Quinn Kennedy thought he might have to take a gap year before returning to campus his senior year so he could earn enough money to pay for tuition. Hope endowed scholarships saved the day.
“I was in disbelief. I didn’t think it was real,” said Quinn, describing what it was like when he opened the letter with the scholarship awards. “I gave the letter to my dad to read and he started crying.”
That summer, Quinn had been working three jobs, taking two online Hope classes and studying for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) so he could apply to law school. Money was extremely tight for his family, he said, with his dad on disability unable to work and his mom requiring expensive medicine following cancer treatments.
“The scholarships mean the world to me,” he said, grinning from ear to ear. “I can actually focus on applying to law school, English club, my fraternity and helping the younger guys learn to step up. Otherwise, I’d be working 30 to 40 hours a week to send in a tuition check, pay for meals and afford living expenses.”
A political science and English major, Quinn’s professors were instrumental in cultivating in him a love for these subjects. Professors’ personal investment in students and their integration of faith with the curriculum originally attracted him to Hope.
“I wanted to stretch out and practice my faith more,” said Quinn, who is from Indiana. “I was never really religious growing up. We were homeless for a long time. That was very stressful on me and my family. My faith has grown exponentially over the last three and a half years. That’s what I love about Hope. Whether I agree with what I’m being taught or not, it challenges me to think.”
Now a senior, Quinn has had a rich campus experience. He was on the swim team for one semester; joined Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity where he’s been a treasurer and chaired several committees; helped start an English club; participates in pre-law society; and interned in the U.S. House of Representatives for Indiana Rep. Greg Pence through Hope’s Washington Honors Semester.
According to Quinn, an endowed scholarship is “the greatest you can give anyone.”
“No matter how much the gift or fund, it’s impactful to the individual, giving them breathing space to focus on what they want to do,” he explained.
He was awarded the Lewis R. Scudder Memorial Scholarship and the Erika Jane Brubaker English/Literature Scholarship. “I didn’t know what it was like to receive such a gift,” he added. “I’ve learned about generosity in a way I had not known before.”
“I want to show the same love that a stranger showed me and give someone the gift of breathing room that I felt,” said Quinn, who plans to fund an endowed scholarship when he becomes an attorney one day.
Consider funding an endowed scholarship and help more outstanding students like Quinn to afford a prized Hope education. Learn more at hope.edu/give.
nice article.thanks