Your Impact
When you support Benedictine College, you ensure that our mission is carried out in the following key areas:
Giving students a high-quality Catholic liberal arts education
Benedictine College has a strong tradition of educating leaders who transform the world through their commitment to intellectual, personal, and spiritual greatness. When you support Benedictine College, you ensure that the future leaders of America have access to a high-quality liberal arts education in a Catholic environment. Your gifts fund scholarships that make it possible for young men and women from around the world to study at Benedictine College. The education they receive here develops them spiritually, mentally, and physically, and helps prepare them to transform the world.
See how Sophia’s miraculous journey, and her faith in God, led her to Benedictine College.
Benedictine College 250 for 250: Year of the Scholarship
On August 18, 2025, Benedictine College President Stephen D. Minnis ’82 announced an ambitious plan to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States, while benefitting students who strive to Transform Culture in America.
President Minnis designated the 2025-26 academic year the “Year of the Scholarship,” and set forth a plan to add 250 new scholarships (250 for 250) for Benedictine College students.
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“This is our gift back to America, the nation that has given us so much,” said President Minnis. “There is no better gift we can give our country than to form more leaders who can Transform Culture in America.”
The call comes at a time when Benedictine College has never been stronger, having been named to the Top 10 in its U.S. News and World Report category, as well as one of the Top 10 most recommended colleges by the Wall Street Journal. But as more and more students place Benedictine College at the top of their college wish list, the financial burden can be more than many families can bear.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said Pete Helgesen, Vice President of Enrollment Management, “to meet families who have determined that Benedictine College is the best place for their student but have to pursue other options instead.”
And that is why it becomes critical to add 250 new scholarships this year.
“The urgency for students formed in our unique mission of community, faith, and scholarship has never been greater,” said President Minnis. “When America needs us most, Ravens step up to do what their country needs. Our job is to do everything we can to make that possible.”
Providing an inspirational, world-class faculty
Our ability to change students’ lives and inspire them to greatness lies heavily on the shoulders of our capable, brilliant faculty. And philanthropic support is critical for ensuring Benedictine College continues to provide a world-class faculty to educate men and women within a community of faith and scholarship. Through generous donations and endowed chairs funded by supporters like you, Benedictine College can attract and retain the impressive faculty members who will teach our students to pursue lives of purpose and service as they make their impact on the world.
See how Tyler, with the help of a caring faculty and other mentors, is living out Benedictine’s values of faith and scholarship.
Building great facilities to educate future leaders
When building for greatness, you start from the ground up. By working to build the best facilities, we can provide a superior education and experience for future leaders in engineering, science, and liberal arts. Philanthropic support for facilities projects enables Benedictine College to create the optimal environment and secure the necessary resources for students to transform the world with their greatness.
See how Benedictine College, with the help of supporters like you, is always moving forward and providing students with the resources they need to thrive.
“I always had a dream of going to college, [and] I would not have been able to come to Benedictine without a scholarship. With the help of mentors on campus, seniors, the coaching staff, and my professors, I was able to flourish.”
—Tyler Shephard
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More Stories of Impact
- Nardos Smart
- Sean Maddock
- Gabby Koval
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- Miguel Monteclaro
- "A Chosen Place"
- Reed Levi
- Regan Getman
Nardos Smart is grateful for the scholarships she received, including the Abbot Scholarship and the Gilligan Family Endowed Scholarship.
Nardos came to Benedictine College to learn Finance for the best purpose imaginable—to use her knowledge to help those in need, starting with women experiencing crisis pregnancies in the United States.
Coming to Benedictine from Peoria, Ill., Nardos graduated in May of 2025 with a degree in Finance. Her scholarship to become a Raven made all the difference.
“Benedictine was one of three choices for me,” Nardos said, “and it was the only one at the time willing to hold my scholarship for a year. That ended up being the right choice.”
As a Raven student, Nardos served as a junior senator on the college’s Student Government Association and studied abroad in Spain. She says it was the college’s liberal arts emphasis and Catholic identity that were critical to her development as a person.
“I never realized how much my perspective would change during my time at Benedictine. Classes in theology and philosophy really shaped the way I think and process things, and they also deepened the foundation of my faith. I’d say Benedictine has truly helped me become a better Catholic.”
Sean Maddock is grateful for the scholarships he received, including the St. Scholastica Scholarship and The Glenn and Patricia Torline Endowed Scholarship.
When Sean, from Overland Park, Kan., was searching for his college home, he knew he needed a school that could further his dream of heading to medical school while professing a courageous Catholic identity. Enter Benedictine College.
“Benedictine has done a great job forming me spiritually and morally. I’ve loved taking theology and philosophy classes, learning more about God’s plan for humanity and for myself,” he said. “I’m really grateful to be gaining a Catholic perspective on medicine—understanding what it should be and recognizing where it currently falls short. This education is preparing me well to enter the secular world with a strong foundation in truth.”
Sean is in his first year of medical school at the University of Kansas School of Medicine.
While at Benedictine, Sean was a resident assistant, a Gregorian Fellow, and participated in research for the 2025 Discovery Day. He was also in the college’s pre-health club and graduated with a pre-med Biology major.