MEMPHIS, Tenn. – June 18, 2026 – Paisley Williams, of Prairieville, Louisiana, is the recipient of the 2026 Susie Konkel Ducks Unlimited (DU) National Scholarship.
Williams co-chaired the Ascension High School Varsity Chapter in 2023 and became chair in 2025. To add to her already impressive resume at the high school level, Paisley also volunteered for 12 local adult chapters in the state, assisting wherever needed. Her family background and growing up among the diverse wildlife in the state helped shape her passion for DU and its mission.
The DU Varsity chapter program is for high school students across the United States, teaching them leadership, business and communication skills while contributing to DU’s conservation mission.
In addition to the $10,000 national scholarship, DU awarded 60 scholarships to deserving high school seniors from across the country: 10 conservation scholarships at $1,000 each and 50 varsity scholarships for $500 each.
The DU National Scholarship program would not exist without the generosity of donors across the country who have endowed it in perpetuity, including Susie Konkel. Her support of the national scholarship was instrumental in ensuring that this program helps financially support many deserving high school seniors as they continue their education.
“My grandfather’s love for the outdoors and the conservation ethic he passed to my late brother, Jim Konkel, shaped our family,” Susie Konkel said. “Jim’s passion for Ducks Unlimited lit a fire in me to carry on that legacy. This national scholarship gives me the chance to honor them both by helping future generations understand just how vital our wetlands truly are.”
Scholarship applications are reviewed by a volunteer selection committee appointed by the DU Advisory Senior Vice President to the National Youth Engagement Committee, Ken Carroll.
“DU is proud of the fact that more leadership roles at the high school and collegiate chapter levels are led by outstanding young women who have ignited a fire and path for others to do the same,” Carroll said. “Paisley is a shining example of these efforts, and we could not be prouder of her. This marks the ninth year DU has awarded scholarships to graduating high school seniors, totaling $415,000. None of this would have been possible without the support of our major sponsors, who stepped up to the plate to ensure the success of this program in perpetuity.”
Click here for a complete 2026 DU National Scholarship Program recipients list.
Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing wetlands, grasslands and other waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has restored or protected more than 20 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science, DU’s projects benefit waterfowl, wildlife and people in all 50 states. Learn more at www.ducks.org.
