Elks National Foundation Blog

by Cecily Froerer 2014 Most Valuable Student Scholar My name is Cecily Froerer. I’m a junior at Utah State University where I’m studying Communicative Disorders and minoring in American Sign Language. Four years ago, I was a high school senior with two goals. First, obtain a college degree. Second, do so without any form of student loans. The second was a seemingly unattainable goal. By some stroke of luck, I found myself in my high school’s office when two men from the local Elks Lodge shared information about the Most Valuable Student scholarship. As I continued about my week, I kept thinking about that scholarship. It was stuck in my mind. Eventually, I applied. Maybe, I would be able to get a little money for college from this. I couldn’t have dreamed what was about to happen. The next year was a whirlwind of surprises. I watched as my scholarship application passed through the Lodge, to the district, and on to the state level! I was incredibly grateful, but I was also fa...

by Cullen Edens 2016 Most Valuable Student Scholar Cullen, along with 19 other scholars, came together to serve the San Antonio community in the name of the Elks from June 26 to June 29. These 20 scholars then joined 130 of their fellow scholars for the 150 for 150 Service and Celebration Weekend, where all 150 scholars worked together to serve the city of San Antonio from June 29 through July 2.  My name is Cullen Edens and I am a junior at East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma where I am majoring in Accounting. When I was selected as an Elks Most Valuable Student scholar, I simply thought I would collect my award and move on with my college education. I had no idea the impact that the Elks National Foundation would have on my life. In late June, I traveled to San Antonio not knowing that this service trip would transform the way I viewed the communities around me. Arriving at Trinity University, I met 19 other Elks scholars from across the country from Maine to...

by Taylor Odisho Communications Assistant It’s taken an entire week to fully digest everything I experienced at my first Elks National Convention, and I think I can finally do justice in putting pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, in sharing them. I started working as the Communications Assistant at the Elks National Foundation in October of last year. In just nine months, I’ve been exposed to stories, people and moments, and I’ve been working hard to convey these interactions in an honest, interesting light that resonates with our audience. But it wasn’t until I shook hands with “Crazy Richard” Clayton and his wife; sat down with Nester Tan, a platinum donor with the ENF; or spoke with many of the Elks I’ve been writing about these past several months that everything finally clicked. There’s a scientific way to say this, but I’m a writer, so I’ll use words. You can study a topic for hours and hours, but you’ll never be able to memorize what you’re reading until you can con...

by John Kavula Elks Scholar Fellow My name is John Kavula, and I am the new Elks Scholar Fellow. In May, I graduated from Marquette University in Milwaukee with a degree in Applied Mathematical Economics and moved to Chicago. Although it has only been one week, the Elks National Foundation has already warmly welcomed me as a part of their amazing team and I know I have found a new home. Starting in the first week of June, I could not have arrived at a busier and more exciting time. With less than a month until 150 for 150 , everyone in the office is working very hard, so I hit the ground running. Luckily for me, the outgoing fellow, Jenna Johnson, left me everything I could possibly need, including a detailed manual and outlines to prep for the Elks National Convention . Even with everything going on, everyone has taken time out of their day to introduce themselves and to get to know me a little bit, and for that, I am very grateful. As part of my orientation, I got a cha...

by Ashley Hart Development Assistant This February, the Elks National Foundation welcomed me to their team as a Development Assistant. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to start my nonprofit career with the Elks family—a community known for their volunteerism, generosity and charitable work throughout the United States. As a DePaul graduate student studying nonprofit management, my decision to join the ENF stemmed from my passion for volunteer work, fundraising and nonprofit development. After my first week, I was delighted to discover the humility and devotion displayed by the ENF staff and volunteers. Never before have I worked for an organization as friendly and accommodating as the ENF. Their hard work and positive organizational culture mimics the passion and care demonstrated by the Elks.   It seems I joined the ENF at a prime time. After a week of pleasantries, we entered the month of March full speed ahead. As a new hire, I quickly understood the stress t...