Class of 1964 John F. Kennedy Memorial Award Application

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The Class of 1964 established the John F. Kennedy Memorial Award to honor the late President John F. Kennedy by encouraging Cornell's student leaders to pursue careers in public service. This $20,000 award endeavors to further President Kennedy's vision of recognizing the leadership potential of America's youth. Two additional finalists will receive $1,000 honorariums.

The Class of 1964 John F. Kennedy Memorial Award is bestowed annually upon a graduating senior from any of Cornell's undergraduate schools and colleges, based on the following criteria:

a commitment to making a significant contribution to the public through a career in government or other form of public service;
potential for such contributions as demonstrated by past leadership and accomplishment in public service either on or off campus;
academic achievement.

The Class of 1964 and alumni of the award believe that service in the public interest has never been more necessary and that there remains a critical need for intelligent and dedicated graduates devoted to addressing the public good and working to solve such pervasive problems as hatred, fear, prejudice, injustice, poverty, ill health and the degradation of our environment.

Please visit the Class of 1964 website and the Einhorn Center's website to learn more about the Class of 1964 John F. Kennedy Memorial Award and past recipients.

Applications are due Monday, November 16, 2026 by 11:59 pm.

Please make sure your name is included on all uploads. Only complete applications, including letters of recommendation, that are received by the due date will be considered. You will be notified when your recommenders upload their letters of recommendation.

If you have any questions, please email Whitney Tassie at the David M. Einhorn Center for Community Engagement.

APPLICANT INFORMATION

First Name

Last Name

Net ID

Email Address

Phone number

Permanent address

Cornell address

College/School

If "Other," please enter College/School here

Major

If "Other," please enter Major here

Advisor

Cumulative GPA

Cumulative Average in Major

Average GPA for the last two years

Please upload an up-to-date copy of your official Cornell University transcript.

Required file naming format: LastNameFirstInitial_Transcript_JFKAward.pdf

Please upload any additional transcripts.

Required file naming format: LastNameFirstInitial_Transcript2_JFKAward.pdf

Please upload a resume that also includes your public-service or leadership related activities on and off campus. Required file naming format: LastNameFirstInitial_Resume_JFKAward.pdf

Optional: If not articulated in your resume, please upload a document briefly summarizing your leadership or public service experiences, on and off campus, clearly indicating what roles you held, how long you were involved in each activity, and, if applicable, where your scope of responsibility increased.

Please list awards you have received to date.

Please list any awards, fellowships or job/internship offers for which you have applied or intend to apply. Indicate the outcome or the dates you expect notification.

ESSAYS
Please upload your essays as PDFs with the required file name format.

Essay #1.

In a statement not to exceed 500 words, please describe the impact that you want to achieve in your career, how you decided this kind of work was important to you, and, if you have a specific career goal, what is it and how did you conclude this was your goal. Please also explain what motivates your commitment to have a career in public service and how you propose to use the award funds toward this end.

LastNameFirstInitial_Essay1_JFKAward.pdf

Essay #2.

In a statement not to exceed 500 words, please describe what you learned from a recent leadership experience that made a significant impact on you and/or a challenge to your work and how you addressed or overcame it. Please reflect on how these insights will inform your approach to leadership in the future.

LastNameFirstInitial_Essay2_JFKAward.pdf

RECOMMENDATIONS

Your application will not considered complete until your recommenders (2 total) have submitted the electronic forms (below). Please share the correct form link with each recommender as early as possible, preferably at least three weeks prior to the application due date. Please confirm with your recommenders that they will submit their electronic forms by Monday, November 16, 2026 at 11:59 pm.

The Academic Achievements Recommendation should come from a member of the Cornell faculty who knows you well and is qualified to attest to your academic achievements. Ideally, this would be a member of your department or school or an academic advisor.

Name and email of Academic Recommender:

The Character, Goals, and Leadership in Public Service Recommendation should come from another person who knows you well and can speak in specifics about your work ethic and character, your leadership skills and your public service accomplishments.

Name and email of Character Recommender:

How did you hear about this award?

Please be specific (name of individual, class, office, newsletter, etc.)

By checking this box, I certify that, to the best of my knowledge, all information included in this application is true.

Thank you for applying to the Class of 1964 John F. Kennedy Memorial Award!

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