Jim was Class of 2000 with me at Padua and Doug, his father was Class of 1967. When Jim passed away, his Mom asked that the Knights of Columbus (Which Jim and I were members of) administer a scholarship in his honor. She provided $500 in seed money and we took it from there. All 8th graders from St. Columbkille and Assumption Academy who will be attending a Catholic High School are eligible to apply for the scholarship.
Applicants are evaluated on 3 factors:
- Grade Point Average
- Church Involvement
- A 250 word essay on “Why is attending a Catholic High School important to you?”
Originally, it was just 2 scholarships for $1,000 apiece. In 2016, we upped the ante a little, making each scholarship $1,000 per year for 4 years for a total of $8,000. It never sat well with many of us that we would give an 8th grader a scholarship for the first year only to ask them or their family to find the $1,000 for the next 3 years. So it is a 4-year scholarship now, provided the student continues to attend a Catholic High School.
Written by Paul Marnecheck
