Mike Kelly Memorial Scholarship
Leave them a little happier. Then keep going.
For graduating seniors who show up for their people, push through the hard years, and keep going anyway the way Mike did every single day.
The scholarship
A scholarship for the ones who show up for those closest to them.
Mike Kelly believed the best thing you could do with a hard hand was play it with heart, a smile and a laugh. He spent years showing up for his kids, for his grandkids, for his friends, the neighbors who needed a hand and the kids who needed a coach. When cancer tried to slow him down, he showed up anyway, right through the last inning.
The Mike Kelly Memorial Scholarship carries that forward. Each year, we award scholarships to graduating high school seniors who led like Mike led: not from a podium, but by showing up in their classrooms, for their teams, for their friends, for their families, their jobs, and their communities.
At a glance
Who may apply
Graduating high school seniors
Where
Pennsylvania residents
Next step
Two- or four-year college, or trade school
When
Applications accepted each spring
Eligibility
Who we're looking for
We're not looking for the perfect résumé or GPA. We are looking for hard workers, athletes, who have goals and a vision for how they will leave a positive impact on people in the future. You qualify if you can check most of these boxes:
Graduating senior
You're in your final year of high school and on track to graduate this school year.
Pennsylvania resident
You live in Pennsylvania Mike's home turf, from the Philly sports bars to the golf courses out on the fairway.
Community involvement
You give your time to others: teams, clubs, church, neighbors, family. Little leagues and lunch tables count as much as honors societies.
Overcoming adversity
You've faced something hard illness, loss, money, a family load most kids don't carry and kept showing up anyway.
Leadership
You lead the Mike way: by example. Captains, big siblings, shift leads, the friend everyone calls first.
Financial need
Your family could use the help, and you're willing to tell us honestly what that looks like.
Pursuing education
You're headed somewhere next a two or four year college, community college, or a trade or technical program.
How to apply
Four steps, one honest story
No transcripts treadmill, no recommendation letter relay race. Tell us your story in your own words that's what Mike would have wanted to read.
Check yourself against the criteria
Read through the eligibility list above. If you see yourself in it, you belong here.
Write three essays
Give us three essays describing your hard year, showing up for others and where your headed next.
Complete the online application
Fill out the application below. It takes about 30 minutes, and you can come back and finish any time before you submit.
We read every single one
The Kelly family and foundation board read every application personally. We notify finalists directly by email and phone.
Essay prompts
The three essays
Answer all three. There are no wrong answers — only honest ones.
Essay 1 — The hard year
300–500 wordsTell us about a time life knocked you down a loss, an illness, a family struggle, a setback that wasn't your fault. What kept you going, and what did it teach you about who you are?
Essay 2 — Showing up for others
300–500 wordsMike's rule was simple: leave people a little happier than you found them. Tell us how you do that in your community, your school, your team, your job, or your family.
Essay 3 — Where you're headed
300–500 wordsWhere are you going next, and why? Tell us about your plans for college or trade school, what you want to do with them, and how you'll lead along the way.
Applications are open
Start your application
Every field marked with an asterisk is required. Your essays are saved with your application exactly as you write them nobody edits your words.
By submitting, you confirm the information above is true to the best of your knowledge. We'll only use it to review your application and contact you about it.
Ready when you are
Go leave them happier
Every application gets read by a Kelly. Every award gets given in Mike's name, with his luck and his laugh behind it.
Questions about the scholarship? Reach us through the contact form in the footer.