Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls launches $300,000 scholarship endowment for students

Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls in Philadelphia has created a $300,000 endowment in honor of Sister Mary Scullion to fund four-year scholarships for young women with financial need and strong academic potential. The gift is meant to expand access to the school’s college-preparatory education and support students through tuition and related costs.

Why it matters: - The endowment is designed to lower the cost barrier for students who want a Little Flower education but need financial help. - The fund will provide four years of scholarship support, creating a longer-term path to graduation. - The gift could widen access to a faith-based, college-preparatory education for Philadelphia students.

What happened: - Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls announced a $300,000 endowment in honor of Sister Mary Scullion. - James and Marie Seward funded the endowment. - The endowment will support four-year scholarships for young women. - The school said the fund will help qualified applicants with financial need and strong academic potential.

The details: - The scholarships will cover tuition and related educational costs. - The endowment is named for Sister Mary Scullion, a Little Flower alumna and co-founder of Project HOME. - Sister Mary Scullion now serves as an Executive Fellow in Mission Programs at Saint Joseph’s University. - Little Flower said the endowment reflects Sister Mary Scullion’s commitment to dignity, opportunity, education and social justice. - Kristie Dugan ’92, president of Little Flower, said the gift brings Sister Mary Scullion’s legacy back to the school and strengthens the mission to remove barriers for students across Philadelphia. - The school said endowment gifts will be invested to provide annual scholarship support over four years. - Little Flower said service is central to its community and is inspired by its patron saint, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. - People interested in contributing to the endowment can contact the Little Flower Development Office at 215-455-6900 or Kerri Ditro, Director of Institutional Advancement, at kerri.ditro@lfchs.org.

Between the lines: - The endowment pairs a fundraising gift with a long-term aid model, which can be more stable than one-time scholarship support. - Honoring a Little Flower alumna who works in social justice reinforces the school’s faith-and-service identity. - The focus on financial need and academic potential suggests the school wants the fund to attract students who can benefit most from sustained support.

What's next: - Little Flower will begin using endowment earnings to award annual scholarships. - The school is seeking additional gifts to grow the fund. - Little Flower said interview requests can be directed to Sister Mary Scullion and Kristie Dugan.

The bottom line: - The endowment gives Little Flower a dedicated scholarship source that can help more students afford four years of school.