Meet the Jack & Julie Narcolepsy Scholarship Award Recipients 2014

Screen shot 2014-05-01 at 12.01.30 PMThe Jack and Julie Narcolepsy Scholarship is delighted to announce that two recipients of the inaugural scholarship 2014 are Kendra Larrabee and Jacob Zeiher. We are thrilled to award both Kendra and Jacob a $1,000 scholarship toward their college education.

The Jack & Julie Narcolepsy Scholarship is the first-ever scholarship supporting students with narcolepsy while also raising awareness about narcolepsy in high school and collegiate settings. In its inaugural year, the scholarship attracted a highly competitive applicant pool of 22 inspiring students from 16 states across America.

“In reading through the essays, some of the applications were like looking in a mirror,” describes co-founder Jack Graham. “We are at the same phase in our lives and dealing with the same daily struggles of managing narcolepsy while trying to get an education. It is comforting to know I am not alone in the battle to raise awareness of narcolepsy in the educational setting. I would like to wish all applicants success in their college endeavors.”

Meet our recipients:
Larrabee, Kendra pdfKendra Larrabee is a high school senior in Minnesota who was diagnosed with narcolepsy with cataplexy at age 15 during her freshman year in high school. Kendra is actively involved with girls swimming, speech, and national honor society. She’s also a die-hard hockey fan who loves the Minnesota Wild and Minnesota Gophers Mens Hockey Team! She will be attending the University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, MN) in the fall and plans to major in neuroscience.

jacob zeiher david meyer photographsJacob Zeiher is a high school senior in Michigan who was diagnosed with narcolepsy at age 11 after participating in a clinical trial for sleep apnea patients. He was lucky to receive a proper diagnosis shortly after his symptoms appeared. With the help of treatment, Jacob was able to excel in school and play four years of high school football. He will also have managed to visit six of the seven continents before entering college in fall 2014. Jacob will be participating in the Honors Program at The Ohio State this fall.

I was honored to collaborate with Jack and the Graham family to create this scholarship program. Reading many of the applicants’ essays brought tears to my eyes and furthered my belief that this program is an important step toward recognizing and rewarding students for the challenges they overcome with narcolepsy.

Thank you to Kendra, Jacob and all of our applicants for sharing your inspiring stories with us. You touched our hearts and we look forward to hearing about your continued success and narcolepsy awareness efforts!

7 Comments

  1. Laura J. Evert on May 1, 2014 at 8:00 pm

    Jacob! Please join us http://www.facebook.com/groups/NinColumbusOhio. I have lived in Columbus since 1993, diagnosed in 1995. Hope you can make some of our monthly meetings and Congratulations! Laura

    • julie on May 6, 2014 at 8:01 pm

      Great thinking, thank you Laura!

  2. Rita on May 3, 2014 at 4:22 am

    Congratulations to you both!

    • julie on May 6, 2014 at 7:53 pm

      Thank you for your support, Rita!

  3. Rob on May 5, 2014 at 1:11 am

    Congratulations Kendra and Jacob! Your respective drives to be successful are inspirational to a slightly older…lol…Peron like me. I wish both of you the very best of luck in your collegiate studies!!

    • julie on May 6, 2014 at 7:51 pm

      Thank you for checking out our scholarship results, Rob!

  4. KIM CHATMAN on September 18, 2014 at 8:51 am

    How do you apply for the 2015 Narcolepsy Scholarship ?? Sure, I’m a bit biased..but MOM to a HS Senior- ayoung man who has struggled with Asperger’s and Narcolepsy..but determined to go to college next Fall. As with most folks $$$ is a big issue..and medical bills in his past have left us w/o a college saving fund. Smart kiddo..lots of potential…if he takes his meds..keeps a decent sleep schedule-tough for a teen !!- and you can keep him AWAKE. We would like a chance to apply for the jack/julie 2015 Narcolepsy Scholarship. God Bless. Kim Chatman, Macon GA

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