Movies don't depict high school students creating student-run nonprofit with a mobile market that distributes food to people experiencing food insecurity, like Kenneth Rakes from Hamilton, Ohio, did. Television shows don't show students developing apps to help people learn American Sign Language, like Sophia To from Lakewood, California, did.
Those types of students might not show up in movies or TV shows, but they are recognized in other places. They're featured in the news, they receive prestigious awards, and they are the Top 20 Elks Most Valuable Student scholars. Dedicated to service and leadership, these impressive high school seniors were selected out of 21,500 applications to receive $30,000 scholarships and attend the Most Valuable Student Leadership Weekend in Chicago from May 1-4.
Four hundred and eighty-two runners-up received $4,000 awards.
From as far away as California to as close as the Chicago suburbs, the Top 20 scholars were nervous but excited as they headed into the Leadership Weekend.
"When everyone was coming in one by one from their flights, it was so fun to meet them individually," says Crystal Vo, sponsored by Lakewood-Bellflower, Calif., Lodge No. 888. “At first, I was intimidated because I’d read everyone’s bios and they’ve done so much, but it’s been such a surprise for me to connect to them so easily.”
To kick off the weekend, the scholars had dinner together. Then, they engaged in some ice-breakers and played board games to get to know one another better.
“The culture here is just different,” says Hannah Cross, sponsored by Ponca City, Okla., Lodge No. 2002. “People are so, so kind and just want to hear your story. They really want to get to know you.”
The next day, the scholars started by serving at Cradles to Crayons, a Chicago-area nonprofit dedicated to helping end youth clothing insecurity. Sorting clothes by size, ensuring they met the organization’s quality standards, and bundling them into packages was the perfect way for scholars to bond over one of their shared interests: service.
“Everyone here has the same values of wanting to better themselves and help the people around them,” says Sahand Khavari, sponsored by Plano, Texas, Lodge No. 2485. “Nothing’s a chore. Even doing physical labor feels fun because we’re around family.”
To learn more about their new Elks family, the Top 20 visited the Elks National Memorial and headquarters. They had lunch in the building and then completed a scavenger hunt to learn more about the Elks’ history. The scholars were impressed by the grandeur of the building as they answered questions like “What was the original name of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks?” and “In which city did the Elks Hoop Shoot begin?”, but even the 96-foot-tall dome and colored marble from across the world couldn’t distract them from their quest to be the fastest team to complete the scavenger hunt.
After exploring every corner of the Memorial, the scholars went downtown to see more of the city on an architecture boat tour down the Chicago River. The Windy City was true to its name; with an overcast sky and a constant breeze, the weather was chilly, and, though they learned a lot, the scholars were excited to get back to the hotel and warm up before the last activity of the day: Tell My Story.
A time-honored Leadership Weekend tradition, Tell My Story gives the scholars a chance to connect on a deeper level. Every scholar is provided with an oversized sheet of paper and markers, and they are encouraged to visually depict the parts of their life that got them to where they are today.
“They’re given 10 minutes to draw their story, and the only rule is that they must be honest and authentic,” says Program Relations Associate Libby Willkomm. “Sometimes, scholars draw cartoons or pictures, and sometimes they make timelines or write little stories. Then, they get time to share with the group.”
After the scholars draw their stories, they hang their paper on the wall, creating a tableau of color and history.
“Coming here and listening to your stories and getting to share my story, it made me feel comfortable being myself,” said Hunter Kirk, sponsored by Fairfield, Ill., Lodge No. 1631, during the weekend’s final reflection. “It’s okay to be embarrassed sometimes. It’s okay to be different. It’s okay to be yourself.”
The scholars discussed how nervous they were about sharing their vulnerabilities and some of the struggles they’ve faced on their journeys, but the open and accepting nature of the other scholars made it much easier than anticipated.
Saturday’s focus was programming geared toward setting scholars up for college success. The panels, workshops and activities were led by the people who know college life best: current and former Elks scholars.
“I am so grateful to have been tapped as a Scholar Leader,” said Evan Lu, a 2023 MVS scholar sponsored by West Chester, Pa., Lodge No. 853. “I’ve benefited greatly over the years from various mentors, and it’s cool to be in a position to pay that back.”
With help from Kalyan Piovesan Toussaint, a 2024 MVS Top 20 scholar sponsored by Marietta, Ga., Lodge No. 1657, Evan led a workshop about time management. Shani Tursunova, another 2024 MVS Top 20 scholar sponsored by Florence, Ky., Lodge No. 314, and Sophie Kloppenburg, a 2023 MVS Top 20 scholar sponsored by Mount Vernon, Ind., Lodge No. 277, led a workshop about combatting imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is when someone feels like they don’t fit in or they doubt themselves, despite their past accomplishments and success.
In the afternoon, the scholars heard from several Elks scholar alumni in a panel discussion. Nishitha Karumuri, a 2019 MVS scholar sponsored by Statesville, N.C., Lodge No. 1823; Shiv Patel, the 2018 MVS Top Male scholar sponsored by Roxboro, N.C., Lodge No. 2005; Bryce Caswell, the 2003 MVS Top Female scholar sponsored by Calpine, Calif., Lodge No. 2432; and Sean Loosli, the 2003 MVS Top Male scholar sponsored by Provo, Utah, Lodge No. 849, all shared advice for college, finding a job, and beyond.
“Don’t think about getting a job as climbing a ladder,” said Sean during the panel. “Think about it as a jungle gym. Sometimes you have to go down and sideways. If you start down one path, you might find it’s not the best path or the one you want to take. It’s okay to go backward. It’s okay to go sideways.”
The panelists emphasized that it was okay to be uncertain about the future, and they encouraged scholars to be open to trying different things to find their niche.
The Saturday night outing is always a special one, and this year the sky was the limit literally. The scholars first explored the history museum on the ground floor of the third tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, the Willis Tower (a.k.a. Sears Tower), before heading up to the Steel Room on the 33rd floor for delicious Chicago-style pizza. Next stop: , the Skydeck and the 103rd floor glass viewing platform, The Ledge. The scholars were able to step out into a clear glass box to look down at the city. For several, the idea of stepping out onto the glass floor was terrifying, but with encouragement from their peers, they were able to overcome their fear and take the leap.
“It was really touching to hear the scholars encourage each other,” says Libby. “Every few minutes, the group would start clapping and cheering to encourage someone else to take a step out onto the ledge. It was symbolic of what we hope this weekend accomplishes—inspiring the scholars to step out of their comfort zone and feel a little more prepared to do that in college, too.”
Then it was back to the hotel for the final reflection, where the scholars expressed their favorite parts of the weekend, and many shared similar takeaways: They were all excited to meet motivated, kind students and know they have a support system—the #ElksFamily—moving forward.
“When I was an Elks scholar, I would go on these experiences and have these profound memories and meet these incredible people,” reflected Libby. Before she joined the ENF staff in 2023, she was a 2019 MVS scholar who attended several service trips. “I always wondered: how do they find these people? What is the secret sauce? The truth is that the secret sauce is you. You all come with incredible energy.”
The Top 20 MVS scholars may not be represented in movies or television shows, but that just means that their stories are still unwritten. The Top 20 each have impressive resumes full of service and leadership, and they are primed to change the world. Hollywood can’t predict what they’ll go on to do, but one thing is for certain: Their journeys are just getting started.
For 2025-26, the Elks National Foundation allocated nearly $3 million to fund the Most Valuable Student scholarship program, which includes 500 four-year scholarships ranging from $4,000 to $30,000. For more information about the Most Valuable Student scholarship program, including eligibility and deadlines, visit elks.org/scholars.