Many 2024 high school graduates are awarded scholarships for their excellent academics or athletic performance. But St. Francis Episcopal Church in Eureka is awarding a newly established scholarship for students who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.
The Rev. Laurie Anzilotti, Vicar at St. Francis, awarded the first Kathleen McDonald Memorial Scholarship to Robert (Riley) Boyd, a Pacific High School student who plans to attend Southern Illinois University and become a therapist. Riley says being a therapist is something he has wanted to do for years, before he experienced homelessness.
In his application, Riley explains that he had been living with his dad in Illinois, but difficult circumstances brought him to Missouri, where he eventually completed high school through the Missouri Options program. That program offers students who are at least 17 years old and at risk of dropping out the opportunity to earn their high school diploma through an equivalency test.
Anzilotti said she and other St. Francis members worked with the Counseling Department at Pacific High School to determine where there was a need for their scholarship. Those counselors oversaw the application process and selected the student to receive the $1,000 award. The award is renewable and can be used at a four-year college as well as a junior college or trade school.
This is the first time St. Francis has offered this scholarship. It is named in honor of longtime St. Francis member Kathleen McDonald, who served as a teacher and librarian for more than 30 years. McDonald died May 26, 2023.
St. Francis member Anna Mackey said she was motivated to organize this scholarship after talking with another student about the scholarships she was receiving for her academic excellence. "I was very happy for her, but what about the kids who wanted to go to a trade school or a junior college or don't have all those things in their high school portfolio?" Mackey said. "I thought this scholarship might be just the incentive they need to say I matter in this world."
Mackey and the St. Francis congregation hosted a trivia night in February 2024 and raised $1,800 for the scholarship. Mackay said it was easy to sell tables to their members and the community and the event was a lot of fun. They plan to hold more trivia nights and continue funding this scholarship each year.
"We hope Riley will receive a second-year award and that we will have a new awardee in the 2025 school year," said Anzilotti. "The goal would be to support four students across their academic or vocational journey."
The Vicar says this program is more than "we raise money and give it out" project. "This is part of a larger relationship where we are in partnership with Pacific High and Meramec R-3 School District."
St. Francis has also developed a relationship with the Rockwood School District, which Anzilotti says has very different needs. These relationships are all part of the Service and Justice Principles, which Deacon David Luckes developed with the congregation. The goal of the principles is to engage in relationship building throughout their community.
Scholarship recipient Riley Boyd says he ultimately wants to earn a Master's Degree in Psychology. "Eventually, I hope to provide services that are easily accessible to teens dealing with mental health issues," Riley said. "Being awarded this scholarship would help me immensely with the cost of school and lessen my stress surrounding finances."
Learn more about St. Francis Episcopal Church.