For DonorsFor Applicants

Sean Kelly Memorial Scholarship

$4,000
2 winners, $2,000 each
Awarded
Application Deadline
Nov 24, 2023
Winners Announced
Dec 24, 2023
Education Level
High School
Eligibility Requirements
Education Level:
High school senior
GPA:
3.5
Background:
First-generation
Sport:
Any

“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor” - Vince Lombardi. 

Sean Kelly was a student-athlete and a lifelong believer in continuing education. Student-athletes who excel in athletics and academics demonstrate hard work and dedication. 

Like Sean, they’re committed to being their best version on and off the field. Unfortunately, in January 2022, Sean passed away at the age of 34 from a severe traumatic brain injury. 

The Sean Kelly Memorial Scholarship aims to honor Sean by supporting high school seniors from low income families who are interested in pursuing an undergraduate degree.

First-generation high school senior athletes with a 3.5 GPA may apply. 

To apply, please tell us about yourself and how this scholarship will help you pursue your career goals. 

Selection Criteria:
Ambition, Boldest Bold.org Profile
Published August 24, 2023
Essay Topic

Please tell us about yourself and how this scholarship will help you pursue your career goals.

400–600 words

Winning Applications

Christina Grow
Vanguard AcademySalt Lake City, UT
My name is Christina Grow. I'm a sixteen-year-old high school girl senior with a minimum-wage job. The job that I'm currently working at has inspired my career dream which is to be a master accountant and become a CFO. How has it inspired me? My current job is going through a career training school where you help prepare business statements and so on. As I got more trained and higher in position, I began connecting concepts, strategies, and ideas between my job and my recent Accounting classes. I became fond of and even started to enjoy preparing Bank and Financial statements. It amazed me to see what is all a part of the business world on the inside. Along with being the eldest of my family, I am a first-generation college student and have been mostly independent on my college journey so far, except with the help of my school advisor, which I am really lucky to have. I had no prior knowledge from my parents on college schooling so everything I came across, I learned on my own. This has developed my character to where I have that desire to learn and discover new things. Referring to education, I'm very excited to explore new pathways and take amazing opportunities. More about me, I have a passion for music and art, and I believe that art is where true emotion disperses from. I love to sing because it helps release my anxiety and allows me to feel free. It helps drive me to go forth and pursue my career goals and dreams. I also have a specialty in running. I have been a part of my school's Cross Country team for two years and I will say that this being my last year, it has been an honor. My team, along with my parents, are my biggest support in enduring to the end. From being a part of this team, traits of Strength, Determination, and Honor have been instilled in me. I am willing to use these values to pursue my career goals and make anything possible to achieve in my life. This upcoming year 2024, I will graduate high school with my associate in Business. It has taken years of my savings to afford to get this degree and it will be a blessing if I can move forward onto my bachelor's and master's degrees with the help of this scholarship. At this point, I have been slowed to an almost stop on my education because of the high prices of college classes and my low-paid job. This scholarship will help me pursue my career goals by boosting me for my beginning freshmen year at the University of Utah or Western Governor's University in Fall 2024 so that I may proceed to gain my bachelor's and master's degrees. By doing this, I can fulfill my ambition to become a Master Accountant and a Chief Financial Officer. By being a CFO, I can input benefits into the Accounting and Business world and make this exterior world outcome a better place.
Jack Keller
Rowan UniversityWenonah, NJ
"Stay true to yourself and listen to your inner voice. It will lead you to your dream." Every day either on the golf course or having a busy normal day I always strive to get better with my academics, community service, and sports. I want to become a role model for others when showing sportsmanship after a golf match or being respectful to my classmates. Winning the Sean Kelly Memorial Scholarship would help me achieve my dreams of having a career in sports management and enjoying all aspects of a college experience. Since I was twelve years old, I always imagined myself working for one of the big sports teams organizations like the Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Flyers, or the Philadelphia Phillies. Feeling a part of the behind-the-scenes of a professional sports team and enjoying the working environment is a part of my dream career path that I want to achieve. Also, I want to help inspire other people who want to achieve the same path. Becoming a golfer helped me build in more areas like discipline, hard work, and cooperation. Throughout my life, I have done community service and two years ago I volunteered for an organization called Ron Jaworski Golf Foundation. Ron Jaworski Celebrity Golf Challenge is an event where professional sports players play golf and help support a fundraiser for at-risk youth in the community so that ball fields and playgrounds can be built. Also, the fundraiser helps donate sports equipment, distribute hundreds of bikes over the holidays, support summer meals for kids and more! Volunteering for Ron Jaworski Golf is a great experience for me because I'm helping make a positive change for the community, I get to connect with all of the past and current sports players, and I get to have a fun volunteering experience which is awesome to have in life. Having volunteer experience helps me prepare for my future dream career. Every step that I take whether that's doing well with my academics, volunteering for a variety of organizations to help positively help the community, or playing in a golf match with my teammates all help me become a great role model for others. I believe that all of the experiences that I have with doing community service, playing golf matches during high school, and succeeding in my education are all great reasons that I'm a great candidate for the Sean Kelly Memorial Scholarship.

FAQ

When is the scholarship application deadline?

The application deadline is Nov 24, 2023. Winners will be announced on Dec 24, 2023.