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Marsden Scholarship

The George and Dorothy Marsden Scholarship Fund was established by Mrs. Marsden to help academically promising students from the Inland Northwest maximize their potential at the world’s best colleges and universities. “My intentions would be wholly fulfilled,” she wrote, if “... our young people … go to the great universities of the world as designated Marsden Scholars.” Up to two new Marsden Scholars are named each spring from high school seniors whose permanent legal residence is within the Episcopal Diocese of Spokane, and a number of scholarships are renewed.

Applications for 2025 will open January 15, 2025, and will close March 15, 2025.

How to Apply

Review the Eligibility factors (below)

Download and review the Application Checklist 

When you have prepared everything in the Checklist which applies to you, allow yourself time to carefully complete the application, then click Application. NOTE:  Forms must be completed on‐line. The application form must be completed in one session; it cannot be saved and re-visited.

Try to avoid waiting until the last hours before the deadline to submit your application, just in case technical issues occur. 

Be sure to send the appropriate links to those who will be providing references and confirm receipt, with a reminder that reference forms must be submitted online by March 15

Submit the completed application by March 15

Awards will be announced in late April

Questions can be addressed to the Cathedral administrator.

Eligibility

To be eligible for consideration an applicant must:

  • Have a permanent legal residence within the Episcopal Diocese of Spokane (the state of Washington east of the Cascades and the state of Idaho north of the Salmon River)
  • Have submitted a completed application on current year online form by March 15
  • Have arranged for all references to be submitted by March 15
  • Be a high school senior

NOTE: You do not have to be a member of an Episcopal church or any faith community

Considerations

Applications are evaluated in their totality, considering:

  • Promise of academic excellence, from grades, scores and/or other factors
  • Potential for success and leadership as evidenced by involvement in school, extracurricular and community activities, work and volunteer experience
  • Academic goals
  • Potential impact of the scholarship on realization of academic goals

FAQ

No. Grades and tests are not the only indicators of academic potential. Most successful applicants have had a cumulative GPA above 3.5 and combined math/reading SAT scores above 1300, but awards have also been made to applicants based on other evidence of potential for academic excellence.

Reference #1 must be your guidance counselor.

Reference #2 should be a teacher, advisor or other school official.

Reference #3 should be someone from the community who knows you through some activity outside school - an employer, coach, scout leader, church leader, mentor, etc.

Apply anyway, noting status on application. Advise the Marsden Committee by email to the Cathedral administrator of any new information as it is received. 

 

The scholarship is $8,500 per year, renewable for the four years of full-time college enrollment. It is paid directly to the school.

In early August, the Cathedral sends the check directly to your school.

Marsden Scholars

2024: Mariah Cornejo of Eisenhower High School in Yakima, WA; and Jorge Gaytan Garcia of Connell High School in Connell, WA

2024: special one-year award to Ellis Benson of Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane, WA; and Caitlin Wassell, from Ellensburg, WA, student at Stanford Online High School of Redwood City, CA and Ellensburg High School

2023: Leila Brown of Pullman High School in Pullman, WA; and Kennard Hou of Hanford High School in Richland, WA

2023: special one-year award to Noemi Aguilar of Connell High School in Connell, WA

2022: Sofia Marina, from Richland, WA, student at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA; and Tryston Schmitt of Lakeside High School in Nine Mile Falls, WA

2022: special one-year award to Amberly Guerrero of Chelan High School in Chelan, WA; and Parker Ritzmann of West Valley High School in Spokane Valley, WA 

2021: Xitlali Cruz of Chelan High School in Chelan, WA; and Lilian Smith of Coeur d'Alene High School in Coeur d'Alene, ID

2020: Thomas Horstkamp of Pullman High School in Pullman, WA; and Jacob Unruh of Lake City High School in Coeur d'Alene, ID

2019: Bryan Fang of Richland High School in Richland, WA; and Sarah McKenna of Richland High School in Richland, WA

2018: Brienna Buchanan of Hanford High School in Richland, WA; and Solveig Baylor of St. George's School in Spokane, WA

2017: Alex Fang of Hanford High School in Richland, WA; and Max McGougan of St. George’s School in Spokane, WA

2016: Swetha Shutthanandan of Richland High School in Richland, WA; and Joseph Winters of Cascade High School in Leavenworth, WA

2015: Emily Cieslak of Wenatchee High School in Wenatchee, WA; and Abigail Stickney of St. George's School in Spokane, WA

2014: Philip Howard of Central Valley High School in Spokane Valley, WA; and Alaina Jacobsen of St. George's School in Spokane, WA

2013: Marina DeFrates of North Central High School in Spokane, WA; and Sean Stephens of Hanford High School in Richland, WA

2012: Andrew Schutts of Central Valley High School in Spokane Valley, WA; and Molly Cole of Mount Spokane High School in Mead, WA

2011: Jacob Ecklund of Hanford High School; and Paige Whidbee

2010: Ian Wyant of Chelan High School; and Matthew Philipps of Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane

2009: Kevin Aubol of Ellensburg; and Hayden Heftel of St. George's School in Spokane

2008: Kelley Fisher of Wenatchee; and Benjamin Livingston of Ellensburg

2007: Erin Shaw of Mead, Kayla Shaw of Mead; Ashley Anderson of Ferris High School in Spokane; Mitchell Palmquist of University High School in Spokane Valley

2006: Benjamin Flores of Moscow; Todd Keatts of Pomeroy; Tyler Rauh of Kennewick