The Michael Burke Sr. Memorial Scholarship

Bringing young people closer to Christ

Mission of the Scholarship

Are you passionate about sharing the Catholic faith? Do you currently attend or plan on attending a college, university, or trade school?

The Michael Burke Sr. Memorial Scholarship aims to encourage and empower young adults to be active witnesses of the Catholic faith and create positive community spaces to encounter young people, invite them to transform their lives to have personal relationships with Jesus Christ and give them the opportunity to evangelize their peers and those within their surrounding community. This will be done through the execution of a project, developed by the awarded recipients.

Awardees will receive $5000 per school year ($2500 per semester) to help offset the costs of tuition.

Encourage college students to grow in faith in Jesus Christ

Build leadership skills among Catholic young adults

Inspire college students to remain engaged with the Church

The Goal

This scholarship aims to equip college students (including incoming freshmen) who have a knowledge of the faith and interest in sharing Christ's teachings with their peers. Recipients commit to the development and execution of a project that will engage their peers in a relationship with Christ centered on the values of the Catholic faith. Recipients will be required to attend a workshop over the summer to develop their idea into a project and implement it at the school they are attending.

 

Who is Michael Burke Sr. and Youth Apostles?

Youth Apostles is a mixed association of priests, lay, and consecrated (learn more about us here). This scholarship is in honor of Michael Burke Sr., who was a generous and dedicated supporter of Youth Apostles and its mission to help young people draw closer to Christ specifically on college campuses. 

Scholarship Information

Awardees Responsibility

Each recipient will receive $2500 each semester ($5000 annually). This award money is intended to assist with educational expenses (i.e. room, board, books, tuition, etc.). An additional stipend will be included in order to execute their respective project. This stipend will have a limit of $200 for the entire year, but may increase depending upon the need for the project.

If you have questions, please contact the Development Officer, Tyler Fabian: tyler.fabian@youthapostles.org

Past Scholarship Awardees

2022 - John Paul Abela, Abigail Adams, and Anastasia Leffas

2023 - Melissa Balint, Jamie Cross, Luke Malanga, Christopher Pascoe, and Julia Pederson

2024 - Tanner Eide and Kathryn Fakeley

2025 - Julianna Austin and Luke Smaw

2025 Awardees

  • Julianna Austin

    Virginia Wesleyan University

    Who inspired you to grow deeper in your faith?

    Two of my closest friends inspired me to grow deeper in my faith. Aveah was my first inspiration, she encouraged me to start a deep relationship with Jesus when my faith was shaky. My second inspiration was Jessie, her holiness and dedication to her own faith influenced my life and caused me to work harder in growing closer towards Jesus.

  • Luke Smaw

    Arizona State University

    Who inspired you to grow deeper in your faith?

    My parents inspired me to grow deeper in my faith. They’ve always shown me what it means to trust God and live with strong values. Watching how they live through their faith every day encouraged me to do the same.