Nomination Guidelines

Eligibility For Nominee

• Must be enrolled as a senior at--or affiliated with--a Nebraska high school during the 2025-2026 academic year and must be planning to attend college in the U.S. in fall 2026.

• Required to attend D.J.'s Hero Awards Luncheon in Omaha (hotel accommodations will be provided for all scholarship winners and their parents or chaperones).

• Required to work with a free TeamMates+ mentor during their undergraduate experience and/or have a mentor to be able to connect with and they must be willing to communicate with The Salvation Army (Must be approved by The Salvation Army)

• Participate in ongoing research about the impact of the scholarship.

• Required to attend Behavioral Health Awareness training with the Kim Foundation

Eligibility For Nominator

• Must be an adult (age 21 or older).

• Must not be related to the nominee.

• Should have a direct connection with nominee (e.g., teacher, counselor, coach, administrator, pastor, mentor, employer, leader of a community organization).

*Nominators are highly encouraged to nominate more than one student.

Submission Information

PLEASE NOTE:  An application will only be considered complete when both of the following steps have been completed:

1. You have submitted your Nominee Form.
2. Your nominator has submitted their Nominator Form.

Both forms must be submitted in order for your application to be considered complete.

Deadline: Wednesday, February 25, 2026

• Submissions are due no later than Wed., February 25 via the forms below

• Please call (402) 898-7691 or email Pam at Pamela.Varela-Haros@usc.salvationarmy.org with questions regarding the submission process.

• Submissions must be made online as detailed above; printed-out or mailed-in submissions will not be accepted.

Scholarship Nominator Form

High School seniors, please click the button below to start your application.

Scholarship Nominee Application

D.J.’s Hero Awards Timeline

• February 25, 2026 – Deadline for submission of all nomination materials.
• Week of April 7 – Scholarship winners are informed.
• April 28, 2026 – Scholarships are officially awarded at D.J.’s Hero Awards Luncheon in Omaha

Scholarship Details

A minimum of 16 scholarships will be awarded.  Each scholarship is worth $12,000 and will be disbursed at the rate of $3,000 annually (up to four years). 

• •  
• Ten $12,000 D.J.’s Hero Scholarships are underwritten by David and Peggy Sokol in loving memory of their son, D.J. The awards recognize Nebraska high school seniors who exemplify perseverance and selflessness and who are servant-leaders in their communities.
   
• The $12,000 D.J.’s Hero Teresa Hunzeker Memorial Scholarship recognizes a student who demonstrates perseverance and service to the community, and who plans to pursue STEM (science, technology, engineering or math) studies in college. The scholarship honors the life of Teresa Hunzeker, who passed away in 2018.
   
• The $12,000 D.J’s Hero Kim Courtnage Memorial Scholarship is awarded in loving memory of Larry and Kathy Courtnage’s daughter. This scholarship will be given to a student who plans to enter the behavioral health field or who has been personally impacted in some way by mental illness or suicide. The Kim Foundation will provide all new D.J.’s Hero Award winners with Behavioral Health Awareness training, annually, either in person or via a required online training module.
   
• The $12,000 D.J.’s Hero Charles Schroer Memorial Scholarship is in loving memory of Jim and Marilyn Schroer’s son, Charles. This scholarship will be awarded to a student who shows determination and generosity.
   
• A minimum of one $12,000 D.J.’s Hero Awards Scholarship will be funded by The Salvation Army.