Athlete Connections Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that is designed to utilize sports to teach at-risk youth that lessons learned on the field and the court build character and teach essential life skills. We do this through proven programs designed to empower student athletes to reach their highest academic and athletic potential, inspiring personal excellence.
The skills that are taught are designed to correlate with all life experiences and encounters while providing a positive experience.
Athlete Connections Foundation "Bessie" Scholarship Award
The "Bessie" Scholarship Fund is named after Athlete Connections Foundation Founder Dan Cross' Grandmother, Bessie Cross. He named it in honor of her because of all the hard work and dedication she instilled in him at an early age. She believed in him and provided opportunities for him to pursue his dreams. She taught him to never give up and not to be afraid of hard work!
Grandma Bessie migrated from Mississippi to Chicago during the northern migration to find a better opportunity for life and pursue her own dreams of freedom. She sacrificed to put a roof over the family's head, paid for Dan to go to camps, have school clothes and shoes and to help him pursue his goals and dreams to attend college on a basketball scholarship!
She helped raise him to be a strong young man who knows that he can be anything he wants to be if he puts his mind to it. For these reasons, he chose to honor his grandmother by naming this scholarship award in remembrance of her.
The Bessie Scholarship Fund is a critical lifeline to youth who are facing challenges, needing encouragement and an opportunity to achieve personal excellence!
Scholarship Program Application Requirements
1. To be eligible for "Bessie" scholarship, students must be in their senior year of high school. All students must have completed at least four years of high school to be eligible.
2. Applicant must be a full-time high school or college student with an un-weighted grade point average of 2.5. Please include official transcript in application packet.
3.Two letters of recommendation must accompany the application. Recommendations can come from a mentor, organization leader, high school staff, coach, employer, etc. Recommendation letters will NOT be accepted from Athlete Connections staff.
4.The selected applicant must provide a list of colleges, vocational schools, higher education institutions of interest and/or applied to. All funds are to be used for essential, school-related expenses.
5.Community service and activities outside school, along with student involvement activities/honors/awards must be included in application requirements.
6. Two typed essays of 400 words or less on the following topics:
a. In 400 words or less, please provide a typed essay explaining your personal goals. Please include those goals you have set for yourself after high school graduation and those you hope to accomplish after completing your college education/post-secondary school. Include information on who has made the greatest impact on your life so far and why. What teacher, high school staff or experience made the most impact during your high school years and helped shape your goals.
b.In 400 words or less, please provide a typed essay describing the benefits you gained by participating in Athlete Connections Foundation Game Speed Travel Team or other team activities or sports. Include the values you were taught and how they will prepare you for life. (For Non-Athlete Connections participants-describe a time that you dealt with adversity and how you overcame the challenges presented.)
7. The scholarship committee will not accept hand-delivered applications to the office. All applications must be completed and submitted in this system by midnight on the deadline date-April 25, 2025.