The Starfish Scholarship

A popular story adapted from Loren Eiseley’s essay, The Star Thrower highlights the power one person’s efforts can make. The story tells of a young girl who was walking along a beach throwing beached starfish back into the ocean. A man comes up to the girl and says she is wasting her time, as she couldn’t possibly help all of the starfish that found themselves beached. After a short moment, the girl picks up and throws another starfish back into the sea and says “I made a difference to that one.” The man is inspired to join the girl in her efforts, which ultimately has a ripple effect on others nearby who help save every last starfish on the beach.

This story is a metaphor for the power one person’s actions can have in affecting significant change in the world. It is easy to think that one person can’t make a difference, so why even try? Our team at Whetstone Perkins & Fulda, LLC understands the message behind the starfish’s tale, and that is why we are offering The Starfish Scholarship.

The Starfish Scholarship will be available to high school seniors and current college students who best answer what social justice means to them. Our goal is to encourage students to think about what social justice is and how their actions can have an impact on the world around them. The student who shares the most thoughtful and well-written response will receive a $1,000 scholarship to help pay for their continued education. To learn what is required of applicants when applying for this scholarship opportunity, please review the eligibility and application requirements below.

Eligibility

• The Starfish Scholarship is open to high school seniors, college students, or graduate students who are legal residents of the United States. The applicant must currently reside in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia.
• The applicant must be enrolled in a post-secondary institution for the Fall 2025 semester.
• Employees of Whetstone Perkins & Fulda, LLC, their immediate families (parent, child, sibling, and spouse), and persons living in the same households (whether related or not), are not eligible to apply for this scholarship.
• Applicants should have a current minimum GPA of 3.0, and be in good overall academic standing.

Application Requirements

• The applicant must submit a 750-1,000-word essay answering the following question: What does social justice mean to you?
• The applicant must submit their resumé that includes academic and professional experience, as well as up-to-date contact information. Please include both your current school and your upcoming school (if applicable) as your educational experience. Applicants who do not indicate their enrollment in a post-secondary educational institution for the Fall 2025 academic year will not be considered.
• The applicant must submit a transcript from their current school. First-year college students or individuals who have recently transferred schools may submit an unofficial transcript from their current school in addition to a recent official transcript from their prior school. High school students are also asked to submit proof of acceptance to their college or university.

To learn more about our past Starfish Scholarship recipients, please see the winner’s page here.

Deadline

The official deadline for all application materials is October 31, 2025. Applications received after this date will not be considered.

Additionally, application processing may take a few minutes. Please only click submit once to avoid double entry and allow time for the form to process. For all scholarship-related inquiries, please use this Contact Form. We are unable to answer scholarship questions by phone, email or through any other contact forms listed on this website.