Elks National Foundation Blog

Anne Stretz Programs Relationship Associate Scholarships Anne stays calm and collected even as the MVS scholarship application deadline nears! How long have you worked at the ENF? I’ve worked at the ENF for just over four years. What projects are you/your department working on right now? The Most Valuable Student scholarship application deadline is fast approaching on December 6, so Ashley and I are very busy fielding calls and emails from applicants. When the phone stops ringing, we are spending time educating Scholarship Chairs about our new MVS Judging Dashboard. I’ve also been connecting Elks scholars with their local Lodges and communicating with scholars in Bloomington, Indiana, Corvallis, Oregon, and right here in Chicago about volunteer opportunities and meet-ups happening at their local Elks Lodge. What’s your favorite part of working at the ENF? Every day I continue to be more and more impressed by Elks scholars . As I read their applications when they ...

Ashley Brown Programs Coordinator Scholarships Ashley channels her role model Lee Miller as she puts her creative angle on a scholarship mailing. How long have you worked at the ENF? I have worked at the ENF since April 2013. That short time feels like it’s flown by quickly, but I’ve already learned so much and can’t wait to learn more! What projects are you/your department working on right now? We recently launched the 2014 Most Valuable Student and Legacy Awards scholarship competitions so we are working with scholarship chairs to help promote the contest while also answering questions from applicants. Along with our day to day responsibilities, we’re also working to prepare for the Leadership Weekend from April 25 to 27, 2014, where the top 20 Most Valuable Student finalists will be interviewing for top awards. There are a lot of exciting changes and our office has been busy! What are you doing to celebrate ENF Month? Besides reading the 25 Lodges in 25 Days ,...

Melia Bernal 2013 Most Valuable Student scholar Sponsored by San Clemente, Calif., Lodge No. 2068 Melia is a member of a dance group that expresses feelings through movement. Here, she expresses her feelings toward the Elks for her MVS Scholarship . “My education would not be possible without the generous support of the Elks,” says Melia. “Thank you for enabling me to work toward my goals and give back to my community.” Melia will be able to spread her kindness to others as she majors in global affairs at Yale University.

Matthew Ramos 2013 Most Valuable Student scholar Sponsored by Carmichael, Calif., Lodge No. 2103 Thanks to the Elks, Matthew will be able to easily navigate the waters of his future. “This scholarship has helped me to reflect on who I am and how I will succeed in the future,” says Matthew. “Helping others and serving my community is a goal that my MVS scholarship will help me achieve.” With determination, a charitable heart, and support from the Elks National Foundation, there is no doubt Matthew will succeed. Next year, he’ll be attending California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, Calif. to study engineering. In 2013-14, the Elks National Foundation allocated $2.44 million to fund 500 four-year Most Valuable Student Scholarships, which now feature 20 top awards of at least $20,000. For more information about the Most Valuable Student scholarship program, including eligibility and deadlines, visit www.elks.org/enf/scholars .

Casey Coffey 2013 Legacy Awards Recipient Sponsored by Jupiter, Fla., Lodge No. 2469 Thanks to her Legacy Award , Casey will be attending her dream school, the University of Florida. Here’s what Casey had to say about her scholarship:

James Keckley 2013 Legacy Awards Recipient Sponsored by Joplin, Mo., Lodge No. 501 James hits the all the right notes! Next year, he’ll be attending St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn. to study opera. See what he has to say about his Legacy Award :

By 2012 Most Valuable Student Scholar and Elks Scholar Advisory Board M ember Karsten Coates The Elks National Hoop Shoot is about so much more than basketball. The Hoop Shoot is about teaching kids what it means have goals and dedication, and it is a terrific vessel in uniting communities because it connects youth from across the U.S. When I went to this year’s Hoop Shoot National Finals in Springfield, Mass., I expected to see a bunch of kids that were good at basketball. Instead, I was greeted by a bunch of youth who were great at basketball. The Hoop Shoot Finals took many of these kids on their first plane ride and taught them levels of maturity that I was surprised to find in 8- to 13-year-olds. The competitors treated each other as true friends off the court and many made plans to keep in touch. More importantly, they were all humble and caring. While playing horse with one 8 year old, he stopped the game while I was losing and said that we could switch scores, tak...

By Anne Shields, Programs Relationship Associate  Anne, hard at work entering the 2011 MVS National Finalists' information.  “Do you have any boxes under your desk?” “No–why?” “A whole lot of MVS scholarship applications were just delivered and I need a place to put them.” If you were to stop by my desk this week, you might have overheard this conversation several times. Programs Assistant Brianne Menges and I have been wading through boxes upon boxes of Most Valuable Student National Finalists applications that are pouring in from across the country. The applications are pouring in! Our adjoining office space looks more like a UPS warehouse than a workspace, but we don’t mind. See, we’re charged with receiving the 500 Most Valuable Student National Finalist applications and entering the students’ data into our system. All this has to be done in a short time frame as the state judging ended on February 16, and we must have the information entered by Feb...