Scholarships didn’t just help Michael Kelly afford the cost of a Saint John’s education.
They helped the senior neuroscience major find a sense of belonging.
Kelly, a Duluth (Minnesota) East High School graduate, was placed in foster care at age 15, and ended up being shuttled through three different homes during the course of his high school years.
Michael Kelly '20
Neuroscience Major
But through all the adversity, his drive to succeed only grew.
He maintained a 4.0 GPA during his high school career.
And now, thanks to the Frey Family First Generation Scholarship, as well as other scholarships he has received through funding provided by gifts to the SJU Student Fund and outside sources, he’s preparing to graduate from Saint John’s in May while applying to medical schools.
“(Scholarships) obviously made it financially possible for me to come here,” he said. “But it’s been so much more than that. They’ve helped me to find a built-in support system and encouragement. Both of which are invaluable. And I wouldn’t have them had I not come here.
“This is such a welcoming environment. And through faculty members and friends I’ve made, I’ve finally found a family – a family that has helped me overcome the sense of abandonment and loneliness that came with foster care.”
Kelly has made his time at Saint John’s count. In addition to making the Dean’s List and earning numerous awards, he’s been part of the Peer Resource Program and the Outdoor Leadership Center, he’s served a Student Ambassador, been part of the men’s volleyball club team, made service trips to Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic and spent two months in China studying cures for tuberculosis.
He also founded and serves as President of the First-Generation Student Organization, a group designed to provide resources and help for first-generation students like himself.
“Michael is one of the most tenacious, driven and kind-hearted students I've ever worked with,” said Hannah Salto, who is now a program coordinator for the Rutgers Business School, but was previously the First-Generation Student Support Specialist at SJU and the College of Saint Benedict.
“Upon first meeting him, I was impressed by his academic achievements and overall drive in school and life. However, when I learned about his story growing up as a foster child, I truly realized what a special person he is. While scholarships have no doubt helped make this education possible for Michael, it is his character and ability that allow him to succeed at such high levels.
“I have no doubt that Michael Kelly will be a student that goes on to change peoples' lives in whatever he does.”
Kelly said Saint John’s has truly become his home over the past four years.
“I’ve aged out of the foster system, leaving me with no home to go back to,” he said. “But Saint John’s has allowed me to live on campus and has become my home. And there have been so many activities to keep me busy, and so many professors have reached out to keep me involved and connected to the Saint John’s community. I’ve even been able to travel all over the world.
“It’s been an incredibly amazing experience.”
One made possible by the scholarships he’s received.
“Without scholarships, I wouldn’t be here,” he said. “And I’ve developed such a great relationship with this community.
“I’ve finally found a place where I fit.”
[You can support Johnnies like Kelly with a gift to the Student Fund: http://bit.ly/SJUStudentFund2020 ]
Michael Kelly '20
Neuroscience Major