The Willa Cather Foundation supports emerging scholars who increase our understanding and appreciation of the life and work of Willa Cather. As a part of this effort, we have created a $400 annual scholarship to support an upper-level student presenting original Cather research at a non-Cather specific conference who meets the criteria below:

Criteria

1. Recipient must be a graduate student or advanced undergraduate student. 
2. Recipient must be on the program to present a paper related to Willa Cather at major conference. All scholarly and critical approaches are welcome, as long as Cather’s work is the central focus. 
3. Recipient must have travel and registration expenses not already covered by other external sources.

The Willa Cather Foundation will award three $400 scholarships annually. We prefer to award at least one scholarship to a student presenting at the annual conference of the American Literature Association and another to a student presenting at the annual conference of the Western Literature Association. A third scholarship is undesignated to a specific conference, but preference is given to students presenting their research at conferences that are not Cather-specific (such as the International Cather Seminar, for which there are other available scholarships).

How to Apply:
Applicants should send a message to Willa Cather Foundation Education Director Tracy Tucker at ttucker@willacather.org with the following attachments:

1. One-page cover letter which clarifies that the applicant meets all of the above criteria.
2. Copy of accepted proposal for scholarly presentations.

Applicants who seek a scholarship should submit their application no later than four weeks prior to the conference.

ABOUT THE SCHOLARSHIP / Eligibility

The purpose of the Norma Ross Walter Scholarship is to provide financial assistance to female graduates of Nebraska high schools who plan to enroll as English majors in accredited colleges or universities. Applicants must be female high school seniors who are prospective first year college students and plan to continue their education as English majors in accredited colleges or universities. Selection is based on intellectual promise, creativity, and character of the applicant.

Norma Ross Walter was a Navy Wave during the Second World War and a career newspaper editor in California. A lover of Cather and frequent visitor to Red Cloud, she was also a firm believer in education for young women. At her death in 1982, she left a bequest to fund a scholarship program. The first scholarship was awarded in 1987.

FINANCIAL DATA

First place recipient: $2,500.00
Second place recipient: $1,750.00
Third place recipient: $1,250.00

Each stipend is payable at the beginning of the first year of college. The scholarship is not renewable.

DEADLINE

January 31 annually

ABOUT THE SCHOLARSHIP / ELIGIBILITY

The purpose of the Ántonia Scholarship is to provide financial assistance to graduates of high schools based in the United States of America who plan to enroll as English or history majors in accredited colleges or universities. Applicants must be high school seniors who are prospective first year college students and plan to continue their education as English or history majors in accredited colleges or universities. Selection is based on intellectual promise, creativity and character of the applicant. The Ántonia Scholarship was created to honor Annie Sadilek Pavelka, prototype for Ántonia Shimerda in Cather's novel My Ántonia and Mary Rosicky in Cather's short story "Neighbour Rosicky."

FINANCIAL DATA

One $1,000 scholarship will be awarded annually. Each stipend is payable at the beginning of the first year of college. The scholarship is not renewable.

DEADLINE

February 28 annually

ABOUT THE SCHOLARSHIP / Eligibility

The purpose of the Antonette Willa Skupa Turner Scholarship is to provide financial assistance to graduates of Nebraska high schools who plan to enroll as English or history majors in accredited colleges or universities. Applicants must be high school seniors who are prospective first year college students and plan to continue their education as English or history majors in accredited colleges or universities. Selection is based on intellectual promise, creativity and character of the applicant.

The Antonette Willa Skupa Turner Scholarship is named after the granddaughter of John and Annie Sadilek Pavelka, prototypes for both Anton and Ántonia Shimerda in Cather's novel My Ántonia and Anton and Mary Rosicky in Cather's short story "Neighbour Rosicky."

FINANCIAL DATA

One $1,000 scholarship will be awarded annually. Each stipend is payable at the beginning of the first year of college. The scholarship is not renewable.

DEADLINE

February 28 annually

About the Scholarship / Eligibility

The purpose of the Leslie A. and Helen R. Wilson Memorial Scholarship is to provide financial assistance to residents of Webster County (Nebraska) who plan to enroll in a two- or four-year course of study in an agricultural or secondary education pursuit. Applicants must be a resident of Webster County and have attended a local high school, on schedule to graduate in the upper one-third the high school class, and an active participant in his or her church and community.

About the Wilsons

Leslie Wilson, son of Henry P. and Emma Wilson, was born November 20, 1894 and grew up at Geneva, Nebraska. He graduated from the University of Nebraska, served in World War I and after discharge homesteaded in Johnson County, Wyoming. While in Wyoming he also surveyed for the government. On return to Nebraska he and Helen M. Reiher were married February 9, 1923, at her parents home near Red Cloud, Nebraska. They lived in Seward where he was a very early Extension Agent and it was there that their son, Jack was born. Later they farmed near Beaver Crossing. In 1929 the family moved to Red Cloud to care for Helen's ailing parents, Frederick E. and Hermina Reiher.

Helen was born on the Reiher farm December 25, 1895, attended District #27 school, graduated from Red Cloud High School in 1913 and taught District #26 one year before attending the University of Nebraska, where she graduated in 1919. She taught one year at Wilbur and 3 years at Red Cloud before her marriage.

In 1936 Leslie, Helen and Jack moved to a farm in the Indian Creek community northwest of Red Cloud. In the 1940's the Inavale School Board asked Helen to teach and be principal, which was the beginning of a second teaching career. She served in many communities, enjoying the students and faculty wherever she went, until 1958 when it was necessary for her to retire and assist Leslie, who had suffered a stroke. He passed away at the farm in 1963 and though she later moved into Red Cloud, she looked after the farm while health permitted. She died in 1988. Both she and Leslie were strong advocates for education, he also having taught, as well as working for the Soil Conservation Service when called upon, in addition to farming.

Financial Data

One $500 scholarship will be awarded annually

Deadline

April 20 annually

1987: Karen Hartmann Roggenkamp, Minden 
1988: Kristin Guild, Lincoln East 
1989: Lynn D. Lu, Lincoln East
1990: Kara K. Choquette, Minden
1991: Kara B. Martin Durgin, Lincoln East
1992: Erin Duncan, Franklin
1993: Michelle Dowd, Omaha Central
1994: Kelly Bare, Lincoln Southeast
1995: Elicia Kaplan, Lincoln East
1996: Kristine Kopperud, Wayne
1997: Angela Turek, Hastings
1998: Rose C. Mellion, Omaha Burke
1999: Erin Mann, Wayne
2000: Tuesday Metcalf, Beatrice
2001: Lacey Worth, Ralston
2002: Anne C. Sloniker, Bellevue West 
2003: Sarah Fattig, Kearney 
2004: Sarah Beringer, David City 
2005: Alicia Dahling, Franklin 
2006: Sarah Chambers, Palmyra 
2007: Justine McMullin, Leigh 
2008: Kirsten Block, Gothenburg 
2009: Mindy Blunk, Burning-Davenport High School
2010: Julia Vaughan, Fremont High School
2011: Jaime DeTour, Hastings High School
2012: Emily Simmons, Valentine High School
2013: Alexandra Baxter, Millard North High School
2014: Grace Iaquinta, Lincoln East High School
2015: April Bayer, Central High School
2016: Kathleen Walenta, Lincoln East High School
2017: Marissa Galardi, Lourdes Central Catholic

2013: Jordie Theye, Odell
2014: Abigail Feden, Papillion
2015: Madeline Warrick, Hastings
2016: Ashley Morrison, Omaha 
2017: Patrick O'Neil, Nebraska City