The Michael Burke Sr. Memorial Scholarship

Bringing young people closer to Christ

Application is Open!

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Application is Open! ~

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

 

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. 

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.

Scholarship Information

How to Apply:

Please complete all of the following steps in order for your application to be complete.

  1. Fill out the 2026 Scholarship Application linked above

  2. Complete both Essay prompts:

    Essay A: Life and Personal Faith (1-2 pages double spaced 300-600 words)
    •Briefly describe how and when you came to know Jesus in a more personal way.
    Essay B: Project (1 page 300- 400 words double spaced).
    •What activities or communities are you currently involved that could help exercise your faith leadership skills to bring your peers closer to Christ?
    •Describe an initiative that encourages your peers to live out the faith at school.

    Please include your Full Name, Essay A|B, and Title in the header of both essays.

  3. Email essay responses to mbscholarship@youthapostles.org, with the subject line of the email reading: SCHOLARSHIP ESSAYS Last name, First name

    Please attach the essays as Word documents or PDFs using the following naming scheme:
    Lastname_Essay A
    Lastname_Essay B

    Shared Google documents will not be accepted.

Essays are to be submitted at the same time as the form portion of the application. All completed applications are due by March 15th, 2026.

You will be notified before April 30, 2026 by email whether or not you are in the top 10 potential recipients, of which five will ultimately be chosen. If you are in the top 10, you will then be interviewed by a panel on the scholarship board on your character and zeal for sharing the faith with others. If selected, you will be asked to attend a two-day workshop over the summer before the start of your semester to develop your project.

This two-day workshop will ensure that your project will help you to:

  1. Grow in your faith by sharing the love of Christ

  2. Nurture the faith of your peers

  3. Build the foundation of a community within the local church or campus ministry

  4. Encourage life-long practice of the faith beyond college

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. Those who accept the award are required to attend an in-person workshop July 12-14 2026.

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.