Elks Award Nearly $4 Million in College Scholarships

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May 02, 2024, 13:36 ET

CHICAGO, May 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In April, the Elks National Foundation awarded more than $3.9 million to high school seniors entering their freshman year of college, welcoming 850 students to the Elks Family. More than just financial aid, an Elks scholarship is an invitation to a network of service-minded peers and a promise that an Elks Lodge is always there with open arms.

The Elks National Foundation awarded 350 Legacy Awards scholarships to high school seniors who are the children or grandchildren of Elks members. Pictured are recipients from across the United States: Caris Schneider from Florida (left), Kieran Murray from Wyoming (top), Lyric Knepshield from Pennsylvania (lower left), Denton Wiggins from Florida (lower middle), and Alynna Wilson from Ohio (bottom right).

The Elks Top 20 Most Valuable Student scholarship recipients pose with scholar leaders outside of the Elks National Veterans Memorial and Headquarters in Chicago during the annual MVS Leadership Weekend.

During the 2024 Elks Most Valuable Student Leadership Weekend, the Top 20 MVS scholars served at a Chicago location of Cradles to Crayons, where they helped sort clothes for children birth through age 12 living in low-income situations.

Out of more than 22,000 applicants for the Elks National Foundation's Most Valuable Student scholarship, the Top 20 scholars received $30,000 scholarships and an invitation to Chicago for the Most Valuable Student Leadership Weekend. Four-hundred-and-eighty runners-up received $4,000 scholarships.

From April 11 to 14 in Chicago, the Leadership Weekend offered panels run by current and former Elks scholars to teach the new class about personal branding, transitioning to college, and finding service opportunities through the Elks.

"The Leadership Weekend was an experience I will never forget," says Ella Brie Mayor, a top winner sponsored by Simi Valley, Calif., Lodge No. 2492. "I am so grateful to have been able to connect with a likeminded group of students who care about education and bettering the world just as much as I do."

The Elks also welcomed 350 Legacy Awards scholarship recipients to the #ElksFamily. Exclusively for the children or grandchildren of Elks members, the Legacy Awards are $4,000 scholarships with an essential service requirement. Recipients must serve with an Elks Lodge three times during the four years they receive the scholarship.

"Receiving an Elks Legacy scholarship is a profound honor that represents not only financial support but also recognition of my family connection to the Elks community," says Denton Wiggins, a Legacy scholar sponsored by Perry, Fla., Lodge No. 1851. "It signifies a legacy of service, generosity, and commitment to education passed down through generations."

To see a full list of the scholarship winners and to learn more about the Elks National Foundation's scholarships, visit elks.org/scholars, follow the ENF on Instagram @ElksScholars, and like the ENF on Facebook @ElksNationalFoundation.

Contact: Elks National Foundation
Abbey Knupp | Manager, Communications
2750 N. Lakeview Ave. | Chicago, IL 60614-2256
773/755-4864 | [email protected]

The Elks National Foundation, the charitable arm of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, helps nearly 800,000 Elks and more than 1,800 Lodges nationwide build stronger communities through programs that support youth, serve veterans, and meet needs in areas where Elks live and work. To learn more, visit elks.org/enf.

SOURCE ELKS NATIONAL FOUNDATION, INC.