As a small town in Arizona, around 100,000 people call Buckeye, Arizona, home. Among those people is Joshua Bunnell, a senior at Youngker High School, graduating this spring as part of the Class of 2023. Not only is Josh 1 of 100,000, but he is also one of 20 students selected this year to be a Flinn Scholar. This prestigious scholarship award covers the cost of attending any public Arizona University and welcomes you as part of the Flinn Foundation.
“I’m super proud to be a Flinn Scholar and excited for the opportunities and people I get to meet as part of this,” Josh said.
Josh is Youngker High’s first Flinn Scholar, and he wears that badge with honor. He credits many of those around him for the support along the way. One person mentioned was his GEAR UP Coach, Denise El Habach, who introduced him to the opportunity and encouraged him to apply.
“Mrs. El Habach has been like the biggest supporter the whole way through success and failures. She was right there. But the biggest thing is that she’ll give me just as much attention as somebody who doesn’t plan on going to college or doesn’t know what they want to do,” Josh boasted about his GEAR UP Coach.
Josh’s success story highlights the importance of hard work, dedication, and risk-taking. He plans on attending Arizona State University in the Fall, where he will be a part of their honors college, and hopes to study some form of engineering.