Gift for Scholars: Story Lions Club Invests in Local Students’ Futures

Every summer, a handful of Story High School graduates and continuing college or trade school students receive more than just a check from the Story Lions Club. They receive a “Gift for Scholars," a tangible vote of confidence from their community that says, “We see what you’re doing, and we’re proud to help.”

The program has been a Lions Club tradition for more than twenty years, long before Jon Simpson joined the club two decades ago.

“It was already going when I got here,” Simpson said. “I don’t know exactly how far back, but the Lions started in 1957, so it’s been a long time.”

Simpson has personally overseen the program for the past 10 to 12 years and calls it the highlight of his service with the club.

Who Qualifies and How It Works

The Gift for Scholars is open to Story banner residents who are college- or trade-school bound, or already enrolled in continuing education.

Applicants must:

• Maintain at least a 2.5 GPA

• Submit proof of Story residency

• Write a short essay (under 500 words) explaining why they deserve the award and highlighting their activities and accomplishments

“We’ve refined the criteria over the years,” Simpson explained. “It’s pretty straightforward now, but it really lets us see the whole student.”

Applications are due by June 30 each year. Simpson reviews every submission and presents recommendations to the Lions Club board. The full membership votes on recipients, and winners, along with their parents, are invited to the club’s annual steak fry in July, where the gifts are formally presented.

The award amount has grown from $500 per student in the early years to $1,500 today. In particularly strong fundraising years, as many as six students have received gifts.

Remarkably, Simpson says that in more than a decade of reviewing applications, every qualified applicant has received support.

“I’ve never had to turn anyone down,” he said. “Every one of them has deserved it.”

Why They Call It a “Gift” Instead of a Scholarship

A few years ago, the club made an intentional change: they stopped calling the award a scholarship and began referring to it as a gift.

The reason was practical.

Many federal and institutional aid programs require students to report outside scholarships, which can reduce Pell Grants or other financial aid awards dollar-for-dollar.

“My grandkids pointed it out to me,” Simpson recalled. “They had to list every scholarship they won, and it got deducted from their other aid. We voted to make it a straight gift so students can keep every penny and use it for books, supplies, or whatever they need without it affecting other funding.”

Stories That Make It Worthwhile

Reading the applications is Simpson’s favorite part of the process.

“You cannot believe some of the accomplishments of these kids,” he said. “It blows you away.”

Among the standouts over the years:

• A young woman who received the gift for all three eligible years and later earned her PhD

• A 17-year-old Sheridan High School student who completed an associate degree from Sheridan College while still in high school

• Three nursing students in one year, all heading to the University of Wyoming

• One student received the gift for four consecutive years

“The kids are involved in everything while still being fabulous students,” Simpson said. “I don’t know how they do it, but they do.”

He especially hopes this year brings the program’s first trade-school applicants.

“Our flyer has always said ‘college or trade school bound,’ but in my ten or twelve years we’ve never had one,” he noted. “Sheridan College’s trade programs are growing fast, and I’d love to support those students too.”

The Heart of Lions Service

For Simpson, the Gift for Scholars represents the very best of what the Lions Club does.

“The gun raffle is fun some years, but this… this is the highlight of my year,” he said. “You read what these kids have done, you see how proud their parents are, and you realize fifteen hundred dollars is significant money for a college student. It pays for books and gives them a little walking-around money. And now that it’s a gift, it really helps.”

The Lions Club funds the program almost entirely through its own fundraising efforts. With the club financially healthy and no major capital projects currently planned, Simpson says members want the money going directly back into the community.

That includes support for students as well as maintenance and improvements to Story landmarks and gathering places, including:

• The playground

• Frisbee golf course

• Campbell’s Corner

• The Story stone sign at the entrance of Fish Hatchery Rd

• Park upkeep and maintenance projects throughout Story

“If it gets done in unincorporated Story,” Simpson said with a grin, “it’s usually the Lions or the Woman’s Club.”

How to Get Involved

Story residents who want to support the next generation have two easy ways to help:

Apply — or Encourage a Student to Apply

High school seniors and current college or trade school students who call Story home should watch for the application flyer through the high school and Lions Club channels. To apply, find the Gift for Scholars link on the StoryWyoming.org homepage and download the guidelines.

Applications for the 2026 Gift for Scholars are due June 30.

Join the Story Lions Club

“Just find a Lion and tell them you want to join,” Simpson said. “Everybody’s welcome.”

The club has seen a surge of new members in recent years, especially couples, and the Vision program continues to expand with new equipment and services.

The Story Lions Club has quietly shaped the community for decades: building playgrounds, installing Frisbee golf, erecting flagpoles, helping coordinate the stone siding at the town entrance, and handling countless maintenance projects that keep Story beautiful and connected.

This summer, when another group of deserving students stands to receive their Gift for Scholars at the annual steak fry, the community will once again see the Lions Club living its motto:

“We Serve.”

And Jon Simpson will be right there, reading every essay, cheering every winner, and already looking forward to next year’s stack of applications.