Sometimes, by doing the ordinary, people have extraordinary impact on others. The most recent winners of the Regions Riding Forward® Scholarship Contest highlight those inspiring stories from the people who have helped motivate them toward achieving their dreams.
Regions is awarding four scholarship prizes for each quarter of 2025, and each winning student will receive a check in the amount of $8,000 made out to their designated accredited college.
The Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest provides opportunities for students to help them further their education. The contest invites eligible high school and college students to submit a video essay or traditional written essay on someone they know in their community who has inspired them and helped them build the confidence to achieve their goals.
- The 2025 Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest consists of four (4) separate quarterly contests.
- For each quarterly contest, eligible entries are grouped according to form of entry (written essay or video essay) and judged by a panel of independent, qualified judges.
- A total of four (4) quarterly contest scholarship prizes are awarded in each quarterly contest, consisting of two (2) prizes for the written essay group and two (2) prizes for the video essay group.
- Regions promotes the scholarship contest throughout the year and students may submit an entry in each quarterly contest.
Contest winners from the second quarter of 2025 and the individuals they highlighted in their award-winning submissions include (follow links to read/watch their submissions):
- Ethan Wiggins – Kymberly Wiggins (his mother) is the definition of resilience and purpose. She turns challenges into opportunities, balancing multiple jobs while running her own business to teach teamwork and collaboration. Beyond her professional success, she is the foundation of her family – a mentor, provider and unwavering source of strength. Her example shaped her child’s confidence and achievements, proving that persistence builds power. He credits every honor and milestone as a reflection of her sacrifice and love, making her influence both profound and lasting.
- Lucy Moore – Laurabeth West (Lucy’s aunt) exemplifies passion, drive, and dedication. A lifelong mentor and nurse practitioner, she has inspired others through her relentless pursuit of excellence, earning multiple degrees while working demanding jobs, building her own clinic, and overcoming leukemia without losing focus on her goals. Her passion for life and care for others shines through in every role she holds, from cheering at school events to supporting patients and family. Laurabeth’s resilience and determination serve as a powerful example that perseverance conquers obstacles, motivating those around her to pursue their dreams with confidence and purpose.
- Nailah Goldsby – Nailah Goldsby credits her former manager, Imani Thompson, as a transformative mentor who turned a difficult first job into a life-changing experience. At just 25, Imani revitalized a failing store through strong leadership while guiding Nailah with advice and encouragement. Her resilience – navigating college alone, overcoming industry rejection, and breaking barriers as a Black woman in film – became a blueprint for Nailah’s own ambitions. Imani’s support extended beyond work, lifting Nailah during personal struggles and inspiring her to pursue a career in media with confidence. Today, Nailah is thriving as a film and media major, gaining production experience and chasing bold goals, all rooted in Imani’s message: “Make a name for yourself.”
- Santana Pina – Santana Pina grew up watching her mother turn vision into reality, building a business from nothing with resilience, integrity and faith. As a single mother, she modeled leadership and perseverance, teaching Santana that success is earned, not given. Those lessons shaped Santana’s own path – leading statewide initiatives, winning national business competitions, interning on congressional campaigns, and advocating for change. Her mother’s example taught her to see her identity as a strength and to enter every space with purpose. Today, Santana is laying the foundation for her future, guided by the blueprint of ambition and grace her mother created.
To learn more about the Riding Forward Scholarship, visit www.regions.com/ridingforward.
See full contest rules for complete details, including eligibility and written essay and video essay requirements.
See a list of previous winners and their winning submissions on Doing More Today.
If you know of a young person – in college or headed that way – please share this information with them and with the guidance counselor at their school.
The Regions Riding Forward Scholarship contest has awarded over $1.5 million in educational assistance to more than 400 students over the past 13 years.