Our Scholarship Recipients: Three Years of Play Hard, Have Fun, Same Team

Every year, we gather as a community to celebrate something meaningful: young athletes who remind us why Bag dedicated so much of his life to coaching. Since our first awards in 2023, the Captain John "Bag" Hefti Memorial Scholarship has honored student-athletes across Virginia Beach who live by the values Bag carried through everything he did.

Each recipient receives an $8,000 scholarship, renewable at $2,000 per year over four years of college. To date, Bag's Buddies has awarded over $100,000 in total scholarships to Virginia Beach student-athletes.

Here are the remarkable young people who have earned this honor.

2025 Scholarship Winners

Jordan -- First Colonial High School

Jordan is the kind of student-athlete who excels at everything and still finds ways to give back. The Salutatorian of First Colonial's graduating class, Jordan is also a UVA Book Award recipient and NMSI Scholarship winner with straight A's across the board.

Beyond academics, Jordan is a leader on the club volleyball team and a passionate advocate for food allergy awareness in the community. That combination of academic excellence, athletic leadership, and commitment to helping others is exactly what Bag modeled throughout his life.

Caelan -- Woodbridge High School

Caelan is the 2025 Valedictorian at Woodbridge High School and a participant in Unified Sports, a program that pairs students with and without intellectual disabilities as teammates. That commitment to inclusion -- making sure everyone belongs on the team -- is Same Team in action.

Caelan plans to study special education at Longwood University, turning that dedication to inclusion into a career spent lifting others up.

2025 Finalists

We also want to recognize the outstanding finalists who made this year's selection incredibly difficult: Darius (Cox High School), Ian (Kellam High School), Taylor (Woodbridge High School), and Bryce (Woodbridge High School). Every one of them demonstrated the Play Hard, Have Fun, Same Team spirit, and we are proud to have them as part of the Bag's Buddies community.

2024 Scholarship Winners

Jake -- Cox High School

Jake graduated Summa Cum Laude from Cox High School while competing as a three-sport varsity athlete. As lacrosse team captain, he earned first team All Region honors and led his teammates with the kind of quiet, steady leadership Bag was known for.

Jake now studies biomedical engineering at the University of Virginia, carrying his work ethic and team-first mentality into one of the most demanding programs in the state.

Ian -- Woodbridge High School

Ian is a multi-sport athlete and Eagle Scout whose commitment to service runs deep. Earning Eagle Scout requires hundreds of hours of community leadership -- the kind of dedication that reflects Bag's belief that showing up for others is what matters most.

Ian is currently studying at Northern Virginia Community College, pursuing construction management and welding, building skills that will let him keep building things -- and communities -- for years to come.

2023 Scholarship Winners

Tyler -- First Colonial High School

Tyler graduated at the top of his class at First Colonial High School and earned All State honors in wrestling, finishing 5th in Virginia's state rankings. That combination of academic and athletic excellence speaks to the Play Hard side of Bag's values -- giving everything you have, in every arena.

Tyler now studies pre-law at the University of Virginia, where that same competitive drive and discipline serve him well.

Nathan -- Woodbridge High School

Nathan is a five-sport varsity athlete and Eagle Scout, a combination that speaks volumes about his energy, commitment, and love of competition. Playing five varsity sports means showing up for teammates across every season, embodying Same Team in its truest form.

Nathan now studies aerospace engineering at the Florida Institute of Technology, reaching for the kind of ambitious goals Bag would have cheered the loudest for.

What Our Recipients Have in Common

Looking across three years of scholars, a few themes stand out:

They show up for others. Whether it is Unified Sports, food allergy advocacy, Eagle Scout projects, or team leadership, every recipient finds ways to lift the people around them.

They pursue excellence without losing themselves. Valedictorians and Summa Cum Laude graduates who also captain teams and serve their communities. They bring everything they have to everything they do.

They look beyond the field. These scholars connect athletics to something larger -- inclusion, service, leadership, and making their communities stronger.

That is what Captain John "Bag" Hefti modeled. That is what we look for. That is what we have found, year after year.

Celebrating at Bag's Big Bash

Our scholarship recipients are honored each year at Bag's Big Bash, where family, friends, and community members gather to celebrate their achievements and keep Bag's spirit alive.

The evening is always filled with laughter, connection, and the kind of warmth that only happens when people who share values come together. It is exactly the kind of gathering Bag would have loved.

Learn more about Bag's Big Bash

Thank You to Our Donors

These scholarships exist because of you. Every donation to Bag's Buddies -- whether large or small -- goes directly toward supporting Virginia Beach student-athletes who embody Play Hard, Have Fun, Same Team.

Your generosity has made over $100,000 in scholarships possible. That is life-changing support for students like Jordan, Caelan, Jake, Ian, Tyler, and Nathan.

Make a gift to support future scholarships

To Every Applicant

To every student who has applied for a Bag's Buddies scholarship: we see you. We read every essay, consider every recommendation, and are moved by your stories.

Whether or not you received a scholarship, you represent the best of Virginia Beach. Your dedication inspires us. Keep playing hard, having fun, and remembering that we are all on the same team.

Apply for 2026

Are you a graduating senior at one of our participating partner high schools in Virginia Beach? Applications for the 2026 Captain John "Bag" Hefti Memorial Scholarship are open. Apply online or visit our Scholarships page for the full list of partner schools and eligibility requirements.

Read our complete application guide

Questions? Contact us -- we are always happy to help.

Congratulations to all of our scholarship recipients. We cannot wait to see where your journeys take you.

Play Hard, Have Fun, Same Team.