McKinney-Marshall RYE Scholarship
DUE DATE DECEMBER 1ST
History
The McKinney/Marshall Scholarship is given in honor of two individuals, Jeremiah McKinney and Dr. Tom Marshall. Jeremiah McKinney was an outbound exchange student to Japan. His family did not have the financial means to provide for Jeremiah to go on exchange. Jeremiah was a bright student who decided he would work extremely hard to raise the funds so that he could go on exchange. Through his efforts, he was able to make enough money to go on exchange to Japan. His exchange year was everything he had hoped for. Unfortunately, not long after his return from Japan, he was in a fatal car accident. The La Crosse Valley View Rotary club established a scholarship in his honor.
Tom Marshall has been a devoted Rotary Youth Exchange leader for over 30 years. He has held several positions in the Rotary Youth Exchange program. The positions include club Youth Exchange Officer, District Outbound Coordinator, and as a country correspondent for Central States Youth Exchange. In 2001, the Tom Marshall Fund was established to honor the many years of service Dr. Marshall had given to Rotary Youth Exchange. It was formed as an emergency fund to help students who experienced unexpected financial need.
Those two funds are now merged to form the McKinney-Marshall Rotary Youth Exchange Scholarship.
Eligibility:
Applicant must be sponsored by a Rotary club in district 6250. Applicant must demonstrate severe economic hardship. District 6250 offers a needs-based scholarship to promote diversity and inclusion in the Rotary Youth Exchange Program.
Application:
Students who choose to apply for the “McKinney-Marshall Rotary Youth Exchange Scholarship” shall submit the following:
- Complete the scholarship application (a copy is included at the end of this section) and forward it to their District Chair.
- Personal essay describing
- how they see their role as an ambassador for the Rotary Youth Exchange Program
- what their exchange means to them personally
- their personal and professional goals in life
- any efforts he or she is making to financially pay for their year on exchange
- any community service in which the student has participated
- Letter from parent describing their support for their son’s/daughter’s decision to be a Rotary Youth Exchange Student and the need for economic assistance. Any supporting data that can be provided that further defines economic need will be considered.
- Letter from sponsor Rotary Club President/YEO defining their support for the scholarship request.
Award:
Amount of award will vary depending on availability of funds. The Scholarship Committee shall have the latitude to determine the distribution of funds among the successful candidates. Award of scholarship and the amount of the scholarship shall be approved by a two-thirds vote of the Scholarship Committee. The award will be announced at the District 6250 Annual Conference.
If the student is sent home from the host country for disciplinary reasons, the Scholarship Committee may request a hearing with the student to determine if the scholarship money should be returned.
Number:
Number of awards will vary depending on availability of funds.
Application Deadline:
Scholarship applications and supporting information must be received by the District Youth Exchange Chair by DECEMBER 1.
Selection and Disbursement:
Applications will be reviewed by the Scholarship Committee. The judges will be composed of the District Chair, a representative from the La Crosse Valley View Rotary Club, the District Governor Elect, the District Outbound Coordinator and one other person designated by the current District Governor. The sole basis of the judges’ decision will be based on content of the materials presented. The decision of the judges will be final and not subject to appeal.
Copies of the correspondence shall be submitted to the Treasurer with the final report.
The District Treasurer will be responsible for issuing payment to the student through the District Chair.
Announcement of Award:
The announcement of the award to the District Governor shall be made by the Rotary Youth Exchange Chair. The District Governor will announce the recipient at a time convenient to the District Governor, typically at the District Conference.