The Michael Burke Sr. Memorial Scholarship

Bringing young people closer to Christ

Applications are open for 2025-2026 starting September 30th

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Applications are open for 2025-2026 starting September 30th |

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

After submitting the application:

You will be notified before April 30th, 2025 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.

You can either submit the application below electronically or print the application and send to:

Youth Apostles
c/o Tyler Fabian
1600 Carlin Lane
McLean, VA 22101

Please submit your application by March 15th (or postmarked by March 10th if sent through the mail).

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

2024 Awardees

  • Tanner Eide

    University of Mary

    Who inspired you to grow deeper in your faith?

    I would say my parents nurtured my faith; however, friends and missionaries that were my age helped me to actually make the faith my own and then pursue the faith and have God be the center and focus of my life. While with every step it was the Holy Spirit inspiring me to love God more and more.

  • Kathryn Fakeley

    Mercer University

    Who inspired you to grow deeper in your faith?

    There were several people who inspired me to grow deeper in my faith, but someone who stands out is Sister Clare Crockett. Clare was an Irish nun and former actress who passed away in 2016. She completely left behind the things of the world to devote her life to God. Her motto was “All or nothing!”