Young Catholic Scholars

“Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth—in a word, to know himself—so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves.” (Fides et Ratio)

The Young Catholic Scholars program is an 8-month program that encourages a deeper appreciation, understanding and dialogue on the intersection of faith and academics. The program offers students resources and guidance to embark on a personal investigation of how their faith impacts their academic studies and how their academic study impacts their faith. The program also offers students an opportunity to engage in active dialogue with Catholic professors and mentors from a variety of disciplines and to take a leadership role in the creation of a Young Catholic Scholars event for the greater CSC community.

Program Committee

  • Sr. Catherine Kirwan-Avila, ACI, Program Coordinator

  • Dr. Brian Himes, Program Scholar (Theology)

  • Dr. Laura Westhoff, Program Scholar (History)

  • Dr. David Bundy, Program Scholar (Biomedical Engineering & Neuroscience)

Scholarship Information:

Recipients of the Young Catholic Scholars grant will be awarded $500 for the length of the program (September – April). The scholars will work with the committee listed above for the school year.

Application Information

  • Interested students must meet the following requirements to apply:

    • Be a full-time graduate or third- or fourth-year undergraduate student in solid academic standing

    • Be an active member of the Catholic Student Center

    • Have a strong desire to invest time and effort in a personal study of how their Christian faith impacts their academic study, and to engage the CSC community in a discourse on this topic.

  • Catholic Student Center Young Catholic Scholars will:

    • Work with program committee and fellow scholars during the 8-month program to provide an opportunity for the CSC community to grow in faith and academics through events such as book discussions, visiting speakers, or an ongoing blog throughout the program.

    • Meet bi-monthly with a mentor.

    • Write a final paper at the end of their scholarship period summarizing what they have learned about how their faith impacts their areas of academic study; present the findings in a forum open to the CSC community.

  • The following materials must be submitted to Sr. Catherine Kirwan-Avila, ACI:

    • A completed application form

    • A letter of interest, indicating the applicant’s reasons for wanting to participate in the program, qualifications, and willingness to meet the requirements

Apply Here!

Contact Information:

If you have questions about the program, contact Sr. Catherine Kirwan-Avila, ACI for more information.