Everybody dreams of traveling to the hidden gems of the world and jumping into new and exciting cultures, and for Bearden senior Lilly Sitver, that dream came true.

With the help of the Awesome Adam Adventures scholarship, worth $1,000, Sitver was able to travel to Israel for the ILSI 2018, or the International Leadership Seminar in Israel, through an organization called BBYO Inc.

“[ILSI 2018] is a three week trip through BBYO Inc., the largest Jewish youth group movement in the world, spanning over 46 years and built upon 94 years of tradition,” Sitver said. “It’s purposely for Jewish rising seniors around the world to dive into the rich Israeli culture with new best friends from around the world.”

The scholarship is in memory of Adam Wise, a class of 2011 Bearden student who passed away in a car wreck the summer before his senior year. The Wise family wanted the scholarship to celebrate Adam’s joy, love of life, and passion for unique adventures.

“It’s something no family should ever have to face, but to turn a light around on this situation, Adam’s family decided to turn his college fund into this scholarship,” Sitver said. “Therefore, students at Bearden would have more opportunities to go travel to the hidden corners of the world, participate in a leadership program, go to a youth group camp, or anything else.”

Honored to have won, Sitver was inspired by Wise and his family’s love for people and chose to use her scholarship money to learn more about her culture and explore her roots.

“[In Israel I enjoyed] river rafting down the Jordan River, camping at the Bedouin Tents in the Negev Desert and Sea of Galilee, going to the Haaretz Newspaper Headquarters, hiking Masada, touring the streets of the Old City of Jerusalem, visiting the Dead Sea, and training at the Tel Aviv Beaches with the Israeli Defense Force,” Sitver said.

The Awesome Adam scholarship and what it represents has gained appreciation among Bearden students for carrying on the spirit of Wise by providing rising seniors with an opportunity to truly treasure life and experiences. For Sitver, that adventure was 6,337 miles away in Israel.

Any students, 16 years or older and with a 3.0 GPA, who are interested in applying for the scholarship, can stop by the College and Career Center and pick up an application.