Cathedral Catholic is grateful to those benefactors who have contributed to the school’s endowed scholarships. Endowed funds provide a permanent source of income to the school. In order for the school to continue providing a high-quality Catholic education, Cathedral Catholic’s endowment funds must continue to grow.
Incoming Freshmen Students
President’s Scholars Day
- November 13, 2021
- December 11, 2021
- January 15, 2022
- February 12, 2022
- Welcome
- Breakfast Mixer- An opportunity for the scholarship applicant to get to know current students, faculty and for us to get to know you. Take advantage of this opportunity to share your gifts with us.
- Group Activity
- Campus Tour
- Group Activity
- Writing Sample – based on 1 prompt
- Concluding Remarks and Question & Answer Session
Individual Scholarship Opportunities
The following scholarships will also be available to incoming freshmen for the 2022-2023 academic year.
Brian’s Scholars Scholarship
Two annual $5,000 scholarships are awarded to incoming freshmen who live south of Interstate 8 and demonstrate financial need. These scholarships are awarded in memory of Brian Bennett, a University of San Diego High School graduate, a Catholic school principal, and educational choice advocate. It was Brian’s dream to make Catholic education affordable to all. This scholarship was established with a generous donation from the Blickenstaff family. This recipient is chosen by the school administration.
Stumm Family Scholarship
This annual $4,000 scholarship honors the memory of Jim and Barbara Stumm for their commitment and sacrifice in providing a Catholic education for their three children and eight grandchildren. This scholarship is awarded to a student demonstrating financial need. This recipient is chosen by the school administration.
The McSweeney Family Charitable Foundation
The McSweeney Family Charitable Scholarship will be awarded to an incoming freshman interested in enrolling in the Cathedral Catholic Pre-Engineering Program and has selected the Introduction to STEAM class as an elective as a freshman. The student must demonstrate excellence in leadership, athletics, and academics. This $5,000 scholarship award is renewable each year provided the above criteria continue to be achieved and the student maintains a 3.0 grade point average. Members of TMFCF may interview applicants and the TMFCF Board of Directors will choose the recipient.
The Mary J. Morris Scholarship
This annual $10,000 scholarship honors the memory of Mary J. Morris. This scholarship is awarded to a student demonstrating financial need. This recipient is chosen by the school administration. Students may apply to renew this scholarship annually.
Application Process:
- Complete the Scholarship Application form in the Ravenna application portal indicating which scholarship your student is applying for.
- Unless stated otherwise, each student must submit a one or two page essay or a one or two minute video explaining how they meet the scholarship’s criteria (if stated), why they are worthy of the particular scholarship, and/or any other important details for the selection committee to consider.
- All essays should be submitted as a PDF document. A separate application and essay/video should be submitted for each scholarship. Students may apply for as many scholarships as they are eligible for.
Scholarship winners will be notified with their admission decision in March. The deadline to apply for each scholarship is January 14, 2022 at 3pm.
Returning Students
The following scholarships will be available to returning students for the 2022-2023 academic year. Information on how to apply for these scholarships was sent to families in an email on November 20, 2021.
Balo Family Scholarship
Awarded to a current Cathedral Catholic student who will be in grades 10-12 during the upcoming 2022-2023 academic year who demonstrates outstanding academic achievement and an ongoing commitment to community service.
Requirements:
3.75 GPA or above
Submit a brief essay describing your academic achievements and your service to the community (including number of hours completed). Be sure to include what makes you uniquely qualified to receive this scholarship. This recipient is chosen by the Balo family.
Barbara Gilshian Memorial Scholarship
This $6,000 scholarship is awarded to a current student who actively participates in community service and practices strong Christian values. Priority is based on financial need. This recipient is chosen by the school administration.
University of San Diego High School (Uni) Community Scholarship
This $5,000 scholarship is awarded to a student whose parent(s) graduated from Cathedral Girls School, the University of San Diego High School, or Cathedral Catholic High School. The student must demonstrate consistent participation in community service or extracurricular activities. This scholarship is awarded in honor of the following Dons families:
The Atilano Family
The Cislo Family
The Diamond Family
The Lanphier Family
The Moss Family
The Rogers Family
The Rubano Family
The Still Family
The Tassi Family
The Nield Family
The Wilson Family
The Mattix Family
The recipient is chosen by the Dons Alumni Association.
Butch Lee Memorial Scholarship
This $500 scholarship is awarded to a current jayvee or varsity soccer player. Butch Lee was Uni’s girls soccer coach from 1986-1998 and led his team to 8 straight CIF Championships and 10 Western League Championships. Butch Lee passed away in December of 1998 from brain cancer. The recipient is chosen by Dawn Lee and family.
George Mayr Endowment Fund Chris Bitterlin Scholars
Two annual $5,000 scholarships are awarded to a current student demonstrating financial need.
The recipients are chosen by the school administration and the executives of the foundation.
CCHS M&T Trust Scholarship
Two annual $3,500 scholarships are awarded to a rising junior or senior who has participated in a varsity sport. Priority is given to students demonstrating financial need and maintaining at least a 3.0 grade point average. The recipients are chosen by the school administration.
CCHS Parents Association Scholarship
This annual scholarship is funded by the Parent Association uniform recycling program.
This scholarship is awarded to a rising sophomore, junior or senior. Students must demonstrate continuous academic achievement and involvement in extracurricular activities and community service. Two $6,000 scholarships will be awarded for the 2022-2023 school year. The recipients will be chosen by the school administration.
Christine M. Ross Memorial Scholarship
Christine Ross was a 1986 graduate of the University of San Diego High School. Christine exemplified what it meant to be a Don, and her parents established a scholarship in her honor after she passed away.
This $4,000 scholarship is awarded to a junior who has participated in one year of athletics and one year of non-athletic extracurricular activities. The student should exemplify strong character and demonstrate Christian compassion and excitement for life. The recipient will be chosen by the Ross family.
Coach Dick Serrano Scholarship
Coach Serrano gave over 40 years of his life to the Dons at the University of San Diego High School and Cathedral Catholic. Coach Serrano is one of the winningest baseball coaches in San Diego County.
This $6,000 scholarship is awarded to a student of color who has participated in Cathedral Catholic athletics and is actively involved in the CCHS school community. The recipient is chosen by the school administration.
Ethan Olson Memorial Scholarship
Ethan Olson ’19 passed away during his senior year at Cathedral Catholic High School. Ethan was one of the founding students in the Academy Program. Two scholarships were established by several generous donors to provide an annual scholarship to assist a Learning Center, Academy, or Options student and a scholarship for an outstanding mentor in the Options or Academy Programs.
A $1,000 scholarship is awarded to a current Options, Academy, or Learning Center student who exemplifies the qualities of the school’s four core values of Character, Faith, Knowledge, and Responsibility.
A $1,000 scholarship is awarded to an outstanding student mentor in the Options or the Academy Programs.
Fr. Michael Ortiz Scholarship
Fr. Michael Ortiz established this scholarship to support students actively involved in community service and who show Christian values. This $5,000 scholarship is awarded to a student who demonstrates financial need and maintains at least a 2.5 grade point average. The recipient is chosen by Fr. Michael Ortiz.
The John Covell Memorial Scholarship
This $1,000 scholarship is awarded to a rising junior who demonstrates all-around school involvement. This scholarship was established in honor of John who was a 1982 graduate of the University of San Diego High School and actively involved in the Dons community. The recipient is chosen by the school administration.
Joseph King Memorial Scholarship
This annual $500 scholarship is awarded to a student who demonstrates responsible citizenship, involvement in sports, and the school’s service program. This scholarship was established to honor Joseph, the father of two University of San Diego High School graduates and the husband of Margaret King, a longtime teacher at the University of San Diego High School/Cathedral Catholic High School. The recipient is chosen by the King family.
Matthew J. Siesel Memorial Scholarship
This $1,500 scholarship is awarded to a rising sophomore involved with the football or baseball programs and exemplifies a love of life and compassion for fellow students. Matt graduated from the University of San Diego High School, and this scholarship was established by Matt’s parents after he passed away in a car accident. The recipient is chosen by the school administration.
Michael Timmons Scholarship
Two $7,000 scholarships are awarded to a rising sophomore or junior. The students must demonstrate a record of above average academic achievement, positive school citizenship, and community service. This scholarship was established for Michael, who was a student at the University of San Diego High School, and passed away in an accident his sophomore year. The recipient is chosen by the school administration.
Monsignor Dennis R. Clark Memorial Scholarship
This $15,000 scholarship will be awarded to a current student who exhibits a dedication to his or her Catholic faith, is an individual of exceptional moral character, and whose family is dedicated and aspires to live by the precepts of the Church. Such individuals should take pride in their studies and athletic pursuits, while not losing sight of the fact that their relationship with God is primary.
Monsignor Dennis R. Clark dedicated much of his pastoral ministry to improving and establishing our diocesan schools and was one of Cathedral Catholic’s main visionaries. His tenure as superintendent of diocesan Catholic schools was defined by a rigorous pursuit of high-quality curriculum and responsible school management. The recipient is chosen by the school administration.
The Monsignor John Andrew Dickie Scholarship
Monsignor Dickie was one of the “founding fathers” of the University of San Diego High School. Msgr. Dickie served as the second principal at Uni, as superintendent of Catholic schools in San Diego, and as executive director of the California Catholic Conference. His life as a priest was dedicated to education. This scholarship is awarded in his honor.
The $6,000 scholarship is available to all current students who maintain a grade point average of 3.5 or better. The recipient is chosen by the school administration.
Monsignor George M. Rice/Cathedral Girls’ Alumnae Scholarship
This $2,000 scholarship is awarded to a student who is a descendent of a Cathedral Girls’ alumnae. Others may apply but priority is given to a descendent of a Cathedral Girls’ alumnae and then Uni alumnae. Students must have demonstrated participation in community service or extracurricular activities. Please include the graduation year and maiden name (if applicable) of the alumnae. The recipient is chosen by the Cathedral Girls Alumnae Committee.
Dr. Richard E. Kelly Memorial Scholarship
Dr. Kelly was the longest tenured principal at the University of San Diego High School and the first president of Cathedral Catholic High School.
This $4,000 scholarship is awarded to a current student who actively participates in community service and demonstrates Christian qualities and character. Priority is given to those demonstrating financial need. The recipient is chosen by the school administration.
Richard G. Balelo Sr. Scholarship
Richard and his wife, Dalny, made the financial sacrifice of providing a Catholic education for all five of their children: Richard Jr. ’79, Paul ’81, Kristen ’91, Steven ’92, and Andrew ’99. This scholarship is in honor of Richard and Dalny Balelo. This $500 scholarship is awarded to a current student who has at least one year of participation in athletics at Cathedral Catholic High School and demonstrates responsible citizenship and financial need. The recipient is chosen by the school administration.
Robert E. “Bull” Trometter Memorial Scholarship
Coach Trometter was the first head football coach and the father of four graduates from the University of San Diego High School. Uni/Cathedral Catholic’s school colors were adopted by Coach Trometter based on his experience coaching football at the Marine Corp.
This scholarship is awarded to a current student who has at least one year of participation on the freshman, junior varsity, or varsity football teams. The student must demonstrate responsible citizenship and maintain at least a 2.5 grade point average. The recipient is chosen by the school administration after a nomination from the head football coach.
Thomas C. Bache III Memorial Scholarship
Tom graduated from the University of San Diego High School in 1990. He passed away in 2021. Tom was an outstanding student and a CIF champion in Cross Country and Track & Field. He was inducted into the Dons Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.
Tom gave back to the San Diego running community as an outstanding competitor and a popular mentor for runners of varying ages, talent, and experience. He loved history, stats, travel, trail running, and hiking.
Tom had an independent spirit and a generous, giving heart. He was a faithful Catholic who loved being a son, brother, uncle, mentor, and friend.
This $2,800 scholarship is awarded to a sophomore or junior who is an enthusiastic contributor to the Cathedral Catholic Cross Country and/or Track & Field teams and maintains at least a 3.0 grade point average. This student should also exemplify leadership and support for other team members. The recipient is chosen by the school administration and the Bache family.
Woltman Family Dance Scholarship
This scholarship is awarded to a current college bound senior who demonstrates continuous academic achievement, has been a member of the Cathedral Catholic Dance Team for a minimum of three years, and is involved in at least one of the following extracurricular activities on campus: Options Mentor, Ambassadors for Christ, Campus Ministry, ASB, or CCTV. In the essay section please answer the following question: Why dance? A letter of recommendation from a Cathedral Catholic Dance Coach is also required.