The Catholic Impact Scholar Award is offered by the Foundation once annually to high school juniors attending a Catholic high school in Santa Clara County.
The Catholic Impact Scholar Award is awarded to a junior student at a Catholic high school in Santa Clara County. The winner is awarded $5,000 toward the student’s senior year tuition. The other nominees each receive $1,000 toward their senior year tuition.
This is NOT a needs based award and GPAs are not taken into consideration. The faculty/staff of each high school will nominate one student for the Foundation’s consideration. Each school may pick their nominee in any way they see fit.
All schools must announce this opportunity to their parent community in order for their nominee to be considered.
Nominees:
Attend one of the following schools:
- Archbishop Mitty High School
- Bellarmine College Preparatory
- Cristo Rey San Jose High School
- Notre Dame San Jose High School
- Presentation High School
- Saint Francis High School
Are currently enrolled as a junior with the intention to continue at that school during their senior year.
Do not have to be Catholic, but must exemplify the values of a Catholic education
The Foundation reviews and bases its decision on the following:
- the 500-1,000 word essay written by the nominee
- the 500-700 word letter of recommendation from a teacher/staff member/community leader
- the list of school activities and church/parish/civic activities the nominee participates in
Only applications submitted by a staff member of one of the eligible high schools will be considered. No materials submitted directly to the Foundation will be considered.
This year’s essay prompt:
“How has my Catholic education prepared me to contribute to, engage with and improve my community and the world?”
2021 Catholic Impact Scholar Award Winner
This year’s Catholic Impact Scholar Award winner, Claire Nguyen, certainly embodies the award’s themes of Catholic values and community impact. Nguyen, an alumna of Saint Clare School and current junior at Notre Dame High School, wrote a compelling essay answering this year’s prompt. She reflected that her parish community and high school experience have shaped and deepened her faith, especially through her participation in multiple choirs and increasing interest in musicianship. Advocating for justice and impacting the community through service are also passions for Nguyen. Over the first five months of quarantine, she and her family were able to make over 3,700 fabric masks for first responders and community volunteers.
Excerpts from Claire’s essay:
Her religious education classes and participation in the Music Ministry at Notre Dame assisted her as she composed her first song, entitled “To Grow in Our Faith.” She notes that the song “illustrates how God will always be there to answer our prayers, and we are called to grow in our faith by trusting in Him.”
On her face mask project: “I realized that I was able to use my abilities and skills taught to me at Notre Dame to engage with those in need in my community during the pandemic and help to protect their health.” Working on this humanitarianism project has further cemented her desire “to pursue my dream and work in the medical field to help others.”
First-Ever Catholic Impact Scholar Award Winner
The Catholic Community Foundation of Santa Clara County awarded the first-ever Catholic Impact Scholar Award to Ian da Silva of Bellarmine College Prep. Five of the local high schools submitted a nominee for consideration. “It was extremely difficult to select just one winner,” said Bertha Minnihan, Chair of the Grants Committee. “Each student had a unique perspective on the essay prompt. It was inspiring to read about all of these accomplished young people who are the future of our faith and our community!” After careful consideration, the committee decided on Ian da Silva as the award recipient.
Excerpt from Ian’s essay:
Kairos taught me how to appreciate the things and people that God has put in my life. It was on this retreat that I developed my current image of God: a perfect person who created us in his image, knows all, and can do anything.
The rigorous academics at Bellarmine have prepared me to be successful in life, while also teaching me that the best way to use this success is for the good of others. Realizing that my life is not just my own, but for the world, helps me to see that we are all needed to carry the love of God to others…My faith inspires me to give people hope in their hard times and be a friend in their loneliness.
For more information about this award, contact the Grants Program Manager at reyes@cfoscc.org or 408.995.5219.