Elks National Foundation Blog

by Anji Radakrishnan  Elks Scholar Advisory Board President My name is Anjithaa Radakrishnan and I am from Nashua, New Hampshire. I am in a 6 year accelerated medical program through Pennsylvania State University and Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where I’m about to commence my second year. Additionally, this year, I am so proud to have been elected as President of the Elks National Foundation Scholar Advisory Board. Getting to know my #ElksFamily at the 2015 Elks National Convention in Indy. I first learned about the Elks in 2007 when I arrived at an Elks Lodge to participate in the Regional Spelling Bee. Subsequently, my family and I developed close friendships with Elks members, who supported both me and my older brother, Avvinash, as we went on to participate in the National Spelling Bee. My father joined the Elks six years ago as a way to cement our participation in our local Lodge. Three years ago, ...

by Jenna Johnson Elks Scholar Fellow  Channeling my inner artist as I place tiles in a mosaic mural on the 2016 Chicago Trip. With the close of the Summer Elks Scholar Service Trip in June came the close of my fourth trip and first year working at the Foundation. As I look back on everything the Foundation has done for me as a scholar and staff member, I am overwhelmed with gratitude.  In the past year, I have been invested in, challenged and supported in ways I could never have anticipated. I have had the opportunity to grow in professional development, leadership and service. My definition of Elks family has widened and my passion for service has deepened.  Before accepting the position, I had never been to Chicago, had never worked in a scholarship office and my exposure to the Elks had been limited due to being the only Elks scholar at my school. But the ENF quickly changed everything for me. Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of spending...

Kyle Bort has been an EEG recipient since 2014. He was appointed to serve on the 2017-18 Elks National Foundation Scholar Advisory Board. Below, Kyle shares a reflection regarding his connection to the Elks National Foundation and his time at the Elks National Convention in Reno, Nevada. If you know a student who could benefit from an Emergency Educational Grant , please email scholarship@elks.org to request a copy of the 2017-18 application. I had a great time on the Winter Service Trip.  In many ways, my experience with the Elks National Foundation has really come full circle. When my dad served in the Elks, I was never really aware of the ENF. After his passing in 2009, I was really unsure about my future. The loss of a parent is a very impactful experience. It changes you in so many ways. During this time, I started to lose the connection with my local Lodge. When I transferred to Missouri State, I began to explore grant opportunities. After all, the cost of a four-...

by Brandon Dawson Freshman Scholar Advisory Board Member From the moment you step on campus, you are completely bombarded with information regarding student groups, community service, and on-campus events. The only problem? They all sound AMAZING. You have hundreds of options to choose from and only 24-hours a day (not to mention classes and getting adequate sleep!). This is the struggle of college freshmen all across the country and when I got to Duke University, I decided to take on the challenge head first.   One of the very first things that I got involved with was Duke Student Government, or DSG. Freshmen can run for senate positions on the various committees that it encompasses. I ran to be a senator on the committee for Facilities, Environment, and the Arts, and fortunately, I won!    As DSG Senators, we are tasked with creating projects that will enhance the campus that we have come to love. The project that I took on revolved around r...