Kendall Miltonberger

For ten years, I have learned what it means to trust people with my life.

Cheerleading taught me that trust is not an abstract idea. It is standing at the top of a stunt, letting go, and believing completely in the people beneath you. It is understanding that even the moments that appear to belong to one person are made possible by an entire team—each person steady in their role, attentive to one another, and willing to be responsible for something larger than themselves.

Some of my most meaningful lessons about people, however, have happened far beyond the mat. Exchanging a high five with a Miracle League player rounding third, laughing with friends until we can no longer remember what started it, or watching someone who once stood quietly at the edge of a room find the confidence to step into its center. These moments have shown me how much a person can change when they feel encouraged, included, and genuinely valued.

Through PALS, the Miracle League, and the Accepting Differences Team, I have become increasingly curious about the forces that shape that sense of belonging. What gives someone the confidence to take up space? What makes a community feel genuinely inclusive? And what happens when the systems surrounding us make belonging more difficult for some than for others? I have learned that inclusion is more than extending an invitation; it is creating an environment in which people no longer have to question whether they were meant to be there.

I hope to carry these questions with me to The University of Texas at Austin. As a Social Work major and Forty Acres Scholar, I want to study both the individual experiences and larger systems that shape inequality, then bring that understanding with me to law school and a career in civil rights. I want to approach complex problems with intellectual curiosity and humility—to ask difficult questions, listen when the answers challenge my assumptions, and ultimately turn what I learn into meaningful action.

At the same time, I hope my college experience is defined by more than what can be measured on a resume. I want the late-night conversations that change the way I see the world, the spontaneous plans that become lasting memories, and the friendships that make an unfamiliar place feel like home. I want to learn from people whose experiences differ from mine and contribute to a community in which those differences are not simply acknowledged, but valued.

I do not know exactly where every leap will take me. I only know that I want to keep taking them—with curiosity, courage, and gratitude for the people beside me. And after ten years of learning what it means to be caught, I hope to spend the next chapter of my life becoming someone others can trust when it is their turn to leave the ground.

Major
Social Work

Extracurricular Activities 
Cheerleading, Alpha Chi Omega

What drew you to the Forty Acres Scholars Program?
Beyond the generous scholarship, what really drew me to Forty Acres was the people. I felt a genuine sense of connection and community that I hadn’t found in other school. I love that it brings together such a unique group of people who are ambitious but also genuinely supportive of one another. The idea of making lifelong friendships, learning from people with completely different perspectives, and growing together is what makes Forty Acres feel like so much more than a scholarship to me.