Aspiring educator and BHS senior Griffin Behnke became a finalist for the Golden Apple Scholarship in late December 2025. Created for future educators, Michigan’s Golden Apple Scholarship is designed to “support and prepare future teachers for immediate and lasting success in the most challenging teaching environments,” according to GoldenApple.org. The organization is determined to limit teacher shortages with a scholarship of up to fifteen thousand dollars.
“Mrs. Boulas and a counselor told me about it and I did some research about what it entailed,” says Griffin, when asked what piqued his interest. “It was for a good cause, so I ended up applying on the website.”
Griffin has been a member of the BHS Teacher Cadet program for two years and demonstrated immense dedication and work ethic in his application. “Teaching is a career path that is unique in the sense that you have the opportunity to positively affect kids in their future and their education. No day is the same, and you learn new things as you teach,” says Griffin.
In the future, Griffin plans to teach social studies and math at the high school level, earning his credentials at the University of Michigan or Eastern Michigan University. The Golden Apple Scholarship states that winners are to work at an economically disadvantaged location for a period of time.
“About a month after submitting my application, I received an email that I would move on to the next round and complete a Zoom interview,” Griffin explains. “If I do win, I intend to try to change the format of traditional social studies classrooms. My goal is to incorporate themes of debate and foster a sense of looking past the facts and interpreting history through multiple points of view to gain full understanding rather than just notes.”
With strong devotion to education and learned expertise through Belleville’s Teacher Cadet program, Griffin is well deserving of the Golden Apple Scholarship and its mission to improve educational systems.
