The Catholic Community Foundation, which is committed to making Catholic education more accessible, recently awarded $479,000 in scholarships to 40 students in the Diocese of Phoenix.
At the Foundation’s annual Scholarship Award Ceremony earlier this month, 18 seventh-grade students received the Catholic Community Foundation Scholarship, which is awarded to students who embody strong Catholic values and show a financial need to attend Catholic high school. In the past six years, the Foundation has awarded over 104 scholarships totaling more than $1.7 million through this award.
Twenty-one eighth-grade students were honored with the Christian Service Award Scholarship (CSA), which was established in 1998 through a perpetual memorial fund by Rev. Philip J. Poirier. This scholarship recognizes Catholic eight-grade students who exemplify Christ-centered behavior through volunteer service in their parishes, schools and communities.
One 12th-grade student received the prestigious Ralph M. Knight Chemistry and Engineering Scholarship toward their college tuition.
“Having a Catholic education means so much to my family. It is the foundation of everything my kids will become. And knowing they spend many hours a day at school, it is important to us that they are surrounded by teachers, staff and families grounded in our Catholic faith,” said Antonia Behnke, a mother of two CSA recipients.
“Without [this support], my kids couldn’t go to Catholic school. As a mom of four, there is no way we could manage such a huge financial burden. So, thank you, times a million.”
Nearly 75-percent of local families face financial barriers to a Catholic education. With tuition rising and the ongoing need for spiritual and academic formation, the Foundation remains focused on reducing that gap.
“The Catholic Church has always been a leader in education,” said Dcn. James Carabajal, CEO of Catholic Community Foundation. “Now more than ever, we must ensure that students can learn in an environment rooted in faith, service and truth.”
