Applications for the 2023 Jason M. Nelson Memorial Education Scholarship have closed. Please watch for 2024 Applications to open in Spring of 2024.

The History of the Jason M Nelson Memorial Scholarship

By Nancy Nelson

Jason died September 23, 1989.  He was 13.  Jason loved going to summer camp.  He was not yet 6 the first year he attended.  We met the bus at OKC and he jumped on, waved good-bye and was off on his first adventure with someone other than family!  They had the camp at Lake Tenkiller back then and they slept in tents!  They were big tents, but still, they were tents!  When we picked him up we were told he rappelled down a small cliff and did a zip line.  He was quite fearless, we were told.  I think he may have only missed one year of camp due to his health.  He loved fishing and hunting with his dad and granddad and playing baseball and he played the saxophone in the band. He was also in the honors program in middle school.

I’m very pleased that the scholarship has continued for so many years.  I know it has Jason’s name on it but I feel it is a memorial to all the young boys we lost during the AIDS crisis. One thing you may not know is that Jason’s dad and I were among the handful of families that got together back in the ‘80s to reorganize the Chapter.  I am very pleased that the Chapter has continued and has helped so many people who deal with bleeding disorders.

OHF's Jason M. Nelson Education Memorial Scholarship

Thank you for your interest in the Jason M. Nelson Memorial Scholarship.  This scholarship, for an eligible member of the bleeding disorder community, will be awarded at the OHF Annual Meeting to be held July 28-29, 2023.

Submission deadline is midnight on july 7, 2023

DOWNLOADS:

Please email Katie Mears: conversegirl18@hotmail.com

Available Awards:

• 4 year undergraduate degree (high school graduate, GPA 3.0)

• 2 year associates degree (high school graduate, GPA 2.5 or GED)

• Vocational–Technical program (high school graduate, GPA 2.0 or GED) 

Eligibility Criteria:

• A high school graduate

• Directly affected with a bleeding disorder

• Carriers of bleeding disorders

• Dependent of individual directly affected with a bleeding disorder

• Parent, Sibling, or Spouse of individuals directly affected with a bleeding disorder.

*Past recipients can re-apply every year as long as they continue to meet the eligibility criteria.

Age Restrictions:

• Directly affected - no age restrictions (must be a high school graduate)

• Dependent of individual directly affected – up to 25 years

• Sibling of directly affected individual – up to 25 years

• Parent and/or spouse of directly affected individual – no age restrictions