Gerard Seymour Rugby Scholarship
The Gerard Seymour Rugby Scholarship is an athletic scholarship awarded annually to recently graduated high school Rugby players whose college/university aspirations are significantly reduced by financial circumstances. It is a unique scholarship in that the winner often becomes the first person in their family to attend college, thereby breaking the continuing low-education/low-productivity cycle that is restricting more and more of our young citizens from realizing the American Dream.
History
In 2016, the Foundation’s Board of Directors initiated this scholarship program to help fulfill the educational component of its mission. By providing financial support to deserving high school graduates, the Foundation is opening doors that would otherwise remain closed; the Foundation is doing its part to “make a difference” in our community. At the same time, the Gerard Seymour Rugby Scholarship provides an avenue for younger players to continue their Rugby careers at the competitive level that suits them best.
How it works
The nominees for the Gerard Seymour Rugby Scholarship are accepted from a list of interested applicants gathered at the annual Heart of America Rugby Tourney and from recommendations of local high school coaches. All candidates that apply are interviewed by a Foundation Board member and a Kansas City Rugby Club coach. Furthermore, each candidate’s parents are also interviewed so that all parties involved fully understand the expectations pertaining to the scholarship.
Graduates chosen to receive the Gerard Seymour Rugby Scholarship must meet a set of requirements just like any other scholarship, athletic or otherwise. He must have his high school diploma; he must have demonstrated academic responsibility in high school; he must stay in greater Kansas City after graduation; he must continue to exhibit good citizenship and academic progress in college; and he must fully participate with the Kansas City Rugby Football Club at his competitive level.
The Kansas City Rugby Foundation believes that if a conscientious young man can at least start college, he will find a way to finish college. Broadly speaking, after a year of two in junior college, even with limited classwork, he will: Be more mature…Have more self-discipline…Better understand the reasons why higher education is so important…Have a more realistic view of himself…Be able to set achievable goals. In short, we believe that once he starts college he will find a way to finish and be positioned to become a productive member of our society.
How you can contribute
And now you can help a young man improve his current station in life. Your charitable donation – regardless of amount – will help sustain and expand the Gerard Seymour Rugby Scholarship’s mission. Your donation can be mailed in (no cash, please), made online, or set up for a small monthly direct withdrawal. Please click on the DONATE button below for the option you wish to use.
Remember, we Americans can always pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps! We can all improve our lot in life – some of us just need a little help reaching those straps.