Celebrating the 2026 Ida Lucille Trussell Hardy Scholarship Winner: Aubrey Birdsell

Every year, scholarships open doors for talented students to pursue their dreams by easing the heavy burden of financial stress. The 2026 scholarship has once again highlighted the power of dedication, hard work, and passion. Today, we proudly announce the winner who stood out among a competitive pool of applicants and earned this prestigious award.

Aubrey Birdsell, 2026 Winner of the Ida Lucille Trussell Hardy Scholarship

The Scholarship’s Purpose and Impact

Scholarships like ours aim to support students who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership, and community involvement. The Idaho Mayflower Society's scholarship's vision is to "connect ancestral legacies of Idaho educators and students with historical hereditary ties to Mayflower Passengers from 1620”.

By awarding this scholarship, the Idaho Mayflower Society hopes to inspire more students to aim high and work hard, looking and working toward their futures while being mindful of the heritage of our collective past.

How the Winner Was Selected

The selection process for the 2026 scholarship was rigorous. Applicants submitted creative essays, recommendation letters, and transcripts. The committee evaluated candidates based on:

• Academic performance and consistency

• Leadership roles in school or community projects

• Personal essay reflecting an engaged, sophisticated understanding of the Mayflower passengers

• Commitment to making a positive impact in the world

  
  

Meet the 2026 Scholarship Winner

The winner of the 2026 scholarship is Aubrey Birdsell, an accomplished student from Wallace Senior High School, in Wallace, Idaho. Aubrey reflects the values our scholarship aims to promote.

Academic Excellence

Aubrey has maintained a 4.0 GPA and is ranked first in her class, earning a number of other notable awards and academic memberships. Her strong academic record shows a commitment to learning and intellectual growth.

Leadership and Community Service

Beyond academics, Aubrey has participated in the National Honors Society, Student Council, Upward Bound, and Book Club, among others. She has also given more than 100 volunteer hours to refereeing youth sports and other nonprofit endeavors.

Personal Drive and Vision

In addition to her academic and community service work, Aubrey has held down summer and seasonal jobs, and has excelled in varsity volleyball, basketball, track & field, and cheerleading. Wherever Aubrey puts her effort, her personal drive and vision carries the day.

What This Scholarship Means for Aubrey

Winning the 2026 scholarship will cover $2,000 in tuition and fees for college, allowing Aubrey to focus on her studies in Elementary Education at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington. Aubrey hopes to someday become a kindergarten teacher.

Aubrey expressed gratitude to the Society, saying, “I first want to thank you so much for this scholarship opportunity. It is an honor to get to represent the Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of Idaho!”

Aubrey's Essay

Scholarship applicants were asked to provide an essay responding to the following prompt: Write a letter from imaginary you, a Mayflower passenger, to someone in England about a freedom you enjoy or desire. Using primary sources, discuss how the Mayflower passengers aspired to freedom. Choose a passage that was actually written by at least one of them, and use it in your letter, to discuss how it shows that the author desired freedom. Why did the author want that freedom?

We are pleased to share with you Aubrey's submission:

My Dearest William,

Upon our departure the previous dawn, I watched your receding shadow until the swirls of the great sea beast took me away. The mast of the ship looked out upon the great unknown, yet my heart yearns for the place I call home. I wondered how must I manage our world apart?

How must I continue on without the other piece of me, the other fiber of my being? I stayed out on the ship deck well into the cold hours of the night, squinting in the shadows of the dark, searching for your silhouette among the empty void of the night. The only company being my own thoughts, I quickly threw myself into despair. What were the true consequences of throwing myself off of the ship, closer to home? I would have given anything, my own self, my own livelihood, to postpone leaving you for an unknown future.

It was then that He came to me in that dark place. He who died for my sins, who guides my morals, who promises a good life. God appeared in my mind, swirling throughout the darkness of the ship. Our Father was there, showing me that I was making the right choice by traveling to the New World. He would be watching both of us. He wouldn’t let anything happen to us before the day we meet again. He showed his presence. An epiphany arose: I must honor His wishes with my future in the New World. As He bade goodbye, I took one last final look outside of the deck and the Old World, with my love in it, and turned away.

With His words fresh in my mind, the dire circumstances of the ship seemed only Him

testing my patience. I prayed for the future of our group, for the future of our life together, for the safe travels we both hope to have. I prayed for the sick to get better, for the dire circumstances in worlds both New and Old to get better. I prayed and prayed, using the spirit of Our Father to guide our journey to the new world. He puts His hardest battles on those He believes in, meaning He knows that we are working incredibly hard to honor His legacy. Although we faced rocky travels, sickness and disease, emotional instability, and hardships regarding survival materials, we pushed through because we had God on our side.

Once we saw land, I felt His presence immediately. The lush forest of His creation greeted us along a rocky coastline. Cheers erupted, prayers started, tears streamed. The moment of humanity created after an uncertain journey showed the work of Him.

The days of rejoicement commenced along with the methods for survival. We should be grateful to God for providing us with leaders of His work to guide our lives. Quickly, notions were passed to divide land and cattle, designate defense, create modes of tax, and build our new lives under his guidance. I will forever be indebted to these workers of God who have grown stable lives for each of us.

For the future, I have many hopes. I hope for the prosperity of my family in a new place. My father has goals of establishing the name into the New World through a farming enterprise. They hope that my brothers will continue on the family name with pride. For us girls, they hope for us to dedicate our lives to God thanks to His kindness in giving us this new life to live. My parents plan for each of us to settle down and marry, which I cannot do without you. They hope to build a home in which their children and grandchildren can live and succeed forevermore.

Without the work of God, we would again be persecuted for our devotion to Him, making us misplaced within the society of the Old World.

The main hope I have for the newfound freedom the New World has given me is for

happiness. The idea of happiness comes from God and His work in creating the lives we have today. I know that my own personal happiness may fluctuate from time to time and from day to day, but I hope that wherever life takes me, I will be happy doing it. I want to be with you in a place we can both be free for God’s eyes. He wants the best for us, and it is this happiness that I have found to be the most valuable piece the New World has to teach us.

All I think about is God bringing us together once again. It is unfair that the Old World

limits the work of Our Father; however, I cannot hate those who have not had God touching their lives. They don’t know the power He brings about, the new opportunity He provides, the prosperity He endures. I was once terrified to leave you, to come to a new, unknown place without guidance from Him directly. I have since learned that this land is what matters, the chance to make a new, happier life for myself. I eagerly await the day I will see the crest of your ship break the sea’s horizon, knowing that we can be happy together forevermore.

Your one and only,

Aubrey Birdsell

Aubrey will share her essay with the Society at its Annual Meeting on April 25, 2026. Congatulations, Aubrey!