We awarded four scholarships to students from LTHS HS.
These are the final four scholarships announced for 2019.
The value of these scholarships is $2,000 annually, renewable for 4 years.
All recipients must maintain a B average in college. These are all category 2 scholarships.
For more information on the scholarship requirements and award values, please see our information page here.
1) Anne Caplice
The scholarship committee had the pleasure of interviewing Anne as part of the category 3 scholarship process. Sports and Activities in High School:
Anne is a four-year two-sport athlete, playing tennis in the fall and running track in the springtime. She is very active in St Cletus and St John of the Cross parishes. She led the Kairos retreat for St John.
Highlights from the Essay:
Her essay is provocative: “Every day we are faced with a series of choices. What will you wear? How will you act? How can you make today a little bit better than how you came into it? What we chose to do, or perhaps more importantly what we don’t, can say a lot about us and what we stand for. ” Anne goes on to tell a story about one friend from grammar school that struggled in high school. Anne’s decision was to stand by that friend.
She concludes her essay “Showing compassion is a lifelong choice we all must make. …; it can be as simple as smiling at someone in the hall or showing support in times of need. … and not only does it feel good to know that you did the right thing, but showing compassion ensures that you left the day a little bit better than how you came into it.
Highlights from the Recommendations:
“Anne divides her time and effort into her church, school leadership, sports, and academics. She participates in many organizations such as Student Council, Business Professionals of America, and Math Team; winning many awards on the regional and state level. Of course, we love our recipients to be involved but only for spreading joy and helping others.”
Finally a wonderful summary from one of the recommendations: “She does embody the type of balanced, driven, and successful person we all hope our children will become.”
We are excited to add Anne to our list of KJO Memorial Scholarship Recipients for 2019.
2) Kelly Carlson
In addition to being an athlete, Kelly lives for Camp Tecumseh. This was one of Kelli Joy’s favorite spots as well.
Sports and Activities in High School:
Kelly is a four-year two-sport athlete. She plays basketball and lacrosse. She was the caption of the basketball team her senior year. Also served as president of the Lions Den her senior year, student group to support teams, they are rowdy and a lot of fun!
Highlights from the Essay:
Here’s the introduction of Kelly’s essay. “I was a camper at Camp Tecumseh since 4th grade. Camp T is my favorite place in the world. It’s where I can be myself, love others and Live Third.” Kelli Joy also loved Camp T. The foundation recently announced major support for Camp T. We’re building a new cabin at Camp T! The new cabin will have a plaque and the story of KJO.
The essay wonderfully sums up Camp T experience: “I feel the calling to give back the joy I received from camp. It’s not hard to love these kids but it does keep me up at night thinking if I did everything I could do for each camper. Was there something else I could have done to handle someone being homesick? Is there something going on in that camper’s life that I should address to make them feel more loved? You hope that they are having fun and you wonder if you are doing a good job. But then you see them singing, laughing and making friends and you realize you are giving back. You are giving them the experience you had. The experiences they will remember for a lifetime. Joy is an
interesting emotion. The more you give joy, the more you are filled with it.”
Highlights from the Recommendations:
I have known Kelly for four years, and have had the fortunate experience to coach her in both basketball and lacrosse. … Kelly had the unfortunate experience of injury through both lacrosse and basketball seasons. These injuries required her to sit out some of the seasons, but through this adversity her leadership shined. She not only supported her team by her presence at every team function, but she also encouraged, motivated, and worked to hold her team accountable.
Congratulations Kelly you are now a member of the KJO Memorial Scholarship Community for 2019.
3) Emily O’Donnell
Emily volunteered at many activities through-out high school, including four years helping at our annual Run For Kelli and Plymouth Fellowship Youth Group Work Tour for four years.
Sports and Activities in High School:
Emily played soccer for four years and ran cross country for three. Assistant coach for three years with “Just Run It”, a program of Laidlaw Elementary. Lyons Township Class Board participant for four years. Tabulae Yearbook- Design editor for two years received Walsworth Gallery of Excellence (award) – 2018.
Highlights from the Essay:
It wasn’t until my spring mission trip that I had to deliberately make an effort in formulating a relationship. We headed down to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to work with people who have intellectual and related developmental disabilities. It was there that I encountered a man named Whelan, who had Spastic Cerebral Palsy. He was sitting in a wheelchair and could only produce fragmented noises to communicate. It was difficult to figure out a way that I could connect with him. He was unable to complete the puzzle on the table so I had to come up with another way. I grabbed the puzzle box and held it in front of him. I motioned for him to throw the brightly colored puzzle pieces inside. He immediately caught on and the smile that radiated from his face after each shot remains like a vivid image forever locked in my memory. A sense of accomplishment and joy came from our little game and contagiously spread to every inch of his body. I had never seen someone so ecstatic from something so simple. It was just one small snippet of time that remains one of the most profound from any of my service experiences.
Highlights from the Recommendations:
We are happy and excited to add Emily to our list of KJO Memorial Scholarship Recipients for 2019.
4) Lizzie Scotty
Lizzy is a two-sport athlete for all four years. She is an Academic All American as part of the diving team.
Sports and Activities in High School:
Lizzie was a member of the Track and Field team for four years and all state last three years. Member of the diving team all four years, elected captain senior year.
Highlights from the Essay:
Here are some snippets from Lizzie’s essay: Diving is a stressful, frustrating sport when you’re struggling to learn a new dive or correct a technique error. It’s also a very mental sport, which is why support from teammates is so crucial. Early last season, my teammate landed face first on the board, scraping and bruising herself all over. She was new to the team and I didn’t know her well yet. Hitting the board – especially how she did, she could’ve been seriously injured. That is the scariest thing that can happen in diving. Before I even knew what I was doing, I was at the gutter pulling her out of the water. I knelt hugging her as another diver and I assured that help was on the way. Emily laid with her head in my lap while the trainer checked her for major injuries. She texted me later that day, a text I saved because I was so humbled by it: “Liz I just wanted to thank you for sticking by my side yesterday through the accident. It meant so much that you were making me feel better and keeping my mind off the scary stuff AND on top of all of that visiting me and checking in.”
Highlights from the Recommendations:
I met Lizzie when she was in 2nd grade, and I have thoroughly enjoyed observing her growth from a spunky, energetic child into a thoughtful, compassionate and driven young adult. Overseeing Youth and Outreach Ministries at our church and having direct weekly interaction with Lizzie for the past eight years. I asked her to serve as Captain this year because she has gone above and beyond to demonstrate how much our faith community means in her own life, and because of the great extent to which she is committed to working to make the world around her a better place.
We are delighted to add Lizzie to our list of KJO Memorial Scholarship Recipients for 2019.
