Elks National Foundation Blog

Sophia Scalise 2014 Legacy Awards Recipient University of Arkansas—Biological Engineering Major Sponsored by Fayetteville-Springdale, Ark., Lodge No. 1987 Elks scholars are known for their hard work and dedication to excellence. Sophia Scalise is no exception. In high school, Sophia was involved in numerous activities, including playing varsity tennis, participating in school musicals, working as a lifeguard, and volunteering at her church and the local animal shelter. Besides her commitment to her extracurricular involvement and community service, Sophia also achieved academically, taking AP classes, becoming a member of the National Honor Society, and graduating first in her class. Now in college, Sophia studies hard for her biology courses and has also found time to become involved on campus. Her new involvements include club tennis, joining Phi Mu, and Residents Interhall Congress Judiciary, a branch of the university’s student government. While her eyes are set on...

by Programs Assistant Sarah Louderman Due to my brother’s poor timing picking a wedding date, I unfortunately did not have the chance to attend the Elks National Convention in New Orleans this past summer. Thankfully though, the Elks National Foundation was invited to attend the Illinois Elks Convention. The IEA wants to encourage more Lodges to apply for Community Investments Program grants, so our two-person grant department of Programs Associate, Mary Morgan , and I traveled to Springfield for the weekend. Mary and I arrived in Springfield late Friday morning and were greeted by many friendly Elks who helped us set up a conference room for office hours. We held office hours and assisted visitors with general information about the Community Investments Program. Afterwards, we walked to the Abraham Lincoln Museum and Library and spent the end of the afternoon touring the spectacular exhibits and perusing the gift shop. Once we returned from our museum visit, we went to the top f...

By 2014 Legacy Awards Recipient and Elks Scholar Advisory Board Member Anji Radakrishnan Anji Radakrishnan, 2014 Legacy scholar and freshmen representative on the Elks Scholar Advisory Board , is giving us a glimpse into life as a college freshmen. Join her each month as she blogs about her exciting new challenges and experiences at Penn State.  Hi everyone! Hope everything is going well for my fellow Elks scholars, and everyone is as happy as I am to finally be going home for Thanksgiving. I’d like to highlight a few important things I’ve learned this month, in the classroom setting, on the extracurricular front, and in an incredible lecture I watched from a guest speaker. In sociology class, we are learning about ethnocentrism—how we tend to see our own culture as the central crux of the world. Our teacher showed us videos of life in other countries, such as a woman eating bugs in China. I saw a video of a Chinese woman eating a live frog. My class was simply stunned,...

Sarah Morton 2014 Most Valuable Student Scholar University of Wyoming—Biology Major Sponsored by Cheyenne, Wyo., Lodge No. 660 Having started her first job at just 12-years-old, Sarah Morton understands the meaning of hard work. After a busy high school career, Sarah shows no signs of slowing down. She jumped head first into all her university has to offer. Even before classes started Sarah was involved with the university’s Outdoor Program, where she met fellow freshman and enjoyed Wyoming’s natural beauty during a weeklong backpacking trip. She continues to hike and enjoy the outdoors on a regular basis. On campus, Sarah became a freshman senator for the university’s student government, reviewing legislation and planning events and programs for the enjoyment of her fellow students. She also promotes student well-being by participating in Real Women Real Bodies, a university organization that promotes positive body image among students through campus-wide campaigns. She i...

Chloe Johnson 2014 Legacy Awards Recipient Middlebury College Sponsored by Burlington, Vt., Lodge No. 916 Through academics, athletics and community service, Elks scholars are inspiring people all over the country. For Chloe Johnson, she inspires young women in her community to lead full and active lives. Involved in dance since childhood, Chloe is now a member of the Northern Vermont Ballet Company, where she’s held lead and supporting roles in the company’s ballet performances. She also inspires a love for ballet in children, working as an instructor for the school’s youth ballet classes. Aside from dance, Chloe inspires young girls to become actively involved in their communities. She founded the Be YourSELF Mentoring Program for elementary and middle school girls to encourage them to lead healthy lives through community service, environmental awareness, leadership and fitness. Though the program began locally, Chloe hopes to expand and involve other high school and c...

Casey Boyle 2014 Legacy Awards Recipient   University of Wisconsin-Madison—Engineering Major Sponsored by Clarksburg, W. Va., Lodge No. 482 Casey Boyle enjoys being among others who share his dedication to leadership, community service and giving back. As a member of the Elks family, Casey feels right at home. After years of volunteering to help his community, Casey was selected as a representative for Badger Boys State—a summer leadership program for Wisconsin high school students, focusing on leadership, teamwork and government processes. Besides learning about the workings of government, Casey was inspired by being with peers who shared the same passions, goals and dedication to community. “I became aware of the potential impact that a group of young leaders could have within communities, across our state, and potentially in the country,” explains Casey. As an Elks scholar and member of the Elks family, Casey has again joined a like-minded group of leaders, working to c...

by ENF Programs Coordinator Ashley Brown Pittsburgh may be known as the city of bridges and steel, but it could also be known as a city of Elks scholars, many of whom attend the city’s numerous universities. As this was my first opportunity to travel on behalf of the Elks National Foundation , I was incredibly excited to learn how to best serve our scholars to ensure their scholarships aided them in achieving their educational goals. Programs Relationship Associate Anne Stretz and I recently visited the Steel City to attend the National Scholarship Providers Association’s annual conference. While we spent the days learning how to best serve and engage our scholars, we were able to spend some time connecting with our Pittsburgh scholars over dinner at a local restaurant. I was looking forward to putting faces with names and meeting the scholars whose goals we were helping to make possible. It was an amazing opportunity to connect and learn about what they are involved in an...

By 2014 Legacy Awards Recipient and Elks Scholar Advisory Board Member Anji Radakrishnan Anji Radakrishnan, 2014 Legacy scholar and freshmen representative on the Elks Scholar Advisory Board , is giving us a glimpse into life as a college freshmen. Join her each month as she blogs about her exciting new challenges and experiences at Penn State. It’s a common notion among college students that we can only pick two of the following three things: academics, extracurriculars, and social life. Here at Penn State, like people at every other university, some pick only extracurriculars and social life, trying to enjoy themselves as much as possible in the four years that we have as undergraduates. On the other hand, some pick only academics and extracurriculars, trying to build a solid resume that will bring them future success. Finally, there are some brave souls who dare to pick all three. Since coming to college, I’ve had to make some crucial decisions. The amount of in-class ...

An Elks National Foundation Beacon Grant has helped the Elks find the right balance. Using its Beacon Grant, Blue Springs, Mo., Lodge No. 2509 partnered with a local nursing home to provide fall prevention classes for residents, helping them prevent injuries. For each therapy session, Elks set up the classroom, served as spotters, and assisted the instructor with client evaluations. Thanks to this beneficial program, residents’ balance has improved, helping them feel safer and steadier in their homes. “I tested much better at the end of the program than at the initial evaluation,” says one client. Through Beacon Grants, the Elks National Foundation gives Lodges the opportunity to develop an ongoing, charitable, Elks-driven community project. These $2,000 grants are available to all Lodges. To find out more about Beacon Grants and the Community Investments Program, visit www.elks.org/enf/community .

Haley Strouf 2014 Most Valuable Student Scholar Massachusetts Institute of Technology—Bioengineering Major Sponsored by Rice Lake, Wis., Lodge No. 1441 “I pride myself on my identity as an active member of my school and community,” says Haley Strouf. Her numerous involvements from athletics to volunteering allow Haley to develop her identity as a dedicated and passionate individual, an identity she will continue to cultivate in the years ahead. In high school, Haley honed her leadership skills as the captain of her swimming, gymnastics and track teams, while also serving as vice-president for her senior class and the National Honor Society. Amid her leadership roles, Haley also cultivated a love of helping others, by volunteering as a math tutor and mentoring elementary children. As she looks forward to her future, Haley plans to continue to stay involved and assist others. After graduating and pursuing graduate school, Haley hopes to become a bio-engineer and design ...