02/19/2026
Grandparents:
If you or your parents and/or grandparents are alumni of the St. Francis Mission (Boarding School), your Takoja's are eligible to apply!
📣 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
✨ Now Accepting Applications for the 2026 Minerva (Iron Shell) Hibbeler Scholarship ✨
In His Spirit, Inc., a Native-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by Heather (Burnette) Hibbeler together with the Hibbeler family, proudly announces the 2026 Minerva (Iron Shell) Hibbeler Scholarship.
Applications are now open for graduating seniors who are takojas [grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great grandchildren] of alumni of the St. Francis Mission (Boarding School).
At the request of Minerva’s sons, Steve and Ted Hibbeler, two $500 scholarships will be awarded:
• One female student
• One male student
Eligibility Requirement: Must be a takoja of a St. Francis Mission School (Boarding School) alumni.
This scholarship honors the legacy of Minerva (Ironshell) Hibbeler — an alumna of St. Francis Indian School and a Sicangu Lakota woman known for her resilience, cultural stewardship, and lifelong commitment to community responsibility.
Born on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, Minerva became a cultural bridge between Lakota and non-Lakota communities. She advocated for the preservation of Lakota language, traditions, and intergenerational leadership. Despite lifelong health challenges - including rheumatic fever in childhood and diabetes later in life - she remained active in civic and community life. Her leadership reflected discipline, accountability, and the Lakota teaching of being a good relative.
This scholarship seeks to recognize students who demonstrate those same values through academic effort, community engagement, cultural involvement, and leadership.
📚 Eligibility Requirements:
• GPA between 2.5 and 3.0
• Involvement in school, community, or tribal activities
Selection criteria include:
• Volunteer service
• Cultural preservation activities
• Leadership potential
• Financial need
• A 500–750 word personal essay reflecting resilience and commitment to community impact
📅 Application Deadline: April 3, 2026 (BY MAIL)
📌 Required Materials:
• Transcript
• Personal narrative (500–750 words)
• Proof of acceptance to a postsecondary institution (if available)
• One letter of recommendation
📬 Mail Applications To:
In His Spirit, Inc.
Minerva (Iron Shell) Hibbeler Scholarship
1235 N. Sunnyvale Unit 7A
Mesa, AZ 85205
For more information, contact Heather Hibbeler at [email protected].
Please share to help us reach eligible students and honor Minerva’s legacy by supporting the next generation of leaders. 💛
Application available on these links:
MICROSOFT ONE DRIVE
https://1drv.ms/b/c/B72CCE1ADDCCC24B/IQA7iLCqSz4IRr6lVGY-9SspAa8Y3RzGmad9CAh_rKisL6Y?e=ficvQc
GOOGLE DRIVE
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z4JRur_guoqhSNeq8muqsOI85copYvst/edit?usp=share_link&ouid=101287899934554756806&rtpof=true&sd=true
https://www.facebook.com/share/1QKomvgCW3/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Minerva (Iron Shell) Hibbeler Scholarship Minerva (Ironshell) Hibbeler, alumni of the St. Francis Mission School, St. Francis, SD, she embodied the Lakota teaching of being a good relative not as philosophy, but as a disciplined way of living. She was born on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, i...
