2023 Scholarship Winner — Bryn Barlog
In alignment with Corey’s character and community impact, and made possible by the generous contributions of family, friends, and members of the local community, the seventh annual Hoody Memorial Scholarship has been awarded to Lakota West Senior, Bryn Barlog.
Bryn, daughter of Heather and Dave Barlog, is an accomplished student athlete. Having suffered an injury during her sophomore year which kept her sidelined for almost two years, Bryn fought through adversity to return to the pitch for her senior campaign and has since committed to continuing her athletic career at the collegiate level. She has been described as “a focused, determined, and independent young woman” and someone “who is not afraid of taking on a difficult challenge, working through discomfort and achieving an end goal”. Following the loss of her father to ALS, Bryn channeled her grief into strength by committing herself to hard work and effort, never taking anything for granted, and overcoming all odds to find success.
This fall, Bryn will be a student athlete at Indiana University at South Bend where she will be majoring in Biology while playing soccer. After college, she plans on attending dental school with hopes of becoming a dentist or orthodontist. Upon review of her application, the scholarship committee was unanimously impressed with Bryn’s character, resilience, and inspiring optimism as she overcame unimaginable obstacles to achieve personal growth and success.
In her own words….
“I have learned throughout my life that I want to help people. I want to be the person that impacts lives the way Corey has to so many. Losing someone so special creates unbearable pain, but I found a way to make my pain part of my purpose”