scholarship distribution includes 10 national scholars receiving $10,000 each, 10 runners-up receiving $5,000 each, and 79 state finalists receiving $1,250 each for undergraduate study.
National scholars include Rylan Lukemire of Ohio, Brayden Reynolds of Pennsylvania, Eric Shellabarger of Missouri, Jaylee Good of Nebraska, Trevor Fitzgerald of New York, Justin Lambert of New Jersey, Harrison Chandler of Alabama, Gianna Demino of Florida, Linda Frazier of California, and Maxwell Moran of Washington.
Runners-up include Ellen Rozmaryn of Indiana, James Trzop of Kentucky, Owen O’Neill of Minnesota, Vincent Recker of Iowa, Kelly Murtha of New Jersey, Thomas Melia of Connecticut, Keaton Davis of Oklahoma, Tyler Rodriguez of South Carolina, John Alley Jr. of Utah, and Rachel Argyle of Utah.
Eligibility for the Samsung American Legion Scholarship requires participants to be high school juniors who attended the 2026 sessions of American Legion Boys State or Auxiliary Girls State. Applicants must also be a direct descendant or legally adopted child of a wartime veteran eligible for American Legion membership.
Selection is based on a student's involvement in school and community activities, academic record, and financial need. The funds are intended to support undergraduate studies, covering costs such as tuition, books, and room and board.
The Samsung American Legion Scholarship is available to high school juniors who participate in the current session of Boys State or Girls State and meet the specified veteran descendant requirements.
