KJO Foundation Announces Available Scholarships for 2018

Just as Kelli O’Laughlin created ripples of joy, positively impacting others around her and, in turn, others around them, through her kindness and good works, the scholarship fund in her name is widening its impact on young people throughout the area. The Kelli Joy O’Laughlin Memorial Fund is expanding its scholarship program in 2018, offering more opportunities for outstanding young men and women to pursue their life’s interest and dreams.

The 2018 scholarship program now includes eight (8) renewable scholarships (up to 4 years) valued at a total of $82,000. The KJO Memorial Foundation offers three scholarships, valued at $2,000 a year and renewable for four years, to graduating students at Lyons Township High School in La Grange, IL. (Category 2), where Kelli was a student. In addition, the KJO Fund offers three scholarships to students in any high school in Illinois, offered at $1,500 a year (Category 1), up to four years.

For 2018, two open scholarships have been added to the program. These scholarships – offered at $5,000 a year and renewable for four years in total -- are based on financial need and require a personal interview (Category 3). Candidates for this scholarship will be selected from Category 1 & 2 applications. Only a few candidates will be contacted for an interview. Interviews will be scheduled on March 10, 2018 and will be conducted with KJO Foundation board members and directors.

“By the end of May, we will have awarded 64 scholarships, valued at $441,500. We are able to do this because of the generous support we receive from the community and the ongoing support from a variety of fundraising efforts throughout the year,” says John O’Laughlin, Kelli’s father and co-founder with wife Brenda O’Laughlin of the Kelli Joy O’Laughlin Memorial Foundation.

According to Brenda O’Laughlin, the new and expanded scholarship program reflects her daughter’s kindness and spirit of generosity. “Kelli is remembered through the spreading of ‘JOY’, something we are proud to be able to do by giving opportunities to promising young men and women. We’re looking forward to learning about -- and learning -- from new young adults in the 2018 application process,” she remarks.

Scholarships are awarded based on a variety of factors, including academic performance, involvement in school sporting activities and a commitment to volunteerism or helping others. Students currently in their senior year of high school can learn more about the requirements for the awards and apply for the Kelli Joy O’Laughlin Memorial Foundation scholarships on the foundation’s website, http://kjofund2.com. Students applying for the $5,000 open scholarships must demonstrate financial need via the EFC calculation on the FASFA and need to available on March 10th for interviews. The foundation will contact students that have applied and meet all the criteria for this scholarship.

The deadline for applications is February 17, 2018. Winners will be announced in May through the students’ respective high schools.

Meanwhile, fundraising efforts for the 2018 scholarship program continue. Upcoming events include a golf outing in June and the annual Run for Kelli 5K run and walk in September. For more details on those fundraisers, visit http://kjofund2.com