Minnesota Masonic Charities Funds Minnetonka Senior's College Ambitions

Minnesota Masonic Charities has always prioritized supporting youth and education, and this year was no exception. Twenty-eight recipients out of 500 applicants were awarded scholarship funding from the organization, including one Minnetonka senior. Tyler Harris, a senior at Minnetonka High School, as well as vice president of the Minnetonka National Honor Society, was awarded the Hubert H. Humphrey Signature Award. Harris says he most identified with Humphrey’s values and what the former vice president accomplished. Harris will be attending the University of Pennsylvania in the fall, majoring in business with a minor in political science. The Masonic Charities awarded more than $350,000 in scholarships this year. “We are excited about expanding our scholarship programs to our Minnesota community and hoping to do more,” says Kelly Johns, director of communications. Harris says it felt good to get into his dream school — but it’s expensive.  The scholarship provides some breathing room, he says, and “makes the transition easier financially so I can focus more on my studies and not have to worry about working all the time just to get some spending money.” The scholarships are broken down into three award categories: Signature, Heritage and Legacy, each based on GPA as well as merit. Recipients are selected annually and are eligible for up to four years of renewal conditioned on the maintenance of the awardees’ GPA. “We are helping the youth of our community further their education and providing kids with a boost of confidence for their future,” says Johns.