The Milwaukee-based Burke Foundation has made a $7 million commitment to continue two Marquette University scholarship programs established by late Trek Corp. founder Richard Burke.
The funding will support Marquette’s Trinity Fellows program for graduate students and the Burke Scholars program for undergraduate students.
“We are both encouraged and inspired by Marquette University’s commitment and passion in fostering the next generation of leaders for social justice in Milwaukee,” said Tina Quealy, executive director of the Burke Foundation.
Burke, founder and former president of Trek Corp., was a 1956 graduate of Marquette’s College of Business Administration. He was a member of university’s board of trustees from 1996 to 2005, and in 2005 he was elected trustee emeritus.
The 25-year-old Burke Scholars program is a full-tuition undergraduate scholarship awarded annually to 10 Wisconsin high school seniors who are committed to social justice and service. To date, it has produced 145 alumni, who have served at more than 90 community organizations in Milwaukee.
The Trinity Fellows program is a full-tuition graduate fellowship program aimed at developing urban leaders with a commitment to social and economic justice. Fellows participate in a 21-month study/work program while earning a master’s degree in specific fields of study.
“When we look at our model students who serve as women and men for and with others, we look no further than our Burke scholars and our Trinity fellows,” said Michael Lovell, president of Marquette University. “We are extremely grateful to the Burke Foundation for helping us to live out our mission and for further investing in the future leaders of greater Milwaukee and our region.”
