Trooper Kevin Conner

Entrepreneurial Initiative Application

($1,000 Scholarship)

Eligibility:

High school seniors who have demonstrated initiative, determination, a “Think and Do” attitude, and a commitment to entrepreneurial excellence in their daily lives.  Students should plan to major in a business-related field of study (Business, Accounting, Finance, Communications) at an accredited 4 year University.    Preference is given to students with aspirations of starting their own companies or businesses.

Questions:  Contact:  trooperkcfoundation@gmail.com

Concept:

Kevin Conner was a jack of all trades and a master of most.  In addition to his career as a NC State Trooper, Kevin and his wife, Miranda, were also the owners of a used car business, K & M Auto Sales.  Kevin thrived in the art of buying and selling many things, and it was often said that he could sell an Eskimo ice.  Because Kevin was business-minded, the foundation wanted to aid a deserving young entrepreneur in meeting their business goals.  The concept of this scholarship is that in supporting students now, there will be a great return on that investment in future impacts on their communities.

Requirements:

Complete the scholarship application.

Complete an 800-1000 word essay telling us about yourself and describing why the concept of entrepreneurship is important to you and how you would carry that forward in your field of study (whether starting a business, innovating upon industry standards, or evolving new areas within your given discipline/industry).  Also, describe how your entrepreneurial ventures will enable you to give back to your community and how you plan to do so upon graduation.

Submission Requirements

• Complete the online application by:
  

  Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Judging:

There will be two rounds of judging.  Round 1 is based strictly on the scholarship application.  Judging is completed by the appointed scholarship committee.  Round 1 is anonymous.  The highest scoring applicants will be invited to an interview for Round 2 of the scholarship selection process.

Judging will be done by the Trooper Kevin Conner Memorial Scholarship Committee.  The decision of the committee is final.

Distribution of Scholarships:

Scholarships will be presented to the winning senior in Columbus and Bladen counties at the awards program at their high school in May.  The Trooper Kevin Conner Memorial Scholarship Foundation will issue a press release and publicize the award via Facebook, local papers, and other relevant publications.  Scholarship recipients will be expected to participate in the Trooper Kevin Conner Memorial Run which will be held in October as a participant or a volunteer.

Payment of the scholarship funds will be made directly to the school the student is attending, upon presentation of the tuition bill and payment request form to The Trooper Kevin Conner Memorial Scholarship Foundation Board of Trustees at the beginning of each semester.  The student must maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher to qualify for payment.

If a student does not complete a semester and/or fails to return to school for the following semester, unused funds are to be returned by the school to The Trooper Kevin Conner Memorial Scholarship Foundation.  Any remaining balance of the scholarship will be forfeited by the student unless there are extenuating circumstances explained in writing to the scholarship foundation and accepted by the Scholarship Board of Directors.

If a student changes schools, the student must notify The Trooper Kevin Conner Memorial Foundation in writing and present the next semester’s bill from the new school with the payment request form.

Payments from The Trooper Kevin Conner Memorial Scholarship Foundation will be made within two weeks of receipt of the bill and payment request form.