Meet Three Outstanding New Placer Alums: Celebrating our 2026 Hillmen Foundation Scholarship Recipients

Each year, the Hillmen Foundation is honored to recognize graduating Placer High School seniors whose achievements, character, and commitment to others reflect the very best of the Hillmen tradition. Through the generosity of our donors, we award three scholarships to students who exemplify leadership, perseverance, service, and a passion for making a positive impact.

The 2026 scholarship recipients include Cooper Barr, the winner of our highest honor, the Covich-Johnson Founders Scholarship, and Hayden Belles and Kaia Davis, the two outstanding recipients of the Hillmen Foundation Scholarship. These students have distinguished themselves not only through academic excellence, but also through their involvement, integrity, and dedication to their school and community.

To help our supporters get to know these remarkable new Hillmen alumni, we asked each recipient to reflect on their experiences at Placer High School, the lessons they've learned, and their aspirations for the future. We are proud to share their stories and grateful to the donors whose generosity makes these scholarships possible.

Hillmen Foundation Covich-Johnson Founders Scholarship: Cooper Barr

1. What part of your Placer High experience are you most proud of, and why?

I am most proud of the friendships and connections I built at Placer. Over the past four years, I expanded my community from a small, mostly Bowman-centered group to a diverse network of teammates, teachers, coaches, and peers. Through these relationships,

I have come to appreciate people from many different backgrounds and experiences. Although I will be leaving the Auburn and Placer community for the next few years, I know I will return and find ways to give back to the community that has given me so much.

2. Placer High is known for its strong spirit and traditions. What does being a Hillman mean to you?

Being a Hillman for me is having the opportunity to walk on the same paths that so many great students, athletes, and people have walked on before. We as Hillmen have the privilege to play and watch basketball games in the historic Earl Crabbe Gym, the privilege of having football games in the famous LeFebvre Stadium, and I think most importantly–the privilege of hosting tracks meets and the finish of the Western States 100 Miler on the Stacy Dragila Track.

3. What does receiving this Hillmen Foundation scholarship mean to you, and how will it help you pursue your goals?

I am very grateful and honored to have won a Hillmen Foundation Scholarship. We have many accomplished students and athletes at Placer, and it is a privilege to be recognized. This scholarship will allow me to take advantage of the incredible resources that Stanford has to offer, and help with the financial strains of being a Division 1 Student Athlete. I could not be more appreciative and thankful for the support of the Hillmen Foundation!

4. What are your future plans and what inspired you to take that direction?

This fall I will be attending Stanford University where I will compete for the Cross Country and Track teams. I am unsure what I want to study yet, but I have strong interests in political science, mechanical and aerospace engineering, economics, and law. I have always watched the Indy 500 and more recently the Formula 1 Circuit, where I have become fascinated with the power and precision of the race cars. Having a chance to learn the engineering behind the incredible capabilities of the cars would be amazing. As for my interest in the social sciences, my duty as a student board member combined with phenomenal teachers has inspired me to continue to learn how our society functions and to continue serving our community.

5. When you look back at your time at PHS 10 years from now, what do you think will be your fondest memory or most meaningful experience?

I think my most treasured memory a decade from now will be the Track & Field State Meet my senior year. The previous year I had an amazing season, but I still missed the state final by one spot. My senior season so far had several interruptions–I got sick in February twice, then I was sick for almost the whole month of March. When the state meet came I had far less fitness than my competitors, but I remembered the heartbreak of just missing the race that fielded the best in California last year. I told myself hundreds of times I am making this final, I will make it happen. Sure enough, I squeezed into the final as a time qualifier! My track coach Amanda Roberts (we call her Pip!) drove down and back to Fresno twice to support me and celebrate my classmates at graduation in the span of two days. Even though I got destroyed in the final, I was so grateful for all of my coaches and family who went out of their way to support me.

Hillmen Foundation Scholarship: Hayden Belles

1.What part of your Placer High experience are you most proud of, and why?

The part of my Placer experience that I am most proud of is how I was able to be involved in all different sides of our community and discover myself and my passions through it. Whether it was academics, mountain biking, or band, I was able to prove my abilities as well as witness my peers grow and excel. I am so glad that I was part of a school that inspired teamwork and perseverance in its students.

2. Placer High is known for its strong spirit and traditions. What does being a Hillman mean to you?

For me, being a Hillman means always giving unlimited support and keeping an enthusiastic and growth-based mindset at all times. For example, I have been going and cheering at football games since I was a kid, preparing me to be part of the famous gold mine for my first two years as a high school student and playing the beloved pep tunes and halftime shows in the band for my last two years. In my experience nothing could stop the unwavering hope of our school even in our lowest times.

3. What does receiving this Hillmen Foundation scholarship mean to you, and how will it help you pursue your goals?

The Hillmen Foundations scholarship means a lot to my future. It is a way that my dreams and aspirations of going to higher education and pursuing a future career can be realized. Without the support of scholarships and the people who surround me, I would never have been able to be as successful or hopeful as I am today.

4. What are your future plans and what inspired you to take that direction?

My future plans are to go to UC Davis for a major in Aerospace Engineering where I will hopefully complete my education and find a stable career in the field I love. I was inspired by my own findings during covid years and the many teachers that showed how rewarding it can be to create.

5. When you look back at your time at PHS 10 years from now, what do you think will be your fondest memory or most meaningful experience?

One of my most meaningful experiences was when I was presented with the opportunity of learning a new instrument to be placed in the advanced band. It was a very difficult and time-consuming task, but when I was done, I proved to myself what is possible when I set my mind to it. This led to me expanding upon every aspect of my life and finding new hobbies with my friends, getting into varsity for my senior year on the mountain biking team, and realizing my true academic potential.

Hillmen Foundation Scholarship: Kaia Davis

1. What part of your Placer High experience are you most proud of, and why?

I am most proud of the connections formed at my time at Placer High School. I know myself and my peers would never have pushed so hard to succeed without the support and competition of each other. Now, as we all go on to bigger things, we can all look back and see the impact we left on each other’s lives.

2. Placer High is known for its strong spirit and traditions. What does being a Hillman mean to you?

Being a Hillmen means being part of a community that works together to make things happen. Through the efforts to uphold our traditions we bond and create friendships that may have never occurred otherwise. This intertwines our community, stimulating growth and change.

3. What does receiving this Hillmen Foundation scholarship mean to you, and how will it help you pursue your goals?

I am incredibly grateful for this scholarship because it is not only a financial support but an acknowledgment of all of my efforts throughout high school. It will help me pursue my degree in Electrical Engineering by assisting me in affording textbooks, tuition, and even the cost of living. This will allow my efforts to be focused on school rather than the financial burden that comes with it.

4. What are your future plans and what inspired you to take that direction?

I plan to acquire my degree in Electrical Engineering and focus on power systems. This will allow me to secure a Professional License and begin consulting after gaining real experience in the field. I was inspired to pursue this because of my interest in math and desire to create work-life balance for myself later down the road.

5. When you look back at your time at PHS 10 years from now, what do you think will be your fondest memory or most meaningful experience?

My fondest memory from placer will always be winning the semi-final for CIF champions with my soccer team. It wasn’t so exciting because of the title itself, but because the game went into overtime and then PKs before we barely scraped out a win. I will never forget cheering with my teammates after every shot, and eventually all celebrating together in the center of that muddy field.