The Samsung American Legion Scholarship is recognizing 10 national scholars with $10,000 and 10 runners-up with $5,000.
The Samsung American Legion Scholarship is awarding $248,750 in scholarships to 99 high school students who attended either the 2026 American Legion Boys State or Auxiliary Girls State session. 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 Samsung American Legion Scholarship will award 10 national scholars with $10,000, 10 runners-up with $5,000, and 79 state finalists each will receive $1,250 for undergraduate study.
2026 National Scholars
Central Region: Rylan Lukemire (Ohio) and Brayden Reynolds (Pennsylvania)
Midwest Region: Eric Shellabarger (Missouri) and Jaylee Good (Nebraska)
Northeast Region: Trevor Fitzgerald (New York) and Justin Lambert (New Jersey)
Southeast Region: Harrison Chandler (Alabama) and Gianna Demino (Florida)
Western Region: Linda Frazier (California) and Maxwell Moran (Washington)
2026 Runners-Up
Central Region: Ellen Rozmaryn (Indiana) and James Trzop (Kentucky)
Midwest Region: Owen O’Neill (Minnesota) and Vincent Recker (Iowa)
Northeast Region: Kelly Murtha (New Jersey) and Thomas Melia (Connecticut)
Southeast Region: Keaton Davis (Oklahoma) and Tyler Rodriguez (South Carolina)
Western Region: John Alley Jr. (Utah) and Rachel Argyle (Utah)
Samsung American Legion Scholarship eligibility
The recipients earned the award based on several criteria, including participation in the 2026 session of American Legion Boys State or Auxiliary Girls State, and being a direct descendant of a wartime veteran eligible for American Legion membership. The Samsung American Legion Scholarship is available for high school juniors who participate in the current session of Boys State or Girls State and are direct descendants (or legally adopted children) of wartime veterans eligible for American Legion membership. The Samsung scholarship supports undergraduate studies (e.g., room and board, tuition and books), and each applicant is selected according to his or her involvement in school and community activities, academic record and financial need.
For more information about the scholarship, visit here.
- Scholarships