Newman Guide Education ‘Strongest Training Plan’ for Heaven, Says Scholarship Contest Winner
“As a devoted runner, I imagine life as a marathon, Heaven as my finish line, and a solid Catholic education as the strongest training plan,” says Teresa White, a homeschooled student in Illinois, who is the winner of The Cardinal Newman Society’s ninth annual Newman Guide Scholarship Contest.
White will receive a potential $20,000 off tuition at a Newman Guide Recommended college.
The Cardinal Newman Society will award a $5,000 scholarship toward her education this fall at the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D. The University has agreed to another $15,000 in scholarships over the subsequent three years ($5,000 per year) if she continues meeting the University’s requirements.
“I want to attend a college where classes are enriched with Catholic teaching rather than anti-Christian secularism,” White explains. “The contagious joy in the pursuit of Truth that students at Newman Guide Recommended colleges possess is magnetic and this is the community in which I will flourish.”
“Attending a truly Catholic college will decidedly strengthen me spiritually, prepare me to be a virtuous defender of the Faith, and assist me in living out my vocation according to God’s plan,” she concluded.
The Contest is open to practicing Catholics in the United States who are high school juniors or seniors. Each entrant must:
- Sign up for the Newman Guide Recruit Me program.
- Watch this 7-minute video on the advantages of a Newman Guide Recommended college.
- Submit a short statement expressing his or her interest in the formation found at a Newman Guide Recommended college.
Next year’s Contest will open in December 2025 and close in February 2026, and the winner will be announced in May 2026.
“The Newman Guide has really simplified my college search,” says White. “They did the research and compiled data, which helped me choose to apply to the right universities. Attending an authentically Catholic college is the best investment I can make since it will prepare me for a career while deepening my faith.”
Rising high school juniors and seniors who would like to be eligible for next year’s Contest should sign up for our Newman Guide Recruit Me program, which allows Newman Guide Recommended colleges to compete for them by sharing information about the college’s academic program, campus activities, spiritual life, and more.
This year’s Contest saw a 225 percent increase in student applications, reflecting a growing interest in Newman Guide education.
Last year’s winner, Dominic Kalpakgian of California, is attending Franciscan University of Steubenville in Steubenville, Ohio. The 2023 scholarship winner, Jacob Kristine of Pennsylvania, is attending Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia.
The following Newman Guide Recommended colleges supplement the Newman Guide Scholarship, should a winning student choose to attend their institution:
- Ave Maria University (Ave Maria, Fla.)
- Belmont Abbey College (Belmont, N.C.)
- Benedictine College (Atchison, Kan.)
- Campion College (Toongabbie East, NSW, Australia)
- Christendom College (Front Royal, Va.)
- Franciscan University of Steubenville (Steubenville, Ohio)
- Holy Angel University (Angeles City, Philippines)
- Holy Apostles (Cromwell, Conn.)
- John Paul the Great Catholic University (Escondido, Calif.)
- Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts (Warner, N.H.)
- Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College (Barry’s Bay, Ontario, Canada)
- The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts (Merrimack, N.H.)
- University of Dallas (Irving, Tex.)
- University of Mary (Bismarck, N.D.)
- University of St. Thomas (Houston, Tex.)
- Wyoming Catholic College (Lander, Wyo.)
Additional details about the Contest can be found here and questions can be emailed to Kelly Salomon, vice president of Newman Guide Programs, at Programs@CardinalNewmanSociety.org.