Matthew Korf Awarded $2,000 National Scholarship
Matthew Korf from Woodbury, MN has been awarded a $2,000 Emmett J. Doerr Scholarship by the National Catholic Committee on Scouting®. He belongs to St. Ambrose Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and is a member of Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Troop 9005, Northern Star Council. This year nine service scholarships totaling $25,000 were awarded nationwide to recognize scouts for outstanding service and leadership in four areas: Church, Community, School and Scouting.
Korf truly embodies the idea of servant leadership. When asked why volunteering is important to him, he responded, “Growing up, my parents emphasized the importance of being a selfless servant to others…I started small as a preschool church usher helping my dad during Mass and grew my volunteer roles in my church, school and broader community. As a Scout, the element of doing a good deed daily has always been a focus for me.” Korf has earned all four of the religious emblems offered by the NCCS and is an altar server, usher, Youth Group member and Vacation Bible School teacher.
Active in his community, Korf volunteered over 1,000 hours with organizations such as Pab’s Pack, who fill and distribute backpacks for sick kids and Junior Achievement, volunteering as a Program Facilitator with inner city youth. He has also worked with Christian Cupboard food drives, serving meals at House of Charity in the inner city, packing meals for Feed My Starving Children and collecting used coats for Coats for Kindness.
At St. Thomas Academy, a top 20 student in his class, Korf participated in Model UN, Boys State, band and foreign language club. In sports, he has been captain of both the varsity crosscountry team and the varsity swim team and participated in Nordic skiing and baseball.
In Scouting, Korf has served numerous leadership positions ranging from Troop Chaplain to Assistant Senior Patrol Leader. He is a member of the Order of the Arrow (OA), BSA’s Honor Society, and served on Tomahawk Scout Reservation where he received the highest honor award for leadership. He was selected as the 2022 American Legion Eagle Scout of the Year by Post 501 and served as crew leader at both Florida Sea Base and Northern Tier High Adventure.
For his Eagle Scout Project, Korf built a raised garden bed with fencing at St. Ambrose School. The garden was created to support the school’s STEM program and help children with ADHD through horticulture therapy. The produce that is grown in the garden is used in the school cafeteria and the cut flowers adorn the altar during Mass.
To be eligible to apply for the National Catholic Committee on Scouting® Scholarships, the Scout must be Catholic, earned the Ad Altare Dei and/ or Pope Pius XII Awards and received either the Eagle Scout, Summit or Quartermaster Award. A complete list of award recipients, eligibility requirements and applications can be found at https://nccs-bsa.org/index.php/collegescholarship. NCCS Scholarship recipients have been chosen because they are committed to making a difference for good in the world through service and leadership. Young people, like Matthew Korf, are certain to enrich our future.