Michael Peters Memorial Scholarship

Scholarship: Michael Peters Memorial Scholarship

Description:  The purpose of this scholarship is to educate high school students about the critical need for organ, eye, and tissue donation. 95% of Americans are in favor of organ donation but only 54% have taken the initiative to become registered donors. In the words of Michael Peters, “The steps to register as a donor are absurdly simple: All anyone has to do is mark “yes” on their driver’s license application. That means every single person of driving age in the entire country could enroll to give.” By increasing awareness, we help motivate and inspire others to make the decision to register as an organ, eye, and tissue donor – providing hope to the hundreds of Nebraskans who are awaiting life-saving organ transplants. 

This is an essay contest sponsored by The Michael T. Peters Foundation. There will be two $2,000 scholarships awarded to Nebraska or Iowa high school seniors. The award is in memory of Michael Peters, a heart and kidney recipient who was a screenwriting student at Loyola Marymount University and a life-long advocate for organ donation.

Eligibility Requirements:

1. • High school senior attending public school, private school, or home school in Nebraska or Iowa. 

   • Have a grade point average of 2.5 or above on a 4.0 scale. 

   • Intend to enroll in an accredited college, university, or vocational-technical school in the United States. 

To Apply For This Scholarship:

• Write a persuasive essay that will inspire and motivate the audience to register as organ, eye and tissue donors based on either of two topics. 

  • • • A Personal Story involving organ transplant, cornea, or tissue donation. 

      • An Informative Essay on organ transplant, cornea, or tissue donation. 

• All essays should be no more than 750 words. 

• Because Michael Peters was a life-long advocate for organ donation, the essay should include a “Call to Action” to register as an organ donor at https://liveonnebraska.org/register/. 

Application Deadline: May 2nd 

Please ask Miss Skallberg for the scholarship application.