On May 20,2026, at the Beechwood High School Senior Honors program, the Beechwood Band Boosters announced that Julian Sandberg was the 2026 Sarah E. Menez Memorial Scholarship recipient.
Julian was a member of the Beechwood Marching Tigers (2021-2025) where he was the Lead Drum Major (2025) and Clarinet Section Leader (2023-2024), KMEA State Championship Marching Tigers (2021, 2023, and 2025) and state finalists in (2022, 2024), Beechwood Marching Tigers National Class A Bands of America (BOA) Regional Championship (2025), and BOA Grand National Semifinalist (2022 and 2023), He was a member of the Beechwood Marching Tigers which received the Sudler Shield Award (2022) by the John Philip Sousa Foundation, an award to premier high school marching bands internationally ranked at a world-class level of excellence. He also was a member of the Beechwood Symphonic Band,1st Chair Clarinet (2022-2026) and 1st Chair Bass Clarinet (2024) and 1st Tenor Saxophone in the Beechwood Jazz Ensemble (2024-2026).
He was selected for the NKBDA Select Middle and High School Bands (2020-2026), the KMEA All-State Concert Band (2023), KMEA All-State Symphonic Band (2024-2025), KMEA All-State Symphony Orchestra (2026), and the Beechwood Jazz Ensemble (2024-2026) where he played the Tenor Saxophone.
He was academically recognized as a BHS National Honor Society member (2024-2026), Junior National Honor Society member (2021-2023), Mu Alpha Theta member (2023-2025), (2024-2025), Honor Roll student (2022-2026), and AP Scholar with Distinction (with a perfect score of 36 (2024)). He also achieved a perfect score of 1520 on the PSAT (2023) and was named a National Merit Semifinalist (2025). He will attend Duke University.
His service activities included volunteering at the Kenton County Animal Shelter, Village Care Center, Isaiah House Ministries, Matthew 25 Ministries, Meals on Wheels, and Special Olympics.
As one teacher wrote, “He is a gifted scholar with a genuine love of learning.” Another teacher noted, “When I think of Julian, I think of someone who is strong willed, vivacious, personable, and passionate. Julian is responsible…and trustworthy.”
Upon receiving the award, Julian remarked, “I am honored to receive the scholarship because the committee recognized in me some of the good character traits, musicianship, and academic achievement of Sarah Menez herself.”
On behalf of the Beechwood Band Boosters, President Andy Cullison added, “We are pleased to have this scholarship to promote purposes and qualities of character, musicianship, and academic achievement in our students. It is always a challenge, however, to select one student from so many fine candidates.”
