Empowering youth. Cultivating changemakers. Advancing equity.
MISSION
Empowering high-achieving, underserved young leaders to thrive in college and beyond.
VISION
A community of ethical leaders who break barriers to build an equitable society.
OUR CORE VALUES
Authenticity
Every individual’s intersecting identities are respected and celebrated.
All scholars are encouraged to bring their full selves to our spaces; we strive to create and maintain a safe, brave, compassionate, and inclusive community.
Equity
Opportunities that empower underserved students will further our collective pursuit of a more just and humane world.
We acknowledge that we operate within oppressive systems that disproportionately impact our scholars; we strive to intentionally disrupt these systems.
Growth
We are always in the process of becoming; by engaging in lifelong learning and reflection, our community members strive to be the best version of themselves.
Scholars fulfill their personal potential through intentional leadership, mentorship, curiosity, and empowerment.
Integrity
Progress is made through mutual accountability to our shared values and vision for an equitable society.
We strive to remain fair, transparent, and honest in collaboration with community direction and goals.
Recognition
We acknowledge and embrace the stories, experiences, and heritage of our community to appreciate the impact of these histories.
We collectively heal from past trauma as we shape our own futures.
Service
An ongoing commitment to the broader community allows us to contribute to a cycle of support, while advocating for our own care and mental health.
By lifting each other up, we create space and capacity to address community needs and advance future generations.
Unity
Connection through our similarities allows us to appreciate different lived experiences and honors all voices within our community.
We strive to foster community-based leadership through elevating individual strengths.
HISTORY
It all began in 1994 when George Cox, President and Founder of Alexander Hamilton Scholars, was pursuing history books on our founding fathers. He noticed books on Jefferson, Madison, Adams and other founders, but he noticed there weren’t many books on Alexander Hamilton. When he started researching Hamilton more, he felt his contributions were under appreciated. He was inspired by Hamilton’s ability to root every decision in ethical and pragmatic core values.
In 1998, Mr. Cox contacted his good friend and West Point classmate Bill Thomas to talk about how they could carry on Hamilton’s legacy with today’s youth. After much consideration they decided to begin by developing an essay contest in Seattle Area high schools. The essay required students to write 750 words using a current event to emphasize citizenship or explain what citizenship meant to them. Soon it became clear, however, that an essay contest did not do Hamilton’s legacy justice. They wanted to do more to inspire Hamiltonian leadership ideals in today’s youth.
They knew that Hamilton came from a humble background and would not have achieved the things he did without scholarship and mentorship. Mr. Cox realized he saw many students lacking these pieces – the necessary training, skills and monetary resources needed to succeed. His goal was to provide today’s bright students with the same opportunities that Hamilton had received so that they could become leaders of the same character as Hamilton.
With that in mind, The Alexander Hamilton Friends Association was born in 2004. The organization began with one year of programming during the first year of college and Seattle Leader Week. It then expanded during the next several years to include five years of programming, following a student from high school to college and college to career. International Leader Week was the second to be added in 2009, followed by Texas Leader Weekend in 2015 and New York Leader Week in 2017. Over the years, several other components were added, such as periodic check-in calls with students, the amazing Kelly Herrington and Lynell Engelmyer, an in-house mentorship program, and increases to the original $500 award.
In 2015, The Alexander Hamilton Friends Association became today’s Alexander Hamilton Scholars. It has since blossomed into a wrap-around support system for high-achieving, underserved students across the nation, with an alumni network spanning several hundred students from all backgrounds. As the program continues to grow in the coming years, it will continue to stay rooted in the Hamiltonian values that inspired Mr. Cox from the inception.
