About Us

The Hendrick Academy of Honor is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt foundation was created in 1991 for the specific purpose of providing college scholarships for local high school graduates who have experienced and overcome adversity. The founding members wanted to offer a scholarship that would use different criteria for eligibility than is typically used for scholarships. Therefore, along with having demonstrated desire to attend college and financial need, the primary criteria for eligibility is that the student has experienced significant adversity.

Our scholarship students need help with funding their college education as well as emotional encouragement to reach their educational and life potential. Hendrick scholarships pay for tuition, fees, and books as well as offering support with issues such as transportation, employment, or housing. Because of the nurturing needed by most of the students, continued involvement and mentoring occurs throughout their time in college. For example, redirection is often needed when they have been sidetracked by financial distress or upheaval in their family relationships, whether it be from divorce, parental death, or abuse.

Each Hendrick Scholarship student has a unique life story. Their circumstances range from being a young, unmarried mother striving to be able to earn a living for herself and her child, or being a student whose family has fled a war-torn home country. Or, a recipient may come from a family that has dissolved relations with one parent who may be no longer present, leaving the remaining parent struggling to provide for the family. Often the student may have been reared by a poor relative who is unable to help with college expenses. Most of the time, students experience multiple difficult factors in their lives. Despite these and countless other hurdles, these young people have persevered to complete high school and want to continue their education.

Almost all of our students are "first generation" college students, meaning they are the first ones in their families to ever attend college. They therefore have no prior knowledge of the requirements of the processes and procedures typically involved with being a college student. We often hear these students say that they willingly bear the responsibility of being the role model for their siblings and friends.

In addition to the Hendrick Board and other volunteers, several community organizations have been involved by hosting fund raisers or providing gifts at certain times of the year. For example, it has become a tradition for the Plano Sunshine Rotary and the Man to Man Ministry, to provide gifts to students during the holiday season.

We encourage individuals and organizations to partner with us in this effort; there are increasing numbers of students with such need and we cannot meet their requests for assistance on our own. Hendrick is supported by contributions from individual donors and by ticket sales from fundraisers.

To date, the Foundation has offered scholarships to students from the Plano school district. As the Foundation is able to grow, we are planning to expand into the entire Collin County area in order to meet the growing needs of our communities. We encourage members of the community to join us in this much needed service. Help us to be the difference as to whether or not deserving and qualifying students have access to a college education.