BBB Recognizes Ethical Torch Essay Scholarship Winners in Greater Arizona

Better Business Bureau (BBB), Swiss America and Valley of the Sun Camelback Kiwanis Club proudly awarded five scholarships to high school students for their winning essays on “The Importance of Character and Ethics.” Held annually, the contest encourages students to share a personal experience about doing the right thing when they face an ethical dilemma.

2025 Ethical Torch Essay Scholarship Winners:

• First Place of $1,500: Zachary Preston from Mountain View High School in Mesa
• Second Place of $1,250: Shubdutt Bellamkonda from Mountain Ridge High School in Glendale
• Third Place of $1,000: Reagan Davis from Corona del Sol High School in Tempe
• Fourth Place of $750: Z.P. from Tri-City Prep High School in Prescott
• Fifth Place of $500: Nathan Zermenos from Peoria High School in Peoria

First-place winner Zachary Preston shared the difficult decision of choosing between his friends who were bullying another student or standing up for what was right.

“I decided to stick up for the kid, and despite the pushback, I finally got my friends to walk away. I ended up staying back with the kid being bullied and I couldn’t be happier with my decision. I learned what type of person I wanted to be and what kind of people I wanted to surround myself with,” shared Preston.

Desert Financial Credit Union surprised each student with an additional $1,000 scholarship towards their higher education as part of their random act of kindness in the community.

To learn more about the Ethical Torch Essay Scholarship program and read all of the winning essays, visit torchessay.bbbcommunity.org. Applications for next year’s scholarship will open on January 1, 2026. To learn how businesses can sponsor next year’s scholarship program, email scholarships@bbbcommunity.org for more details.

Value
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About Better Business Bureau Pacific Southwest, Central & Inland California
Better Business Bureau (BBB) has empowered people to find businesses, brands, and charities they can trust for more than 110 years. In 2024, people turned to BBB.org more than 220 million times for BBB Business Profiles on 5.5 million businesses, and 725,000 times for BBB charity reports on 12,000 local and national charities. The International Association of Better Business Bureaus is the umbrella organization for the local, independent BBBs in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Incorporated locally in 1938, BBB Pacific Southwest, Central & Inland California serves Greater Arizona and Southern, Central and Inland California, providing critical tools to ignite success including mentorship, online products, event and meeting spaces. Our objective expertise educates the community on ethical behavior in the marketplace and how businesses can build trust.