Admissions

Lake Forest, Ill. – Alexander Gilbert '12, an international relations and politics major at Lake Forest College, has been selected as a prestigious Kemper Scholar, a scholarship-mentorship program that has been sponsored by the James S. Kemper Foundation of Chicago, Illinois, since 1948.

"It is quite an honor to be selected from among so many qualified candidates," says Gilbert, of Castle Rock, Colorado. "And, it is something of which I am very proud … I believe it will help me mature as a student even more, and I believe it will help in the education of the whole person that a liberal arts college like Lake Forest provides."

Kemper Scholars receive annual scholarships up to $8,000, based on need, during their sophomore, junior, and senior years of college. Kemper Scholars also receive $6,500 stipends for work as interns in major not-for-profit organizations in Chicago during the summer following their sophomore year.

“Kemper Scholars represent campus leaders who are academically superior, community-oriented, committed, and well-rounded undergraduates from a pre-selected group of fifteen leading liberal arts colleges around the country,” explains Dr. Ryan LaHurd, President and Executive Director of the James S. Kemper Foundation. “Throughout the six decades of the program, Kemper Scholars alumni have gone on to make outstanding contributions as leaders in organizations and communities around the country.”

Scholars are placed in full-time administrative positions where they can learn about financial management, organizational strategy, fund-raising, and administration. During the summer, scholars live in a Chicago university residence hall and participate in a weekly seminar while having opportunities to explore the cultural, historical, and entertainment aspects of the city.

During the summer following their junior year, scholars are eligible for grants ranging from $2,000 to $6,000 to support an internship in a for-profit organization of their choice anywhere in the world.

Each fall, all Kemper Scholars attend a national conference to discuss summer projects, meet with former Kemper Scholars, and consider topics in administration, leadership and business. They read and discuss major works on leadership, service, ethics, or business; and they have frequent contact with Kemper Foundation staff to discuss the scholars’ academic and professional goals, as well as their hopes for future internships and learning opportunities.

The Kemper Scholars Program’s mission is preparing students for leadership and service, in the management of our country’s for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. The Foundation believes that undergraduate study of the liberal arts represents the best preparation for life and career. The program aims to promote education in the liberal arts while providing students opportunities for career exploration and practical experience through internships in which the scholars can experience how their education has prepared them for leadership positions.

Lake Forest College is a national liberal arts institution located 30 miles north of downtown Chicago. The College has 1,400 students representing 45 states and 69 countries.

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Will Pittinos '06
847-735-6177
pittinos@lakeforest.edu