Scholars & Alumni
The Knott Scholarship Funds has provided support for more than 1600 Catholic students since 1981. Marion and Henry Knott wanted to provide the gift of a Catholic education so that students could contribute to their communities in a positive way. Below are just a few examples of Knott Scholars in action:
Veronica Balick, MIHJK, Mount de Sales Academy ’16 and MBK, Mount St. Mary’s University ’20, is the first Mount undergraduate student to secure a Fulbright Research-Study Award. Her award fully funds a one-year MSc in cancer immunology and biotechnology at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom. “Thank you so much for all of the support that the Knott Scholarship has provided over the past many years. I appreciate all of your help so much. May God bless you all!”
Alexis Gentry, MIHJK, Notre Dame of Maryland University ’20, now teaches at Church Creek Elementary School in Belcamp, MD. Alexis graduated Kappa Delta Pi and Magna Cum Laude. “From a first generation, low income college female, thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting my last year of undergrad! Love to you all.”
Aidan Brehm, MIHJK, Loyola Blakefield ’21, has been recognized as a Semi-Finalist in the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program. “I hope I have made the wonderful people that awarded me the Knott Scholarship proud and I want them to know that they played a part in making this a reality. I hope to continue to make my parents, the Knott Scholarship folks and all of my great instructors at Loyola Blakefield HS know how truly grateful I am for everything they have done for me. Thank you all!”
Matt Smolka, MIHJK, Loyola Blakefield ’20, received the Loyola Alumni Medal, which is presented annually to the senior who is most conspicuous for school spirit, leadership and excellence in studies. Matt is now a first-year student at the University of Notre Dame.
Eden Fales, MIHJK, St. Mary’s High School ’20, was selected as Valedictorian of her senior class. “I want to thank the Knott family and the Board for recognizing my achievements in middle school and giving me the means to further my Catholic education. I am honored to have been given the opportunity and know that my faith journey will continue.” Eden is now a first-year student at the University of Virginia.
Cameron Parker, MBK, Resurrection-St. Paul School ’22, represented his school and the USA at the 2nd PDC International Education Conference/20th CACIE Future Education Forum in Beijing, China in the fall of 2019. Cameron and his young entrepreneur team from Guangzhou, China presented on the topic of creating a business around 3D print technology and marketing palace lanterns.
Ben Sontag, MIHJK, Calvert Hall College High School ’21, was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout with the Boy Scouts of America at a Court of Honor on August 5, 2020.
Joe Ecker, MBK, St. Ursula School ’07, and MIHJK, Loyola Blakefield ‘11. “The Knott Scholarship Funds provided me access to a Catholic education that has molded me into the person I am today. With a strong foundation from Loyola Blakefield and Saint Ursula School, I went on to study bioengineering and law at the University of Maryland. I am now a practicing attorney focusing on litigating high-stakes intellectual property and corporate disputes between global technology and life sciences companies. I am grateful for the opportunity to have acquired an education and value system that has helped me forge a path to success. Whether in the courtroom or the boardroom, my successes undoubtedly are rooted in the generosity of the Knott Scholarship Funds.”
Harry Benjamin, MIHJK, Mount St. Mary’s University ’98, is a Senior Economist at Bureau of Labor Statistics in Washington, DC. “The Knott Scholarship helped me achieve my dream of being the first in my family to graduate from college.”