Scholarship to be given in former teacher Denise Lisac's name

Posted December 2020

By Taj O'Malley

Staff Editor

In the honor of former teacher and coach Denise Lisac, and the legacy of kindness and love for all she left behind, David Douglas High School has created a $1,000 scholarship fund, amply titled the “Denise Lisac Memorial Scholarship Fund.”

It will go to one male and one female student-athlete who exhibited the same traits of love and unconditional kindness during their four years at David Douglas that Denise did. Applicants have between February and the first Friday in April to apply for the fund, and in order to have a chance to receive it, applicants will need to fit the selective criteria. The criteria is summarized by the acronym “GRIT” which stands for “Giving, Responsibility, Integrity, and Tenacity.”

Those words summarize the specific criteria for the scholarship, which includes a GPA requirement, good citizenship, the overcoming of personal obstacles, and requires applicants to be post-secondary bound. The criteria also lists applicant traits that will lead to a higher chance of scholarship attainment. These include four-year activity or athletic participation, at least a 3.5 GPA, being the first person in your family to attend college, and a history in volunteering.

With the criteria in mind, applicants will then need to submit three letters of recommendation from two teachers and one coach. Applicants will also need to submit their transcripts and resumes. After this, applicants seeking the Denise Lisac Memorial Scholarship will need to complete a 1000-word or less essay on “the importance of giving back” something that Lisac knew well.

Upon the completion of the application process, applicants will have their applications reviewed by a selection committee, consisted of the athletic director, an assistant principal, a counselor, and a Lisac family member.

Information on the scholarship can be found on its website, where anyone can also contribute donations to the fund.