John J. Hanigan Scholarship
Prior to his passing in 2014, John Hanigan managed NCHC's financial investments as well as serving on the NCHC Board of Directors. John possessed both incredible business instincts along with the unique ability to connect with his clients as both a highly respected advisor as well as a supportive friend. He took special interest in the success and happiness of others and his leadership, which was an example to all who worked with him. John left a legacy of integrity, honesty, and sincerity with a commitment to helping others.
The NCHC John J. Hanigan Student Scholarship Award began in 2015 with its inaugural presentation at the 50th Annual Conference of NCHC in Chicago, Illinois. The student recipient must be currently active in honors with a demonstrated record of community service. The Scholarship will provide $500 (disbursed at the Conference) to the honors program to be used for the student’s conference expenses, which may include conference registration, airfare, hotel accommodations, or personal needs the student may have in order to attend.
Qualifications:
- Student is currently active in honors at an NCHC member institution
- Student is attending the upcoming conference
- Student has demonstrated a history of service and commitment to the spirit of volunteering
To apply, complete the application below and request that the reference form be submitted on your behalf by the administrator of your school’s honors program or college.
2025 John J. Hanigan Scholarship
Applications will open April 1, and will close June 7, 2025.
Please submit the form below (also found at this link), as well as the John J. Hanigan Scholarship Reference Form.
2024 Winner
The National Collegiate Honors Council announces Keerthana Krishnakumar Juttu of Grand Canyon University as recipient of the 2024 NCHC John J. Hanigan Student Scholarship Award.
Keerthana Krishnakumar Juttu, Grand Canyon University
To Keerthana Krishnakumar Juttu, “being an Honors Student means embodying the ideals of service and service-minded leadership with a focus on lifelong learning.”
Over the past year, Keerthana has served as the co-director of the Global Health Committee within the Leadership In Action Program, an ambassador for the Young Athena Valley of the Sun Leadership Program, and a member of the Relationships Over Transactions Taskforce within the RISE Fellowship, the student body government of the Honors College at Grand Canyon University. These leadership positions have provided Keerthana with opportunities to learn crucial soft skills for authentic and present leadership while honing the hard skills necessary to keep the team accountable, efficient, and productive.
Together with her co-director, Keerthana helped shape the Global Health Committee to spread awareness of prevalent health issues through the institutional practice of Grand Rounds. In 2023-2024, Honors College students introduced this hospital practice to GCU, empowering students with knowledge of healthcare challenges and potential solutions. By being respectful, considerate, and open-minded towards each other, they efficiently executed monthly Grand Rounds and made the weekly team meetings both productive and fun. This experience embodied Simon Sinek's idea that leadership is about taking care of those in one’s charge for the students, as they prioritized the team's well-being and growth professionally and personally.
During the Spring of 2023, Keerthana participated in the Young Athena Leadership Program, which focuses on uplifting young women to be better leaders through four core values and eight core principles. As an ambassador for the academic year of 2023-2024, Keerthana was able to give back to the women mentors who inspired her, empowering other young women to stay true to their core values. This all-women program emphasizes illumination (living authentically, learning constantly), growth (building relationships, fostering collaboration), championing (acting courageously, advocating fiercely), and honoring (giving back, celebrating).
Looking ahead, Keerthana will assume the role of President of the Leadership In Action Fellowship, the combination of Leadership In Action and RISE Fellowship, for the academic year of 2024-2025. In this capacity, Keerthana hopes to continue to embody Simon Sinek's vision of leadership by prioritizing the well-being, growth, and development of those in her charge, ensuring their collective journey remains rooted in service and lifelong learning.