Combs Waterkotte Scholarship

Contest Details

The Prompt and Submission Requirements
A 500-1,000 word essay about “Learning the Hard Way”

Discuss a time you made a mistake. Reflect on what happened, what you learned from it and how the experience changed you. While the prompt is meant to be open ended, you may choose to share the events or factors that led to the mistake, how your mistake impacted others, the consequences (both intrinsic, such as feeling guilt, and extrinsic such as being grounded or losing a friendship) of your mistake, how the experience of that mistake has changed you, etc. Provide a personal and thoughtful perspective.

For your essay, please:

include your full name and an essay title
write between 500 – 1,200 words (longer does not always mean better!)
attach it as a PDF, txt, doc, or docx file
send it in by January 27, 2026
One winner will be selected based on a quality essay and adherence to the submission rules and requirements. The winning essay will utilize correct grammar and spelling, meet the submission deadline, demonstrate strong writing skills and approach the prompt from a unique and personal perspective. You may follow any accepted style (AP, MLA, Chicago or other) of your choosing.

Scholarship Eligibility
To be considered for the Combs Waterkotte Q4 2025 scholarship, please send the following to combslawscholarship@gmail.com by January 27, 2026 at 11:59 pm Central Time:

a college transcript (unofficial is okay) or enrollment letter
your essay
your contact information
your student number
your school’s financial aid office information, including address and phone number
a resume or short bio
We welcome and encourage non-traditional and underrepresented students. Because the award will be sent directly to the winner’s school, we require a transcript or enrollment verification to ensure the selected winner is eligible to receive funds to their student account. Current high school students or adults planning to attend or return to college or a trade school but are not yet enrolled, please check back with us after you can verify your enrollment.