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Jim Stankus Memorial Scholarship Fund The Jim Stankus Memorial Scholarship Fund was created at The Pittsburgh Foundation to provide a scholarship to graduates of Penn-Trafford High School. This scholarship is in memory of James (Jim) Stankus, a 1970 graduate of Penn-Trafford High School who made the most of growing up in rural Westmoreland County. Besides a rewarding high school experience and regional outdoor adventures, he also loved music and playing his Fender guitar. Jim graduated from Carnegie Mellon in 1974 and spent much of his professional career in the biopharmaceutical industry. Among his many responsibilities, he managed six contract manufacturing sites in the US and Europe for Amgen, a biotech company. The drugs made in those facilities help prevent infection in patients undergoing cancer treatment and alleviate crippling pain for millions of individuals with autoimmune disease. Jim considered working for Amgen, whose mission is to serve patients by creating medicines that restore health and/or save lives, one of his greatest honors. Coupled with his sense of caring and humanity, Jim was a person of critical reasoning and strategic thinking. He was a realist with a sense of humor, who also possessed the ability to dream. To honor him through this Memorial Scholarship Fund, we hope to find others at Penn-Trafford High School with similar eclectic natures who will work hard to make the world a better place.

Average Award: Varies
Award Type: Single-Year Award
Application Period Opens: 1/17/2024
Application Period Closes: 4/1/2024

Criteria

  • Attend Penn-Trafford High School as a graduating senior or, be a graduate of Penn-Trafford High School.
  • Demonstrate financial need.
  • Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. Recipients must maintain this GPA at all times while enrolled in their program.
  • Plan to attend a two- or four-year college program or trade school as a full-time student anywhere in the United States.

How to Apply

  • Complete the essay section of the application.
  • Submit your FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS). If you have not already received your FSS, you can do so by applying for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
  • Submit one letter of reference from a mentor, professor or employer.
  • Submit your unofficial transcripts.

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