On a December evening in 2023, Kaeden Hutchens got a phone call that changed his life. He had just finished dinner when the phone rang. The news on the other line left him in shock.
His mom noticed right away. “She looked at me like ‘What’s wrong with you?’” Hutchens remembers.
He hung up, turned to his mom and said, “Thank you.” Confused, she asked why. He smiled and told her, “I got a full ride to St. Ambrose University.”
His mom replied, “I told you.”
Two months earlier, she had pushed her son to go to St. Ambrose University’s Scholars Day. It’s an exclusive event for high school students with a GPA of 3.25 or higher. They’re invited to campus to be recognized for their successes in academics, service to others, and leadership. They interview with university faculty and staff for a chance to win scholarships up to a full-ride for four years.
“I didn’t want to go,” Hutchens recalls. “My mom made me go and I’m glad she did.”
He was nervous about the interview, but that changed the moment he shook hands with his interviewers.
“I walked in there and I could genuinely see they cared about what I had to say. I think that’s what really sold me on this university.”
Hutchens remembers the interview as an easy-flowing conversation. His interviewers asked him about his interests and plans for the future.
The three-sport high school athlete found it easy to share his passion for sports, education, and service. He was especially excited to share about his upcoming service trip to Guatemala.
“I went to an orphanage there and helped with the kids. I got to live there for a month, which was super cool. I got to talk to the kids about what they have gone through and how they got there.”
Two days after returning from Guatemala, Hutchens moved into his residence hall and began football practices.
A month into his St. Ambrose experience, Hutchens knows he has found a place where he belongs.
“All my professors care about what I’m doing outside of class, Hutchens says. “I really value connection, and I definitely found that here."
