Margaret Mary Missar/John Carroll Society High School and Junior High School Scholarship Program

Since 1997, the John Carroll Society has offered scholarships to freshmen, sophomores, and juniors attending the Catholic high schools of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. The Society bases the awards on essays and videos submitted by students and written or recorded on topics identified by the Society to encourage students to reflect more deeply on their faith.

The Society awards a scholarship of $1000 in memory of Margaret Mary Missar for the author of the first-place essay and creator of the first-place video; a scholarship of $500 for the author of the second-place essay and creator of the second-place video; scholarships of $250 each for the authors of two third-place essays and each of the creators of two third-place videos; and scholarships of $100 each for authors of five essays and creators of the five videos that receive honorable mention. The Society invites the first-place winners and their families to receive the award at the Society's annual dinner and submits the essay and video for publication in the Catholic Standard.

The 2021 Essay Competition and Scholarship Program

The 2021 competition had the theme, "Made in God's Image: Pray and Work to End the Sin of Racism." In 2021, the Competition began accepting submissions in both essay and video formats.

The winning essays were: First Place: Sean Morgenstern (DeMatha High School); Second Place: Eden Friedman (Academy of the Holy Cross); Third Place: Alika D’Souza (Academy of the Holy Cross) and Elena Hicks (Academy of the Holy Cross); Honorable Mention: Sydney Campbell (Our Lady of Good Counsel), Cate Beggy (Academy of the Holy Cross), and Mackenzie Hoefer (Academy of the Holy Cross).

The winning videos were: First Place: Ijeoma Okere (Archbishop Carroll High School); Second Place: Emily Micklos (Academy of the Holy Cross); Third Place: Amara Alexander (Academy of the Holy Cross) and Zenobia Bey-Braye (Archbishop Carroll High School); Honorable Mention: Alaina Wheeler (Archbishop Carroll High School), Mary Celeste (Academy of the Holy Cross), and Gabrielle Davis (Archbishop Carroll High School).

The 2020 Essay Competition and Scholarship Program

The 2020 competition had the theme, "Seeking Hope and Contemplation in Our Modern World."

The 2019 Essay Competition and Scholarship Program

The 2019 competition had the theme, "The Future of the Church Will Be Shaped By Its Saints." The winning essays were: First Place -- Holly Keegan (Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart); Second Place -- Kayla Conroy (The Academy of the Holy Cross); and Third Place -- Elizabeth Kateri Downey (The Academy of the Holy Cross) and Valerie Kumza (The Academy of the Holy Cross).

The 2018 Essay Competition and Scholarship Program

The winning essay in the 2018 competition was submitted by Olivia Young, a senior at the Academy of the Holy Cross.

Click here for a complete list of winners for the 2018 competition.

The 2017 Essay Competition and Scholarship Program

The winning essay in the 2017 competition was submitted by Olivia Young, a junior at the Academy of the Holy Cross.

Agnes E. and Joseph P. Vaghi Scholarship

The Annual Dinner serves as the primary source of funding for the Agnes E. and Joseph P. Vaghi/John Carroll Society Scholarship, inaugurated by the Society in 2004. This scholarship provides a $4,000 annual award towards high school tuition for five students at Archbishop Carroll High School each year.