LINCOLNSHIRE, IL — The Selected Educational Trust has announced the two latest recipients of its signature Second-Career Scholarship Program, sponsored by Chptr. The recipients, Jennifer Rane Halloran and Patrice Jones, were awarded scholarships in the amount of $1,500 each.
Running for 15 years and awarding more than 60 scholarships, this program was created to meet the educational needs of the increasing number of second-career professionals entering independent funeral service seeking positions as funeral directors, embalmers and future leaders.
Jennifer Rane Halloran is enrolled at the Community College of Baltimore County. In the midst of a fulfilling career as a Certified Nurse Aid, Halloran is heeding the call to pursue a new career path in funeral service. “The funeral profession, like healthcare, is a space where compassion and dignity must guide every action,” said Halloran in her application essay. “Families arrive carrying loss and sorrow, and it becomes the responsibility of the funeral professional to provide a safe place, gentle guidance, and reassurance. My years as a CNA prepared me to walk alongside people in pain, and now I want to use those same skills, along with new training and knowledge, to honor lives and support communities through the funeral profession.”
Patrice Jones, currently enrolled at Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service in Decatur, GA, has chosen to pursue a career in funeral service after more than 9 years in IT. "I’m drawn to independent funeral homes because they reflect the kind of leadership I believe in: personal accountability, cultural awareness, and operational discipline. These are places where relationships matter, where standards are earned, and where care is not outsourced. "
“Each year, the review committee for this scholarship program pours over upwards of 50 applications, each submission more impressive than the last. Jennifer and Patrice impressed us with their passion and commitment to the profession,” said Stefanie Favia, the Trust’s Executive Director. “It is the greatest fulfillment of the Trust’s mission, when we can continue to provide financial support in the form of educational scholarships to such deserving young professionals. And we couldn’t do this without the generous support of Chptr, whose support of our mission has ensured that this program was a success this year.”
For more information about the Selected Educational Trust, visit www.selectedtrust.org or contact Stefanie Favia at stefanie@selectedtrust.org.
About the Selected Educational Trust
The mission of the Selected Educational Trust (www.selectedtrust.org) is to provide the best educational opportunities for the advancement and support of all who work within the independent funeral service profession. To fulfill this mission, the Trust provides programs which offer scholarships to mortuary science students and funeral service professionals and networking and employment opportunities through its Workforce Development Centers, powered by Global Atlantic Financial Group.