Brian Isbell Scholarship

The Brian Isbell Scholarship is presented by the L. D. Bell Band Boosters and the family and friends of Brian Stephen Isbell. Brian graduated from L. D. Bell High School in 1993 and passed away in 2012. Brian’s life was immeasurably influenced by the experiences he gained and the friends he made in the L. D. Bell band program. His family and friends wish to share some of the richness that Brian brought to their lives by offering a financial benefit to a young band participant. The scholarship is open to all L.D. Bell band seniors attending a college or university next year, regardless of the student’s intended major.

The scholarship will be awarded as $2500 to one student based upon the committee’s decision. The possibility of two smaller awards exists at the discretion of the committee. The funds will be submitted directly to a college financial office. The senior(s) will be recognized at the Senior Awards Ceremony in May 2025.

The deadline for all application parts to be received is April 15, 2026. All personal information will be kept
confidential. Only the committee viewing the applications will have access to the information.

To communicate via email, contact ldbellbandscholarship25@gmail.com.

Instructions for Applicant:

(Please read and follow all directions on the entire application.)

1. Send an email to ldbellbandscholarship25@gmail.com to indicate that you intend to submit an application. Send this email from the same email you will use on the application.

2. Please complete the application below using Google docs. Download the application electronically, save a copy with your name as part of the file, and email it back to ldbellbandscholarship25@gmail.com

3. Request letters of recommendation from two adults. One letter is from a L. D. Bell faculty member, and the second letter is from another adult (not a family member) that can speak to your character and leadership outside of school. (This could be an employer, a church leader, a scout leader, etc.) Be sure to give your references plenty of time to complete the letter (at least 1 week) and to thank them for their participation.

For each recommender:
● List the names and phone numbers of each person providing a recommendation in the corresponding portion of
the application (question 17 & 18).
● Send an email from your email address to the person providing the recommendation. Letters from L. D. Bell faculty members must come from a school email address.
● Carbon-copy (cc) on that email the ldbellbandscholarship25@gmail.com email address.
● Include this text in your email, “Please send my letter of recommendation only to the scholarship email address, and not to the student’s email.”
● Include any other important information in the email as needed.
If a recommender does not have an email address, he or she may mail a letter to:
L.D. Bell Band, Isbell Scholarship
P.O. Box 255
Bedford, TX 76095

Letters/emails must be postmarked by 11:59pm on April 15, 2026.

4. Complete the personal response. You may write a short essay or make a video. Email the written response with your application or provide a link to the YouTube upload if you make a video.

5. You will be sent an email confirmation by April 14, 2025 with the portions that have been received. If you do not receive this confirmation, it may mean that your application was not received. It is your responsibility to contact as needed if you have questions.

6. If at any time during the application process you decide that you are no longer interested in applying for the scholarship, please send an email to ldbellbandscholarship25@gmail.com. This will help us keep our records accurate.

Brian Isbell Scholarship Application

Contact Information:

First name

Last name

Phone

Mailing Address

City

State

Zip Code

Name and address of parent(s) or legal guardian(s):

Phone number of parent(s) or legal guardian(s):

Educational Information:

Current High School GPA and class rank:

I will be attending the following school in the fall: (Name, City, and State)

Proof of acceptance may be required before funds are released.

More than one school may be listed if a decision is still pending.

Planned field(s) of study:

Anticipated tuition costs per semester:

List other financial assistance you have been awarded or intend to pursue:

(other scholarships, student loans, etc.)

Activities and honors:

List your academic honors, awards, and membership activities.

Describe your community service activities, hobbies, and extracurricular activities.

Other than class rank or GPA, what motivates you to excel?

Briefly describe your participation in the L. D. Bell band.

Think of another current senior in the L. D. Bell band program that you admire for his/her quality of character. Describe that person (use his/her real name) and what about that person’s character you admire.

References: One reference letter is from an L. D. Bell faculty member. The second letter is from another adult (not a family member) who can speak to your character and leadership outside of school. See additional directions on the first page.

Name of faculty reference:

School Phone number:

Name of other adult reference:

Phone number:

Personal response: Please respond to the following prompt via written essay OR creative video essay format.

Imagine yourself as a college graduate. Describe the influence the L D Bell band program had on your path to success.

Type or paste your response here:

Video Essay Submission Upload

Video Essay Submission Link (be sure YouTube links are public)

Please submit your response electronically below.

By submitting your signature below, you are confirming that the information above is true to the best of your knowledge and that you have completed the application yourself. Thank you for your interest in this scholarship.

Signature

Drawing mode selected. Drawing requires a mouse or touchpad. For keyboard accessibility, select Type or Upload.

L.D. BELL BLUE RAIDER BAND

HURST-EULESS-BEDFORD ISD | HURST, TEXAS

Brian Isbell Scholarship Application