Students taking the scheduled 8th Grade Entrance Exam in January prior to their freshman year are eligible for the following scholarships. Awards will be announced in February.
V.J. Skutt Distinguished Scholarship Award
$3,000 for the freshman year, renewable at $1,500 per year thereafter.
Angela Skutt Distinguished Scholarship Award
$3,000 for the freshman year, renewable at $1,500 per year thereafter.
Skutt Catholic Presidential Scholarship Awards
$2,000 for the freshman year, renewable at $1,250 per year thereafter.
Archbishop Daniel Sheehan Scholarship Awards
$1,000 to be used for the freshman year.
Monsignor James Gilg Scholarship Awards
$750 to be used for the freshman year.
Marie Williamson Scholarship Awards
$500 to be used for the freshman year.
Merit-based scholarships are awarded to current Skutt Catholic students and announced at the Spring honors ceremony.
Daniel Avramovich Memorial Scholarship: $2000 per year recurring scholarship for an incoming freshman of Skutt Catholic. The scholarship recipient will be asked to verify that they have upheld the criteria for the scholarship each year for continuation in succeeding years, either through an essay or personal meeting — ( i.e. -sophomore, junior and senior years).
The Daniel Avramovich Memorial Scholarship —
So — who is/was Daniel Avramovich? Coach Engelkamp does an excellent job of highlighting some of Daniel’s experiences and character traits while at Skutt Catholic. While everyone faces life challenges differently, Daniel’s family would like to award this scholarship to a Skutt Catholic enrollee who possesses a drive for life and vision of making a difference in what they can control and influence in a humbling, understated manner. Their actions, values, and interactions with others will speak louder than the ultimate accomplishments they may achieve. Daniel was an exceptional athlete and student before his illness —- he was on a rocket to the moon and beyond. He never asked — “why did this happen to me? “ He took the challenge head-on and never missed a beat, even while spending 3 years of his 6-year illness in and out of hospitals. God has a purpose for all of us, we must utilize the gifts he has given us to make a mark on this world with an eye on the future.
Excerpt from Keith Engelkamp Dan’s Coach:
Dan was a wonderful young man who lost his fight to cancer during Skutt Catholic’s second year as a school. Success usually is measured in a win column. But Dan showed everyone that winning is only a small part of success. At that time there was a no-cut policy and everyone made the team. Although Dan was a skilled player, he was slower than the other boys on the team. His arm was rather weak, but his positive attitude and his effort got him noticed. He was well-liked by his teammates. He played infield and pitched a little, but he didn’t get the playing time he deserved. Dan’s teammates knew about his struggles and his courage inspired them. The fact that he was even able to play ball was amazing. Since we were a small school our team was close and most boys were multisport athletes. During his sophomore year, Dan became increasingly sick and was unable to participate in baseball. Instead, he took a trip to Medjugorje. He brought back a blest medal for every member of the team and distributed them to everyone at Mass. He was always thinking of others before himself. That summer during legion ball Dan was close to being called Home. Fr. Gilg held a Mass at the Avramovich’s home. I didn’t know about the service until team members Terry Packer ‘97 and Nick Hatz ’97 asked if they could miss the game against Millard South in order to go to the service. They were shocked when I said no. I told them I felt the whole team needed to attend the service. And we did. Dan passed a few days later. His funeral was one of the saddest moments of my life. That year, Dan and the team became the teacher to the coach. I had been more focused on playing the better players and winning games, and less focused on developing and building character in all the young men. My experience with Dan changed me as a father, as a teacher, and as a coach. I learned it was how we played the game that made the difference. Through Dan, I became the coach I had always wanted to be. I have been blessed with many victories, state runner-ups, and state championships. What I remember most are the young men and women that earned that success. Their hard work, dedication to the game, and commitment to each other not only sharpened their skills but more importantly developed their character. I truly believe Dan inspired his team to be the best they could be. They played like Dan would have played when they won the first state title for Skutt Catholic in 1997, their senior year. I know Dan was on their minds. As you drive by the entrance of the school, look for the wonderful memorial to Dan Avramovich. His legacy to Skutt Catholic lives on.
Daniel’s parents, Dan and Joann have set up a scholarship in Dan’s honor. Each year members of the Skutt Catholic administration and faculty will present The Daniel Avramovich Memorial Scholarship to a Skutt Catholic student, who demonstrates similar character traits of facing life challenges while inspiring others to higher levels of achievement —- in spirit, mind, and body.
A student who exhibits a willingness to work hard and who challenges themselves with a rigorous academic schedule
A student who displays leadership skills in the classroom, on the playing field, or while participating in an extracurricular activity
A student who takes a genuine interest in others and who is always ready to be a true friend
A person with high integrity, who consistently chooses honesty over deception
A person who exhibits a true joy for life and who greets all with a warm smile and open arms
The Daniel Avramovich Memorial Scholarship is endowed. $2000 per year for the scholarship winner’s freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior year – assuming the student continues to meet the requirements for the scholarship and re-applies in succeeding years. If there are disciplinary issues or his/her GPA drops below 3.0, the scholarship will be revoked. The reapplication process will be writing an essay about how you have grown and met the qualifications of the scholarship in the previous year. This also could be done in a zoom call.
Paul Troupe was a 2010 graduate of Skutt Catholic. He was an avid runner, sport enthusiast, and ranked number three in his high school class. He met his wife Sarah while attending Iowa State University. Both were top graduates of the university’s aeronautical engineering program. Both went to work at Boeing Company in St. Louis following graduation. Both looked forward to very bright futures.
On November 19, 2014, six months after his wedding day, Paul and Sarah traveled to Phoenix, Arizona to receive the AN award honoring Sarah’s work as one of the top female aeronautical engineers in the country. As Paul and Sara navigated the early morning Phoenix traffic, a semi-truck struck them from behind. Sara walked away from the accident. Paul died from his injuries.
Paul’s parents, Doug and Sherri Troupe, his sister Katie (‘12), and his wife Sarah have asked that the funds Skutt Catholic received from Paul’s memorial services support an annual scholarship for a current Skutt Catholic freshman and be awarded to that person during their sophomore, junior, and senior year.
Each year members of the Skutt Catholic administration and faculty will present The Paul Troupe Memorial Scholarship to a member of the freshmen class who models the following attributes:
A student who exhibits a willingness to work hard and who challenges themselves with a rigorous academic schedule
A student who achieves consistent success in the classroom and who finishes their freshmen year with a 3.5 GPA or above
A student who displays leadership skills in the classroom, on playing field, or while participating in an extracurricular activity
A student who takes a genuine interest in others and who is always ready to be a true friend
A person with high integrity, who consistently chooses honesty over deception
A person who exhibits a true joy for life and who greets all with a warm smile and open arms
Paul’s parents summed up Paul’s personality with the following words, “Paul was a friend to all and always saw the good in every person. He served everyone he met with compassion and love. He was a source of light and happiness in the lives of so many. He lived his life for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and was welcomed into the arms of the Savior.”
We ask all members of this year’s freshman class to honor Paul’s memory and strive to emulate the qualities that defined Paul during his four years at Skutt Catholic. The Paul Troupe Memorial Scholarship will be presented to one deserving freshman this May during our Freshmen Honor’s Assembly.
The Paul Troupe scholarship is endowed. $1,000 per year for the scholarship winner’s sophomore, junior, and senior year – assuming the student continues to meet the requirements for the scholarship. If there are disciplinary issues or his/her GPA drops below 3.5, the scholarship will be revoked.
Paul and Patricia Mendlik Family Scholarship: $1,000 renewable scholarships for students in financial need who attend Skutt Catholic High School.