Steckol and Stanley Awards

Scholarship Sponsored by Kentucky Speech Language Hearing Association

Scholarship Background

Dr. Karen Candy Steckol was a respected member of Kentucky’s speech-language pathology community and an Associate Professor at the University of Louisville. A nationally recognized child-language expert, she championed evidence-based practice and clinical excellence through her leadership in the Kentucky Speech-Language-Hearing Association (KSHA). Beverly Stanley attended the initial meeting that led to KSHA’s formation and served the Association for more than 30 years, including as President. During her tenure, she led the successful campaign to pass Kentucky’s first licensure law.

• Dr. Steckol advanced evidence-based practice and clinical excellence.
• Ms. Stanley served KSHA for more than 30 years and led the campaign for Kentucky’s initial licensure law.

Eligibility

Applicants must be currently enrolled in a speech-language pathology or audiology program and hold current KSHA student membership. Applicants must demonstrate academic achievement at the doctoral, graduate, or undergraduate level; no minimum GPA is required. They must also demonstrate financial need, articulate clear professional goals and a professional philosophy, and provide two recommendation letters.

• Submit a transcript verifying GPA and program enrollment.
• Demonstrate academic achievement and financial need.
• Provide clear professional goals and philosophy, plus two recommendation letters.

Required Application Materials

Submit a completed application with all supporting documentation. Include a current résumé outlining academic performance, work history, and relevant experience. The application must also include a 250–500-word essay and two faculty recommendation letters on school letterhead.

• Completed printable or online application
• Transcript verifying GPA and enrollment
• Current résumé
• Essay addressing financial need, professional philosophy, and future career goals in speech-language pathology or audiology
• Two faculty recommendation letters addressing financial need, academic readiness, and/or research potential

Submission and Recipient Responsibilities

Submit the application electronically using the online form or by email by the January deadline. One application is considered for both the Steckol and Stanley Memorial Fund Scholarships, so applicants do not need to submit separate forms. Scholarship recipients must submit a short article to the KSHA Communicator describing the award’s impact and how it was used.

• Printable application: Download and complete the application, then email it with all required documents to [email protected].
• Online application: Complete the online form and upload all supporting documentation at the time of submission.
• After receiving the award: Submit a short article to the KSHA Communicator.