2026 St. Mary’s Circle Scholarship - St. John's Episcopal Church

Applications are now open for the 2026 Martha Lee Kuersteiner Scholarship, which provides financial support to undergraduate students who have participated in worship or parish life at St. John’s Episcopal Church. The scholarship is administered annually by the women of St. Mary’s Circle at St. John’s.

For 2026, $2,000 in grant funds will be awarded based on need, merit, or a combination of both. The application deadline is April 15, 2026.

2026 Scholarship Eligibility

College students may apply if they:

· Have completed at least one semester of college

· Are pursuing an undergraduate degree

· Have at least one semester remaining before graduation

· Have contributed meaningfully to parish life at St. John’s

· Have demonstrated leadership within the Tallahassee community

· Are showing continued academic excellence

Application Requirements

To be considered, applicants must submit a complete digital application, including:

· current college transcript

· written essay

· two letters of recommendation

Applications must be submitted online by April 15, 2026. Award announcements will be made in May 2026. Questions about the scholarship and requests for a downloadable version of the application can be sent to mandyschnittker@gmail.com

APPLY HERE

Read on for more information about the history of the Martha Lee Kuersteiner Scholarship and highlights from its 28 years of past recipients.

What is St. Mary’s Circle?

St. Mary’s Circle is a women’s fellowship group founded at St. John’s in 1933 with a mission to enrich parish life through service, stewardship, and community. Over the years, the Circle has supported a range of parish projects, including campus enhancements and the ongoing care and replacement of worship linens and vestments. In addition to supporting local organizations and parish ministries, one of its primary focuses is the annual awarding of a merit- and needs-based collegiate scholarship each spring—an enduring investment in young adults who have grown in faith and service at St. John’s.

History of the Scholarship

The Martha Lee Kuersteiner Scholarship was established through an act of generosity rooted in the St. John’s community. In the early 1980s, St. John’s parishioner Everett Puri, then a student at Sewanee (the University of the South), faced the possibility of being unable to continue his studies due to his father’s serious illness. When members of St. John’s learned of his situation, Martha Lee Kuersteiner, a close family friend, worked with St. Mary’s Circle to provide financial support that allowed him to remain in school.

Years later, after completing his education and beginning his professional career, Puri made a significant gift to St. Mary’s Circle from the sale of stock he owned. He asked that the funds be used to create a scholarship for future college students who might need financial assistance—naming it in honor of Martha Lee Kuersteiner, whose compassion had made such a difference in his own life.

St. Mary’s Circle matched Puri’s initial contribution to establish the scholarship fund, which has grown steadily through additional gifts and memorials. Since the first scholarship was awarded in 1998, the annual award has continued to increase, allowing St. Mary’s Circle to support even more students in their academic pursuits.

About the Scholarship’s Namesake

Martha Lee Boone Kuersteiner was a respected civic and community leader in Tallahassee, a longtime member of St. Mary’s Circle, and a former vestry member at St. John’s Episcopal Church. A descendant of Daniel Boone and widow of Dr. Karl O. Kuersteiner, Dean of the Florida State University School of Music, she balanced an active public life with raising their family of eight.

Her contributions included serving as state president of the Junior Women’s Club, helping establish the Kappa Kappa Gamma chapter at FSU, and leading the FSU University Club. She was honored as “Mother of the Year” by the Tallahassee Democrat in 1952, and the Junior League of Tallahassee later created a community achievement award in her name.
These accomplishments reflect only part of her legacy. Martha Lee was known for her deep faith, her commitment to service, and her desire to help others grow and succeed—qualities that continue to inspire the scholarship bearing her name.

Past Scholarship Winners

Now in its 28th year, the Martha Lee Kuersteiner Scholarship has supported many St. John’s students in their academic journeys. Our 2025 recipients were Tyler Schnittker and Eli Strayer. The 2024 scholarship was awarded to Felisha Herbin, who continued her studies at Florida State University. In 2023, the award supported Abby Schnittker and Kyndall Dickinson, and in 2022 the recipient was Shayna Singer, a choir member and assistant leader with the Joyful Noisemakers. She followed Neil Strayer, who spent a year studying in Dublin, Ireland.

The scholarship’s first recipient was Andy Ashler, a member of a longtime St. John’s family who has remained an active and dedicated parishioner throughout his life, later serving on the vestry. Other past honorees include Cecilia Graham Varnum, Michel Lester Gregory, Mary Hall Lester Chambers, Cecelia Zucconi-Evans, Fraleigh Krause, Marissa Hall (now St. John’s Assistant Choir Director), as well as Tom Doxsee, Sam Doxsee, and Cassie LaJeunesse.

These recipients represent nearly three decades of supporting young adults who have grown in faith and service at St. John’s.

APPLY HERE

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