Several El Dorado High School seniors participated in a scholarship workshop Nov. 4, 2025, designed to prepare them for the competitive scholarship process.
Fifteen students were selected for this year’s event — the largest group yet — based on their GPA, ACT scores, academic benchmarks and individual interviews.
The workshop, first introduced at EHS in 2013 and revived in 2022 after a short break, helps students build skills in communication, leadership, and self-presentation.
The event featured four parts. It began with a group consensus activity, where students worked together to solve a problem, then had to adjust their plans halfway through after receiving new information. Observers watched the discussions and provided written feedback on teamwork, leadership and problem-solving skills. The exercise was modeled after Wichita State University’s Distinguished Scholarship Invitational, which includes similar consensus-building challenges.
Next, students attended a reception with drinks and cookies, where they practiced networking and social skills.
The third part of the workshop focused on interview practice. Each student met with two volunteer interviewers and received personalized feedback on how to improve their communication and confidence during interviews.
Finally, the workshop concluded with a writing session led by Instructional Coach Kirstie Towner. Students wrote scholarship-style essays that could be adapted for real applications and learned strategies for marketing their strengths. Towner also shared tips for writing timed or in-person essays.
Thank you to the community members and El Dorado High School alumni who volunteered to help observe, interview and provide valuable feedback throughout the workshop.
