The St. Thomas More Guild of Western New York has opened its 19th annual scholarship contest for students attending Catholic elementary and high schools during the 2025-26 school year. One $1,200 scholarship will be awarded to a student attending a Catholic elementary school, and one $1,600 scholarship will be awarded to a student attending a Catholic high school. The contest is open to all students currently in grades 6-11 who will attend a Catholic school located in the Diocese of Buffalo.
A $2,000 scholarship will be awarded to a student attending either a Catholic college or an ABA accredited law school.
St. Thomas More gave up his life rather than abandon his Catholic faith. He was a lawyer, an important government official, a loving husband and father, a brilliant scholar and writer. When the king ordered him to do something that he knew was wrong, he refused and was put to death.
Essays should identify someone that the writer considers to be a modern St. Thomas More, who has made a sacrifice to follow his or her faith. Explain why that person was chosen and what specifically makes that person a modern-day St. Thomas More.
The application form must accompany the essay. The current grade of the student should be placed in the upper right-hand corner of the first page of the essay. The essay must not contain the writer’s name or school. The essay must be typed. The maximum length of the essay is 500 words.
The Scholarship Application must be mailed (regular, not certified) to: St. Thomas More Guild, P.O. Box 35, Buffalo, New York 14201-0035
The submission deadline is April 11, 2025. Details can be found at http://www.stthomasmorewny.org/.
Winners will be contacted after April 30. The essay will be judged according to the grade level of the student and the judges will not know the identity of the applicant during the judging process. Scholarship awards are paid directly to the school. The awards will be presented at the annual luncheon on Wednesday, May 14.