Catching up with 2025 HEF Scholarship Recipient Claire Stickfort

Claire Stickfort, 2025 recipient of a Hudson Educational Fund (HEF) General Fund and GFWC/Hudson Tuesday Study Club scholarship, is currently studying Biomedical Engineering at Iowa State University with the goal of working to advance prosthetics to better meet the needs of patients. Some of her fall semester highlights at ISU include attending sporting events as well as participating on the intramural softball and volleyball teams and in the BME Club.

Claire not only appreciated the financial relief of receiving two scholarships last spring, which she used to purchase a better laptop necessary for her major, but also felt honored by the support of her community. She shared, "I believe groups like HEF are important for young people because it shows that people believe in you and your future and are willing to help you reach your goals." Claire encouraged current Hudson students to always say "Yes!" because when you start college everything is new all at once and can be overwhelming, but you will have the best experiences and meet the best people by being open-minded and willing to step outside your comfort zone. On a practical note, she recommends NOT doing laundry on Fridays or Sundays because the laundry room is packed on those days!

All Hudson seniors and current college students are encouraged to apply for the 2026 HEF scholarships. They must be submitted on Canvas by Thursday, February 12th, 2026. The application can be found at http://hudsonpiratepride.com under the Grades 7-12 link.

The Hudson Educational Fund is an independent, tax-exempt corporation created to provide scholarships for students and funding for educational programs and projects of the Hudson Community School District. Donations made are tax-deductible and nearly 100% of the donations are awarded in scholarships or given directly to school programs. Since 1998, HEF has awarded 770 scholarships valued at $481,198 and given over $15,000 to support school-related projects and programs. Please consider donating to the future success of scholars at Hudson Schools!