ICHS Junior Brandon Schley Named 2012 Seton Scholar

The following information was provided by Immaculate Conception High School.

Immaculate Conception High School junior Brandon Schley was named a St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Scholar Oct. 1 in Washington, D.C. The recognition was made possible by Leigh-Anne Kazma of Chicago, who was honored by the National Catholic Education Association as a St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award winner. Seton Award-winners, in turn, award scholarships to outstanding Catholic school students, and Kazma chose Schley to receive this honor.

Schley, a high honors student, excels in IC’s challenging college prep curriculum, maintaining a 4.5 grade-point average. His favorite subjects include math and writing, and he also enjoys playing the guitar and piano in his free time.  Brandon is a Knight Ambassador and also participates in Yearbook, Ecology Club, Film Club, Chess Club, Art Club and the Italian Club at IC. He also works with St. Vincent DePaul at the local food pantry. 

Brandon plans to pursue a degree in technology and hopes to find a career in software design and engineering. The Seton scholarship is valued at $2,000 and is applied towards his high school tuition.

“I was honored to be invited to attend this prestigious event in our nation’s capital,” Schley said in a prepared statement. “I was able to meet many kind and generous people who are affiliated with Catholic education throughout the United States.”

The Seton Award is NCEA’s highest honor, given in recognition of significant contributions to Catholic education. Kazma, president of the Kazma Family Foundation in Chicago, received the award in recognition of the foundation’s generous patronage of Catholic education.

Kazma was born in Canada and immigrated with her family to the United States in 1979. A graduate of Bradley University in Peoria, she mentors and helps provide scholarships to students in need. She is a member the Chicago Big Shoulders Fund, the Joliet Diocesan Catholic Education Foundation and several elementary and secondary school boards.

In 1997, Kazma was named president and sole employee of the Kazma Family Foundation. She serves as a mentor for her scholarship recipients, reviewing their progress, dining with them at their schools and taking them on academic and recreational outings.

The life-changing generosity of the Kazma Family Foundation provides scholarships to students throughout the Chicago area, including seven high schools in the Diocese of Joliet. Kazma singularly, or in partnership with charitable organizations, has provided financial support to nearly 1,000 students.