Chicago Student Granted $10,000 Scholarship through Northwestern Mutual’s Childhood Cancer Sibling Scholarship Program
Chicago Student Granted $10,000 Scholarship through Northwestern Mutual’s Childhood Cancer Sibling Scholarship Program (Chicago, IL) — As part of its ongoing efforts to alleviate the financial burden of families affected by childhood cancer, Northwestern Mutual, through its Foundation and Childhood Cancer Scholarship Program, is dedicating $500,000 in combined scholarships to 50 childhood cancer survivors and childhood cancer siblings. With this addition, nearly $2 million has been awarded to 262 scholars since the inception of the program in 2017. Chicago resident Maxwell Olson is one of the company’s 2023 Childhood Cancer Sibling Scholarship Program recipients, receiving a $5,000 renewable scholarship (for a total of $10,000).
“A childhood cancer diagnosis affects families in many ways, and for many there is a financial burden – from treatment and medication to travel and lodging,” said Steve Radke, president of the Northwestern Mutual Foundation. “To allow students affected by childhood cancer the opportunity to pursue their dreams, regardless of the financial implications associated with this disease, Northwestern Mutual is announcing the opening of applications for our 2024 Childhood Cancer Scholarship Program.”
In 2017, Maxwell Olson’s younger sister, Ava, passed away from cancer. Following her death, Olson said he wanted to be angry, but instead chose to devote his life to her legacy and to making a difference in the world. As a leader for “Cadets Fighting Cancer,” Olson has helped raise over $30,000 for cancer-based charities. He is currently pursuing a degree in business at Creighton University and hopes to one day run a nonprofit charity to raise funds and awareness for pediatric brain cancer.
“My sister’s faith in herself and her willpower serve as a daily reminder to me that I can make good in her name,” said Olson. “My long-term plan is to work for a company that aligns with my interests and values and to continue to prove myself professionally until I can dedicate myself to running a successful pediatric brain cancer charity. I’m grateful for Northwestern Mutual’s support through this scholarship and admire its company values and dedication to philanthropy.”
Applications for the 2024 scholarship program are being accepted now through February 1, 2024. The program is administered through Scholarship America, an organization dedicated to developing scholarship solutions for student success. Northwestern Mutual helps identify the criteria Scholarship America uses to select each year’s recipients, including the student’s essay, family income level, grade point average and geographic location. The scholarship is for full-time undergraduate studies and students must be a childhood cancer survivor or sibling of someone who had or has childhood cancer to qualify for the scholarship. To learn more and apply, visit:
Since 2012, Northwestern Mutual’s Childhood Cancer Program has been committed to accelerating the search for better treatments and cures for childhood cancer while providing support to families and survivors living with late effects of treatment. To date, the company has contributed more than $50 million to the cause and funded more than 600,000 hours of research. To learn more about Northwestern Mutual’s continued efforts in the fight against childhood cancer, visit its Foundation’s website here.
Chicago Student Granted $10,000 Scholarship through Northwestern Mutual’s Childhood Cancer Sibling Scholarship Program
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