May 5, 2026
The Pulte Family Charitable Foundation is pleased to announce the category finalists for the Inspired By Their Stories Award.
Category finalists will be announced April 27–30, with one category announced each day:
Five finalists have been selected in each category. Public engagement and voting over the next week will help inform the winning story in each category.
Empowering Families Through Education
At Folds of Honor, we believe the families of America’s heroes should never be left to carry the burden of sacrifice alone. Our mission is to provide educational scholarships to the spouses and children of fallen or disabled service members and first responders. When a service member or first responder is killed or disabled in the line of duty, the impact extends far beyond that moment. Families are left navigating grief, financial uncertainty, and the challenge of rebuilding their futures.
Education can be one of the most powerful tools for restoring hope and opportunity. Since 2007, Folds of Honor has awarded more than 73,000 scholarships totaling over $340 million in educational support to families across the country. These scholarships support students pursuing higher education, trade programs, and K through 12 education. Behind every scholarship is a student determined to build a future that honors the sacrifice of the hero who served their country and community.
Ashlyn Dujanovic is one of those students. Ashlyn is the daughter of United States Army Sergeant First Class Johnathan B. McCain, who was killed in action during his third deployment when an improvised explosive device detonated while his unit was on patrol. He was a decorated soldier who served his country with courage and humility, earning multiple honors including a Purple Heart.
After losing her father, Ashlyn carried forward his legacy through determination and service. With the support of a Folds of Honor scholarship, she attended the University of Central Florida, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in theatre. Today, she is pursuing a career in acting and film while working for Walt Disney World’s Theme Parks Entertainment.
Ashlyn has also dedicated her time to mentoring children who have lost a parent in military service. Through the Folds of Honor Speakers Bureau, she shares her story and works to help other families find strength and purpose after loss. Her journey reflects the resilience of the families we serve and the lasting impact educational opportunity can provide.
Stories like Ashlyn’s highlight the growing need for scholarships. For the 2025 to 2026 academic year, Folds of Honor received more than 22,000 qualified scholarship applications from families nationwide. While thousands of students received scholarships, thousands more remain unfunded due to limited resources.
Folds of Honor exists to ensure these sacrifices are never forgotten. By investing in education, we provide stability, opportunity, and a pathway forward for families rebuilding after profound loss. We are equally committed to responsible stewardship. A total of 91% of every dollar we spend supports our scholarship program.
At its core, our work is about honoring sacrifice with opportunity. Every scholarship tells a story of resilience, hope, and a nation that stands beside the families of its heroes.
Expanding Access to Education for Girls
Growing up in a mud hut in South Sudan, Vina witnessed loss early and often. Even the most basic medical care was out of reach. She watched women in her village die in childbirth—tragically common in a country with the world’s highest maternal mortality rate. One day, after witnessing such a loss, she made a quiet resolve: she would become a nurse and serve her community.
But in South Sudan, that path is rarely open to girls. A girl is more likely to die before age five than to finish primary school, and more than half are forced into marriage as children.
Vina’s mother, who never attended school, worked day and night to keep her daughter in primary school. She believed education could change Vina’s future and allow her to help support her six younger siblings.
Vina attended St. Bakhita Girls’ Primary School, the only all-girl primary school in the country. Supported by Mercy Beyond Borders (MBB), the school offers more than education. Now with a nurse, IT teacher, dorm, and computer lab, it has become a safe place for more than 1,000 girls–many escaping forced marriages.
Vina excelled in primary school, but when she finished, there was no clear path forward—until she was awarded a scholarship from MBB to high school and then nursing school.
Through MBB’s case-management model—combining scholarships, counseling, tutoring, home visits and leadership training—Vina persevered in the face of unimaginable challenges. Her primary school was bombed twice. She lived through years of civil war. In nursing school, two of her classmates were killed by armed rebels.
Against all odds, Vina completed her nursing degree—part of the 97% of MBB-supported Scholars who complete higher education, and among the 87% who gain employment or continue with further study. Across South Sudan, few girls graduate from primary school—let alone go on to high school and beyond.
After graduation, she returned to her rural village as a qualified nurse.
She now works at a local clinic, seeing up to 100 patients a day. During the rainy season, she walks for three hours to reach the clinic. Through her care and daily health education, she has witnessed a reduction of preventable deaths in her community.
She also gives back. Vina tutors younger students, serves as Chairlady of the PTA at her former high school, and leads the MBB alumnae network in her region. In a culture where girls are still valued less than cattle, she educates her community about the benefits of educating girls.
“Because educating a girl is like educating the whole world,” she shared.
Now a mother, Vina will prioritize education for her own daughter, breaking the intergenerational cycle of extreme poverty.
Vina is one of over 100 young women in South Sudan who have completed higher education through MBB. They are improving their communities as nurses, teachers, social workers, and more. Thousands more are following behind her.
The accompanying video shares Vina’s story, completely unscripted. Learn more at www.mercybeyondborders.org
Building Pathways Through Community Learning
Nicole was twelve when she first visited a small lending library in her community in Tola, Nicaragua. Like all the children she grew up with, she had never owned a book of her own or heard one read aloud. Books were expensive and access to them limited. As a result, many children in Nicole’s community lack foundational reading skills and struggle to keep up in school, putting them at risk of leaving school early.
The library took shape when a small group of visitors witnessed a simple reality: children had no books. So, they started bringing Spanish-language books for children, carried in suitcases, to share with families. What began as a small lending library in a daycare utility closet slowly became something new for the community, a place where books were shared, borrowed, and returned. People walked miles to hear stories read aloud. Grandparents came with their grandchildren. Mothers began gathering to read together.
Children began spending entire afternoons at the little library because they had nowhere else to go after school for learning support. Over time, that library grew into something much larger, CREA, the Nicaraguan Education Resource Center, and our work grew to meet the children’s needs. When not all children could reach our Library + Learning Center, CREA brought our programs to them, expanding from a few nearby sites into an outreach network serving 22 rural communities.
Together, CREA’s Library + Learning Center and outreach sites support children and youth at every stage—from babies just beginning to engage with books to students pursuing university degrees. Young children are introduced to books and language through read-alouds and family-centered programs. As they move through school, students receive small-group support to strengthen reading, writing, and math, helping them stay engaged in school. Older students explore the arts, STEM, and future pathways, gaining skills that expand what is possible for their lives. Families and teachers report measurable gains in reading
levels along with stronger academic skills, increased motivation, more consistent attendance, and higher graduation rates. As results have become visible, more families are asking CREA to come to their communities.
Nearly all CREA’s forty staff members come from the communities we serve. They are not only educators, but also mentors, neighbors, and role models—people who understand the challenges and possibilities firsthand and help students imagine new possibilities for themselves.
Nicole is now studying architecture at university and is one of over forty CREA scholarship recipients, nearly all the first in their families to finish school and pursue higher education. When a student like Nicole reaches university, it changes her life and shifts what her family and her community believes is possible and what younger students at CREA begin to imagine for themselves. Her path from that little library to a university drafting table shows how change can take root and grow over time.
Ten years ago, there were a few books and a simple idea. Today, more than 2,000 children and young people are building skills, pursuing their education, and expanding what is possible for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Opening Doors to Higher Education
For so many of us, there is an eager high school student in our lives. A bright, motivated young person who has big dreams for their future. Maybe they are following in the legacy footsteps of their parents or older siblings, or maybe they are charting a new generational path in their family. Regardless, they carry a drive that can propel them toward a future they dare to imagine. But the hidden truth is that for every student whose dreams are set to become reality, there is a student with undiscovered talent, a student who lacks the resources and support that can fuel that drive. And said best by social entrepreneur Leila Janah, “Talent is universal, but opportunity is not.”
Our mission at Path to College is to expand minds and ignite potential. We envision a world where genius, leadership, and excellence are cultivated in the most overlooked students in our community. Founded in 2017, Path to College is dedicated to serving high‐achieving, underestimated students attending Title I schools in Palm Beach County. Our signature program encompasses a three‐year Academic Fellowship with individualized advising, intensive SAT prep, weekly one‐to‐one mentorship, and college/career readiness experiences. To date, 100% of our Fellows have been accepted into college, with 70% receiving full-ride scholarships, and 60% being accepted at top-tier universities. Beyond the Fellowship, Path to College delivers after‐school programming, mentor meet‐ups, FAFSA financial‐aid nights, alumni study halls, and weekend intensives that normalize college‐going and connects students to high‐growth career pathways. Opening later this year, Catapult Youth Mentoring Center will serve as a welcoming “third space” that increases youth access to advising, mentoring, and career exposure, expanding our programmatic reach across Palm Beach County.
Annual Impact of Path to College
– Academic Fellows = 100
– StudentsCommunity Programs = 1,000 Students
– Catapult Youth Mentoring Center (Coming Soon!) = 3,000+ Students
One student who exemplifies that the key to achieving one’s dreams is a combination of ambition, hard work and determination is Daniel Tovar, Salutatorian, LWHS 2025.
“Growing up, college was always the objective; however, the harsh reality of our financial situation made it seem like a far-gone dream. I knew I would have to work ten times as hard to be able to achieve this. My determination was invigorating yet something was missing. That was until I found out about Path to College and the support they provided. I was given a mentor that invoked direction and inspiration in me. I was given test preparation that propelled me to surpass my expectations. I was given networking opportunities that opened doorways I had never imagined before. I honestly don’t know if I would’ve gone as far as I did if it wasn’t for Path to College. Thanks to their support, I’m able to go to college for free and pursue my dream of becoming an environmental engineer. That harsh reality turned into my strength and my dreams are now finally coming true.” – Daniel Tovar
Supporting Students for Lifelong Success
The Children’s Home Society of Florida (CHS) exists to support children, teens, and families who are navigating moments of vulnerability and transition. Through prevention, intervention, and empowerment, CHS serves young people who face economic instability, limited access to opportunity, and the challenges of entering adulthood without strong systems of support. The CHS mentoring programs are one powerful response to these challenges, offering guidance, stability, and encouragement at a pivotal time in a young person’s life.
CHS Mentoring Programs addresses a critical need for young adults who are preparing to enter the workforce while managing personal, academic, and financial pressures. Many of the youth served have not had consistent access to adult role models who can provide career guidance, accountability, and emotional support. Without mentorship, these young people may struggle to envision pathways to success or feel confident navigating professional spaces. CHS Mentoring programs responds by pairing participants with caring mentors who help bridge that gap—offering not just practical skills, but belief in their potential.
The mentorship relationship between Riayona and Amy exemplifies the heart of this work. Their story highlights how consistent, trust‐based mentoring can create meaningful change. Amy’s role as a mentor goes beyond resume reviews or career advice; she shows up as a dependable presence who listens, encourages, and challenges Riayona to grow. Through their connection, Riayona gains confidence, clarity, and a stronger sense of direction. The program creates space for honest conversations about goals, setbacks, and possibilities, allowing participants like Riayona to feel seen and supported as they take steps toward independence.
The impact of the CHS Mentoring program is evident not only in individual outcomes, but in the confidence and resilience it cultivates. Participants develop workplace readiness skills, stronger self‐advocacy, and an understanding that they are capable of achieving their goals. Mentorship helps young adults normalize asking for help, building professional relationships, and planning for their futures. These are skills that extend far beyond the program and influence lifelong success.
This work matters because mentorship changes trajectories. When young people are met with consistency, care, and high expectations, they begin to see new possibilities for themselves. Ready to Earn demonstrates that opportunity is not just about access to resources—it is about relationships. By investing in mentoring relationships like the one between Riayona and Amy, the Children’s Home Society of Florida helps ensure that young adults are not navigating adulthood alone, but with guidance, dignity, and hope for what comes next.
Pulte Family Charitable Foundation
Pulte Family Charitable Foundation
