Two students with Chandler connections recently were among those announced as major scholarship winners.

Ardyn Schmidtknecht and Zan Saleem both received 2025 Empowering Diversity Scholarship from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona and the Fiesta Sports Foundation, according to a news release.

This year, there are two tracks for the Empowering Diversity Scholarship.

The GED, or general education development, track is open to Arizona residents from underrepresented groups who are age 16 or older. They must be interested in obtaining their GED. Recipients are awarded $500 to cover fees associated with the assessment and additional program support services provided by College Depot.

The post-secondary track is open to students from underrepresented groups living in Arizona, in their senior year of high school or college students attending an Arizona post-secondary institution. Recipients are awarded a $5,000 grant with additional support services provided by Be A Leader Foundation or Education Forward Arizona for their pursuit of higher education.

Schmidtknecht is graduating from Seton Catholic Prep, where she has balanced academics, athletics, work and service while learning the values of discipline, teamwork and perseverance, the release states.

As a student-athlete, Schmidtknecht has committed herself to pushing both her physical and mental limits while representing her school with pride, it states.

Outside of school and swimming, she has volunteered with organizations like the Chandler Service Club, Sunshine Acres Children’s Home and St. Joseph Youth Camp.

“Receiving the Empowering Diversity Scholarship is an incredible honor that will have a lasting impact on my educational journey,” Schmidtknecht stated in the release. “This scholarship ... affirms that my hard work and dedication have been recognized and that I have a community behind me that believes in my potential. I plan to use my education to build a meaningful career and give back to the communities that have shaped me.”

Saleem, a Chandler native and an electrical engineering major at Arizona State University, helps his local community and refugees worldwide through volunteer work and fundraising, the release states.

He plans to gain knowledge to help build better and more sustainable infrastructure for all communities to help create a better and more inclusive society.

“Receiving this scholarship is impactful for me, not just in terms of easing the financial burden of tuition, but also in allowing me to fully commit to my education and long-term career goals,” Saleem stated in the release. “As someone passionate about electrical engineering and sustainable technology, I want to immerse myself in research, hands-on projects and extracurricular opportunities that will help me grow as a student and as an innovator.”

Learn more about the scholarships by clicking here.

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