Scholarship

Marlene Stepanek Lupus Legacy Scholarship

“Marlene's education journey, while living with lupus: Marlene was diagnosed with lupus in 1970 and died from her disease in 1977. She worked tirelessly as a keypunch operator and verifier, putting me through school, as I received my MBA in 1975. She hardly complained, doing her part. We bought our first home in early 1977. Marlene signed our papers in her hospital room. She never had a night in her first home. She fought courageously, but the kidney biopsy led to pneumonia for which she seemingly fought off in a great battle, but eventually died there, spending her last 89 days in the hospital. She valued education; she worked hard for education. She had college credits also, along her way. In her honor, in her legacy, please find your education dream.”
- Fred Stepanek

Students Apply Here

Award Amount: $1,250*
Application Deadline: September 13

Applicants must be a current high school or college student affected directly or indirectly by lupus. The recipient will be chosen by a review committee. Applications are due by September 13 and the award will be dispersed by October 1. Thank you to Fred Stepanek for sponsoring the scholarship in honor of his late wife Marlene. His generosity will help many students across the state of Michigan in Marlene’s memory.
*scholarship approval is subject to fund availability within the Michigan Lupus Foundation. Priority is given to applicants who reside in Michigan.

2023 Scholarship Recipient:

Cianna Anderson, a senior at IUPUI majoring in Organizational Leadership and Africana Studies. Cianna is very appreciative to Fred Stepanek for the scholarship, “God is so good! Lupus has not made my life easier by any means. I was diagnosed with SLE/DLE in my freshman year of college in 2017 and it has been a long journey. We are approaching my final semester and soon I will have 2 degrees to show for my hard work! I am so grateful to Mr. Fred Stepanek for honoring his late wife with the Marlene Stepanek Legacy Lupus Scholarship. Finishing school has created a financial burden for me, lupus and fibromyalgia created challenges that impacted my previous scholarship eligibility. This scholarship is helpful and covers some of that gap. This was my best academic semester since beginning my college journey. The best is yet to come!"

Previous Scholarship Recipients:

2022: Destney Johnson, a junior at Grambling State University studying investment management