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Kennedy Scholars

Each year a fortunate group of students receives the distinction of becoming Kennedy Scholars, named in honor of the center’s namesake David M. Kennedy, who exemplified all things international in his business career and in his service to the Church.

Applications for the annual Kennedy Scholar awards are due each spring for the following academic year.

Established in 2005, the award is open to all full-time undergraduate BYU students who embody the aims of the Kennedy Center. Emphasis is placed on students who have an international or global focus, which they have demonstrated through majors, minors, participation in Kennedy Center programs, theses, research projects, or internships. Recipients will receive a monetary stipend that can be applied to tuition for both fall and winter semesters.

Application Deadline

22 May

The Kennedy Scholar application can be filled out online through the following link:

https://byu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5t3ec2TDpO0B8nY

Before going to the link, we encourage students to prepare answers to the questions below, to be ready to cut and paste into the online application. Please be aware each question has a 3,000-character maximum allowance (300–500 words).

1. The Kennedy Center encourages students to be actively engaged in their education through a variety of experiences. Please list all the specific ways you have been or are currently involved. (This could include but is not limited to majors/minors, clubs, study abroad, internships, research opportunities, volunteer service, other international experiences, community involvement, leadership roles, etc.)

2. Of the above experiences, pick one or two that have been most meaningful to you and explain why. Keep in mind that this is referring to your educational experiences, and so the experiences you choose should be directly related to your time at BYU.

3. Briefly explain how your overall involvement with the Kennedy Center has changed you personally.

4. The Kennedy Center strives to equip students with international perspectives and tools to promote intellectual, physical, and spiritual well-being throughout the world. Tell us about your future plans and how they specifically embody this vision.