Scholarships Directory

The Karen Clark Tinsley Scholarship is named for Karen Tinsley, Epsilon Epsilon/Baylor. Karen’s experience as a member of the Epsilon Epsilon chapter had a tremendous impact on her personal growth and career trajectory. She credits those formative years for confirming and strengthening the faith and values her parents instilled in her as her own. Theta provided her opportunities to form friendships and develop leadership skills as both an active member and alumna, and she is thrilled to be able to help Baylor Thetas continue their own journeys of personal growth. She hopes this scholarship will allow recipients to pursue educational excellence while appreciating the impact of supporting others.

The Kate Rittner Graduate Scholarship is named for Kate Rittner, Beta Phi/Penn State. Kate decided to pursue law school a number of years after graduating with her Bachelor’s degree and, at the time, Theta did not have scholarships for women in her situation who wanted to return to school after being in the workforce for a number of years. Nevertheless, she persisted and graduated at the top of her class. Now that she is in a place to make a difference, she wanted to leave a legacy that would have helped someone like her. Kate believes that Theta is a lifelong, world-wide network. No matter where you are, you are likely to find a Theta and instantly have something in common. Kate hopes that recipients of this scholarship feel a sense of financial relief and can concentrate on their studies instead of their finances.

The Kate Rittner Undergraduate Scholarship is named for Kate Rittner, Beta Phi/Penn State. Kate established this scholarship because she wanted to give back to Theta, specifically to her own Beta Phi chapter, the Epsilon Lambda chapter, which she helped establish, and our Canadian chapters. The scholarship is meant to help Theta collegians in need obtain an undergraduate degree while remaining an active member of their chapter. She hopes that recipients of this scholarship realize that someone – another Theta at that – cared enough to think of them when they needed help the most.

The Katherine Kilbride Memorial Scholarship was established by Katherine’s daughter, Kandi Ludwig, Delta Kappa/LSU. Kandi received two Theta Foundation scholarships while in medical school, which was incredibly helpful when her only income came from loans. She created this scholarship in her mother’s memory to help provide assistance to other Thetas in the same situation. Katherine was an advocate for education, teaching for more than 30 years, and a strong influence for STEM long before it was a widely-used term. She was a role-model for balancing a busy career, family life, and personal aspirations. Kandi is proud to gift her mother’s legacy each year.

The Kathleen Bennett Tonkel Family Scholarship is named for Kathy Tonkel, Eta/Michigan. A dedicated volunteer, Kathy has served Kappa Alpha Theta as Fraternity vice president, Theta Foundation president, and Theta Foundation trustee, among other roles. A Theta memory she holds close to her heart dates back to 1992 when she was traveling for the Fraternity as vice president of extension and received the phone call that her first grandchild had been born! That same grandchild pledged Kappa Alpha Theta at Colorado College 19 years later, and Kathy credits her Theta trip with the happy coincidence. She hopes that this scholarship will help Thetas as they pursue their academic goals.

The Kathryn Bruning Bussing Scholarship is named for Kathy Bussing, Kappa/Kansas. Kathy credits much of her personal success to Kappa Alpha Theta and the friends she has made through the years. When she moved to Nebraska, the local alumnae chapter reached out to welcome her and help her family settle in. Subsequently, when she moved back to Kansas, the local alumnae chapter welcomed her home. During her time in Nebraska, she was involved in a serious car accident. A few Thetas brought dinner to her family during her recovery. When her daughter’s friend asked who the women were, her daughter responded, “They are Thetas. Thetas are friends who take care of each other.” Kathy hopes recipients of this scholarship gain a lifelong appreciation for their Theta membership.

The Kendall Cusick-Rindone and Gregory Rindone Scholarship is named for Kendy Cusick-Rindone, Rho/Nebraska. Kendy’s late mother was an elementary school teacher, instilling the importance of and a love for education in Kendy from an early age. Now, Kendy wants all Thetas to have the opportunity to attend school and receive an education. She notes that, “Theta means giving, thoughtfulness, and trust.” She encourages recipients to give generously and trust in Theta to reap all the benefits the organization has to offer. Kendy hopes that recipients can strive for Theta’s value of highest scholarship with less financial stress.

The Kyle Hartvickson Handegard Scholarship is named for Kyle Handegard, Gamma Nu/North Dakota State. As a former member of Theta Foundation’s scholarship committee, Kyle has seen firsthand the financial needs of applicants and knew she wanted to do more to help. Over the years, she has been involved on the local, district, and international levels of Kappa Alpha Theta and still serves as an alumnae contact officer to this day. She now enjoys reunions with her previous advisees and loves keeping in touch with them! Kyle intends for this scholarship to give recipients a helpful boost to propel them towards graduation and hopes that they will be able to pay it forward someday.

The Lyn Stewart Simensen Scholarship is named for Lyn Simensen, Gamma Gamma/Rollins. While serving as a Theta Foundation trustee, Lyn was involved with the scholarship program and got a glimpse into the overwhelming financial need of our members. She felt compelled to help as a result. “If I could establish a scholarship to benefit undergraduate women and enable them to remain in school, I would do it.” A favorite Theta tradition for Lyn is the final banquet and grand processional at Grand Convention. She has had the privilege to attend numerous Grant Conventions in various capacities, and it is a wonderful reminder of the strength of our fraternity through the years. Lyn hopes that this scholarship helps Thetas continue in school and lessen the financial burden of higher education.

The Marcia Wolff Thompson Scholarship is named for Marcia Thompson, Gamma Upsilon/Miami. This scholarship was created by Marcia’s husband who wanted to honor her commitment to Kappa Alpha Theta and provide educational opportunities for future members. Marcia began volunteering for Theta as a college chapter advisor and continued as a budget district director (BDD) for more than 25 years. Of this experience, she says that she enjoyed working with collegians and helping them establish sound financial practices for their chapters. Marcia’s background as a certified public accountant (CPA) inspired her and her husband to provide financial aid to a member who is studying accounting or a similar subject.

The Mariam M. Morrison/Delta Sigma Scholarship is named after Mariam “Mom” Morrison, Alpha Chi/Purdue, who embodied the phrase ‘Theta for a lifetime.’ Mariam embraced the Kappa Theta Rho sorority on Ball State University’s campus, which eventually became the Delta Sigma chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta. She was instrumental in making the dream of bringing Kappa Alpha Theta to Ball State a reality. Carol Sewell, Delta Sigma/Ball State, chaired the committee to help establish this scholarship in Mariam’s name, unveiling it at Delta Sigma chapter’s 25th anniversary celebration in 1995. Carol hopes recipients of this scholarship will be reminded of how important it is to support one another as women and as sisters, not only during the college experience, but for a lifetime.

The Mary Elizabeth Donnell Mitchell Memorial Scholarship was established in loving memory of Mary Liz Mitchell, Gamma/Butler (pictured here on her wedding day), by her five children. Mary Liz lived a life filled with challenges, which she always met with love. Adopted by a couple in Indiana shortly after her birth, Mary Liz grew up near Butler University, where she would eventually go to college and join Kappa Alpha Theta. Although she started out as a chemistry major, she switched to journalism during her senior year to study alongside her eventual husband, Jim. Attending college during World War II, she worked in a pharmaceuticals company washing vaccination bottles in assembly line fashion outside of her coursework and social pursuits. Mary Liz raised five children and stayed active and independent into her adult years. She was involved in many creative pursuits, including drama, beekeeping, and birding. A favorite and frequent reminder to her children was “show a little initiative,” which she certainly did throughout her life.