Brian Morden Foundation SCHOLARSHIPs

The Brian Morden Foundation is proud to help students from Brian’s alma mater – the Altoona Area High School in Altoona, PA – with Brian Morden Memorial Scholarships to help pay college tuition. In addition, the foundation awards Brian Morden Foundation Survivor Scholarships to our “BMF kids,” who are pursuing a higher education degree.

Brian Morden Memorial Scholarships are also awarded to childhood cancer survivors who are pursuing a post-secondary school degree. These scholarships are open to childhood cancer survivors nationwide.

Addititonally, the Brian Morden Foundation established the Erin Dodson Memorial Scholarship in 2012. Erin Dodson was a wonderful ambassador for the BMF and a delightful human being. Together with her parents, Bernie and Michelle Dodson, the BMF established the Erin Dodson Memorial Scholarship for Altoona Area High School (Altoona, PA) seniors. In 2021, eligibility for Erin’s scholarship was expanded to include seniors graduating from Hollidaysburg (PA) Area High School and Bishop Guilfoyle (Altoona, PA) High School.

Applications will be made available here in January of each year.

Brian Morden Foundation Scholarships

Background Information

Since 2003, 41 young people have been touched by Brian’s legacy, each receiving a Brian Morden Memorial Scholarship of either $500 or $1000 towards their higher education degree. This has been made possible by many including Brian’s Grammy and Poppop who, each year on Brian’s birthday, make a donation so that one more young person can receive a scholarship.

2003	Brian Johnson Geoffry Horvath
2004	Josh Applas Danica Myers (cancer survivor)
2005	Sarah Connelly
2006	Megan Marcaurelle Jon Lawlor
2007	Michael Moser Megan Lowery Chris Riopelle (lost his battle to cancer in 2010)
2008	Kevin Longwill
2009	Brooke McCready Rocco Catrone (cancer survivor) Evan West (cancer survivor)
2010	Amanda Freeman (cancer survivor) Doug Longwill Elizabeth Hughes
2011	Griffin Lynch (cancer survivor) Paul Cassarly
2012	Anna Bistline Natalie Seale (cancer survivor)
2013	Emily Brumbaugh Colin Lingafelt Kenna Brooke Holtzclaw (cancer survivor)
2014	Matt Eiman Dean Maddox Hannah Kautz (cancer survivor)
2015	Andrea Wallack India Dunning (cancer survivor) Gary Yost, III (cancer survivor)
2016	Madison Frank Shuwen Hou Kallai Hokanson (cancer survivor)
2017	Kyle Siskron CJ Mason (cancer survivor)
2018	Andrea Scott Abigail Frank Isabella Ramirez (cancer survivor)
2019	Ian Brannan Morgan Fleck Aidan Hendrickson (cancer survivor)
2020	Raquel Dunio Makayla Ruggery Talon Crowther (cancer survivor)

In 2012, the Brian Morden Foundation decided to honor another cancer patient who lost her life in 2011. Erin Dodson was a wonderful ambassador for the BMF and a delightful human being. Together with her parents, Bernie and Michelle Dodson, the BMF established the Erin Dodson Memorial Scholarship for Altoona Area High School seniors. The first Erin Dodson Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Lauren Hippo in May 2012. Winners since 2012:

2013 – Joe Settemio & Shania Feathers shared the scholarship
2014 – Alexis Palfey
20 15 – Chad Allender
2016 – Andrea Parrish & Emily Little shared the scholarship 2017 – Mykenah Massar
2018 – Lindsey Hallinan
2019 – Isabella Zavalanski
2020 – Margaret Fox

A special Brian Morden Foundation Survivor Award was also given in 2013 to one of our own local cancer survivors … Erin Weaver. In 2014, Diana DeBernardis, another local cancer survivor was given this same award. The BMF was happy to award Tyler McCloskey our special survivor award in 2016. In subsequent years we’ve been able to honor more local cancer survivors … Alexis Kensinger, Abigail Fownes, and Ariel Walton (2018), Isaiah Barnes (2019), and Jonah Zolnak in 2020. Timothy Boyles and Illana Cecilia also graduated in 2020; however, they did not plan to pursue a post-secondary degree in the fall of 2020.

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All applications should include 1 letter of recommendation/support (excluding family members) that would attest to your character. Your reference should email his/her letter of recommendation/support to brianmordenfoundation@gmail.com by March 21, 2021. In the subject line please ask him/her to include “Reference for” and your name.

Complete applications should be submitted by March 21, 2021

Questions? Contact brianmordenfoundation@gmail.com

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To send your gift by mail, please send your check to:

Brian Morden Foundation
2809 Columbia Drive
Altoona, PA 16602

Thank you for your support!

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