Sonia Daly Belcher Scholarship

2026 Sonia Daly Belcher Fund Scholarship
The Sonia Daly Belcher Fund was established in 2020 to honor the life of Sonia Daly Belcher and to continue her legacy of generosity, service, and faith. The Fund annually awards faithful Orthodox Christian students for the exploration of their purpose, passion, and response to Christ’s call to love and serve others. Applications must be submitted no later than August 31, at midnight; scholarship awards will be announced by September 17.

Instructions

The following items must be submitted by August 31:
- Completed scholarship application and essay.
- Transcript of the most recently completed semester and if available, the transcript should show cumulative GPA (unofficial transcripts are acceptable)
- Two letters of recommendation from non-relatives: one religious, one personal
  - RELIGIOUS: Your priest, deacon, or community leader (GOYA, SOYO, Camp or Choir Director, etc.)
  - PERSONAL: Your academic advisor, dean, professor, employer, coach, etc.
You will need to contact your reference writers directly and provide them with the link for them to complete their reference online (see page 8 for further instructions).
Yes, I am a communicant of a Canonical Eastern Orthodox Church.
Yes, I am, at minimum, an undergraduate sophomore in the Fall of 2023 at a college, university, or vocational school or attending graduate school.
Yes, I am a resident of New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island or Vermont) or attending college in New England.

Background Information
Name

First NameLast Name
E-mail
Address

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code
Phone Number

Area CodePhone Number
Date of Birth

MonthDayYear
Date

School Record
Undergraduate School
Dates Attended
Major/Degree Program
Graduation Year
Graduate School
Dates Attended
Major/Degree Program
Graduation Year
School-related activities, organizations, and teams from the past 3-4 years to present (include start/end dates):
School-related leadership positions from the past 3-4 years to present (include start/end dates):

Religious Record
Parish Church
Please list the Church that you attend regularly
Church Address

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code
Archdiocese Jurisdiction
Which Archdiocese/Jurisdiction does your parish belong?
Priest Name

First NameLast Name
Priest Email
example@example.com
Religious honors, activities, organizations, teams, leadership positions through your parish, diocese, or OCF from the past 3-4 years to present (include start/end dates):

WORK, SERVICE, & COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION RECORD
List and describe PAID work experience from the past 3-4 years to present (include start/end dates):
List and describe VOLUNTEER experience from the past 3-4 years to present (include start/end dates):

Essay
Wisdom: to work diligently with intentionality in recognition that a true education is a personal encounter, not a mere transfer of data.

Faith: to believe in Jesus Christ, "the Son of the living God” (Mt 16.16) - the source of all wisdom, power, and virtue - Faith is the means by which man can know and do all things, for “all things are possible to him who believes” (Mk 9.23, Mt 17.20).

Hope: to be joyful and strong when faced with adversity is a mark of good character and confidence in our Christian beliefs. Hope is the conviction that a life built on faith will produce good fruit and benefit the world. We come to know and understand ourselves better and can therefore position ourselves to live joyful lives in service to God and others.

Love: to love God and neighbor. We respond to Christ's call to love one another. Love, the settled disposition to be and to do good for the sake of others, guides our actions.
Like her patron saint, Saint Sophia of Rome, Sonia demonstrated unwavering faith in Jesus Christ, encouraging others to devote their lives to Him in all things. Please reflect on the above virtues and write an essay (500 word maximum) on how these virtues have helped define your vocational call, and how you plan to continue a life of generosity, service, and faith in whatever profession you choose.

0/500

References

Please submit two (2) letters of recommendation from non-relatives. The first should be from your church community: your priest, deacon, or community leader (GOYA, SOYO, Camp or Choir Director, etc.); and the second from your general community: your academic advisor, dean, professor, employer, etc.
Reference Writer Name (Church Community)

First NameLast Name
Email
example@example.com
Reference Writer Name (General Community)

First NameLast Name
Email
example@example.com
Please contact both of your reference writers directly to provide this link below so that they may complete the online questionnaire:

https://form.jotform.com/thesoniafund/reference

It is your responsibility to ensure that your references receive this link and complete the reference questionnaire by the August 31 deadline.

Transcript

Please upload your most recent transcript from your college or university. It can be an unofficial version.
Upload transcript below (file size maximum 5 MB).

Browse Files

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Signature and Release
Applications will be kept confidential by the Scholarship Committee. Scholarship recipients will have their name, photo, and current school announced on our website, social media, and other press releases.
I give permission for my photo and image to be used on our social media and promotional materials.
SIGNATURE: By entering my name below, I affirm that all information and statements in this application are true and correct.
First & Last Name
Should be Empty:

2026 Sonia Daly Belcher Fund Scholarship

Background Information

School Record

Religious Record

WORK, SERVICE, & COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION RECORD

Essay

References

Transcript

Signature and Release