Valpo Student Named Kemper Scholar

Tiffany Luehrs ’18 has been selected from a group of finalists for the incoming class of the prestigious Kemper Scholars Program. The program has been sponsored by the James S. Kemper Foundation of Chicago since 1948.

Luehrs, a first year international business and Mandarin Chinese major at Valparaiso University, is the daughter of Ron and Anne Luehrs of McLean, Va.

The Kemper Scholars Program’s mission is to prepare students for professional leadership positions through experiential workplace learning that applies what they learn in their academic programs. The Foundation believes undergraduate study of the liberal arts represents the best preparation for life and career. The program aims to promote education in the liberal arts while providing students opportunities for career exploration and practical experience.

Recent research reports that employer’s primary criterion in hiring is whether graduates have had real-world experience in internships and work while in college.

Kemper Scholars receive annual scholarships based on need during their sophomore, junior and senior years of college. Kemper Scholars also receive stipends to cover the costs of their work as interns in major nonprofit organizations in Chicago during the summer following their sophomore year. Scholars are placed in full-time administrative positions where they can learn about such things as financial management, organizational strategy, fund-raising and nonprofit administration.

Each year, all Kemper Scholars attend a national conference to discuss summer projects, meet with former Kemper Scholars and consider topics in administration, leadership and business. They periodically read and discuss major works on leadership, service, ethics or business, and they have frequent contact with Kemper Foundation staff to discuss the scholars’ academic and professional goals, as well as their hopes for future careers and learning opportunities.