Scholarships Directory

The Katherine Kilbride Memorial Scholarship was established by Katherine’s daughter, Kandi Ludwig, Delta Kappa/LSU. Kandi received two Theta Foundation scholarships while in medical school, which was incredibly helpful when her only income came from loans. She created this scholarship in her mother’s memory to help provide assistance to other Thetas in the same situation. Katherine was an advocate for education, teaching for more than 30 years, and a strong influence for STEM long before it was a widely-used term. She was a role-model for balancing a busy career, family life, and personal aspirations. Kandi is proud to gift her mother’s legacy each year.

The Kathleen Bennett Tonkel Family Scholarship is named for Kathy Tonkel, Eta/Michigan. A dedicated volunteer, Kathy has served Kappa Alpha Theta as Fraternity vice president, Theta Foundation president, and Theta Foundation trustee, among other roles. A Theta memory she holds close to her heart dates back to 1992 when she was traveling for the Fraternity as vice president of extension and received the phone call that her first grandchild had been born! That same grandchild pledged Kappa Alpha Theta at Colorado College 19 years later, and Kathy credits her Theta trip with the happy coincidence. She hopes that this scholarship will help Thetas as they pursue their academic goals.

The Kathryn Bruning Bussing Scholarship is named for Kathy Bussing, Kappa/Kansas. Kathy credits much of her personal success to Kappa Alpha Theta and the friends she has made through the years. When she moved to Nebraska, the local alumnae chapter reached out to welcome her and help her family settle in. Subsequently, when she moved back to Kansas, the local alumnae chapter welcomed her home. During her time in Nebraska, she was involved in a serious car accident. A few Thetas brought dinner to her family during her recovery. When her daughter’s friend asked who the women were, her daughter responded, “They are Thetas. Thetas are friends who take care of each other.” Kathy hopes recipients of this scholarship gain a lifelong appreciation for their Theta membership.

The Kendall Cusick-Rindone and Gregory Rindone Scholarship is named for Kendy Cusick-Rindone, Rho/Nebraska. Kendy’s late mother was an elementary school teacher, instilling the importance of and a love for education in Kendy from an early age. Now, Kendy wants all Thetas to have the opportunity to attend school and receive an education. She notes that, “Theta means giving, thoughtfulness, and trust.” She encourages recipients to give generously and trust in Theta to reap all the benefits the organization has to offer. Kendy hopes that recipients can strive for Theta’s value of highest scholarship with less financial stress.

The Kyle Hartvickson Handegard Scholarship is named for Kyle Handegard, Gamma Nu/North Dakota State. As a former member of Theta Foundation’s scholarship committee, Kyle has seen firsthand the financial needs of applicants and knew she wanted to do more to help. Over the years, she has been involved on the local, district, and international levels of Kappa Alpha Theta and still serves as an alumnae contact officer to this day. She now enjoys reunions with her previous advisees and loves keeping in touch with them! Kyle intends for this scholarship to give recipients a helpful boost to propel them towards graduation and hopes that they will be able to pay it forward someday.

The Laurie McGregor Connor Scholarship is named for Laurie Connor, Gamma deuteron/Ohio Wesleyan. Laurie’s husband, Terry, surprised her with this scholarship at the 2012 Grand Convention. She always wanted to help Gamma deuteron collegians and alumnae benefit from financial assistance while in school. Laurie has proudly been an active Theta since her initiation in 1974, even serving as a Traveling Consultant (now Educational Leadership Consultant). She cites Theta for developing her leadership skills. Laurie wants recipients of her scholarship to be able to enjoy their college or post-graduate experience with less financial burden.

The Linda Moran Schmidt Scholarship is named in memory of Linda Schmidt, Beta Sigma/SMU. This fund was established by Linda’s husband after her passing to honor her commitment to scholarship. Linda and her husband, C.L. Mike Schmidt, met at SMU. Linda served as president of her chapter, and during that time, her husband recounts that he simultaneously fell in love with her and gained enormous respect for the women of Kappa Alpha Theta. She was dedicated to her studies and a role model to other students. To commemorate Linda’s legacy of academic excellence, her scholarship provides graduate students with much needed financial support to further their studies in their desired field.

The Lisa Davis Olney Scholarship is named for Lisa Davis Olney, Delta Epsilon/Arizona State. Lisa had long wanted to create a Theta Foundation scholarship, inspired by her sorority sisters who relied on scholarships during college and by the women of Eta Xi/Quinnipiac who shared how difficult it was to obtain them. When she established the fund, she chose to prioritize applicants from both the Delta Epsilon and Eta Xi chapters. For Lisa, it is a privilege to be able to support a sister in need and to help ease the financial burdens of college. She believes that Theta is a lifelong bond; always present and ready to embrace its members, no matter how much time has passed.

The Lyn Stewart Simensen Scholarship is named for Lyn Simensen, Gamma Gamma/Rollins. While serving as a Theta Foundation trustee, Lyn was involved with the scholarship program and got a glimpse into the overwhelming financial need of our members. She felt compelled to help as a result. “If I could establish a scholarship to benefit undergraduate women and enable them to remain in school, I would do it.” A favorite Theta tradition for Lyn is the final banquet and grand processional at Grand Convention. She has had the privilege to attend numerous Grant Conventions in various capacities, and it is a wonderful reminder of the strength of our fraternity through the years. Lyn hopes that this scholarship helps Thetas continue in school and lessen the financial burden of higher education.

The Marcia Wolff Thompson Scholarship is named for Marcia Thompson, Gamma Upsilon/Miami. This scholarship was created by Marcia’s husband who wanted to honor her commitment to Kappa Alpha Theta and provide educational opportunities for future members. Marcia began volunteering for Theta as a college chapter advisor and continued as a budget district director (BDD) for more than 25 years. Of this experience, she says that she enjoyed working with collegians and helping them establish sound financial practices for their chapters. Marcia’s background as a certified public accountant (CPA) inspired her and her husband to provide financial aid to a member who is studying accounting or a similar subject.

The Mariam M. Morrison/Delta Sigma Scholarship is named after Mariam “Mom” Morrison, Alpha Chi/Purdue, who embodied the phrase ‘Theta for a lifetime.’ Mariam embraced the Kappa Theta Rho sorority on Ball State University’s campus, which eventually became the Delta Sigma chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta. She was instrumental in making the dream of bringing Kappa Alpha Theta to Ball State a reality. Carol Sewell, Delta Sigma/Ball State, chaired the committee to help establish this scholarship in Mariam’s name, unveiling it at Delta Sigma chapter’s 25th anniversary celebration in 1995. Carol hopes recipients of this scholarship will be reminded of how important it is to support one another as women and as sisters, not only during the college experience, but for a lifetime.

The Marjorie Crane Schnacke Memorial Scholarship is named for Marjorie Schnacke, Kappa/Kansas. Marjorie was a dedicated volunteer, with a long list of activities and organizations served at the local, state, and national levels. All her volunteer projects were natural offshoots of her service to Kappa Alpha Theta. Her family cites Theta as the “special sauce” that caused her to constantly ask “What can I do next?” throughout her life. Being a part of Kappa Alpha Theta formed the basis for every philanthropic endeavor that she undertook. The wife, daughter, and mother of attorneys, Marjorie was instrumental in the implementation of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) as Theta’s national philanthropy. She advocated for a system where all Theta chapters across the country would raise money for a single entity – one that was worthy of Theta’s endorsement and support – and that system persists to this day. She would hope that recipients of this scholarship gain the understanding that a life spent helping others is not only noble, but far superior to a life focused on oneself.