Apply

The Foundation accepts applications from students in the spring of their Junior year. Ideal candidates are students who are bright, funny, creative, kind or compassionate, but who are struggling to complete high school for any reason. You may be a student who shares Chris’ appreciation of language and the arts, but you may be also be a student who struggles academically. This is not a traditional academic merit-based scholarship; this is a scholarship based on your merit as a person. The recipient is chosen by the Committee after a careful review of the application and a personal interview with the student. We do not choose a student based on how good they look on paper. We choose a student based on our intuition; we ask ourselves which of the candidates Chris would have been bringing an extra lunch for, taking out for an ice cream cone after school, and becoming lifelong friends with.

Requirements:

  • student must be a Junior in high school
  • student must have had a significant life experience that is adversely affecting their ability to excel in school
  • student must have the audacity to apply for the scholarship
  • student must be willing to follow up and “check in” with a Foundation Committee member

Application Process:

Please submit a brief letter (50-100 words) formally requesting consideration for the scholarship. The letter may address the following questions, but is not limited to any specific format.

  • Who am I?
  • What changed for me that caused me to struggle in high school?
  • What do I feel I need to overcome the challenges I face?
  • What do I plan to do with the award?
  • Why do I feel this will make a difference for me?
  • What do I hope to achieve once I overcome the challenges I face?
  • Do I sincerely feel I can make these changes with additional support? Why?
  • What is unique about me?

 

In addition to the letter, the application must include some sample from you that showcases your personality and talents.  This could be a sample of your non-academic writing, your art, a clip of your music, or a humorous video you created. These samples do not need to be highly polished, but they should give us an idea of who you are, and what about you is unique.