The St Matthias Merit Essay Scholarship has been offered annually at St Vladimir’s Seminary since 2018, thanks to the generous contributions of a family of anonymous donors. These donors select the topic of the essay contest each year and develop thorough and thoughtful criteria to determine the winner. For this year's 7th Annual Contest, second-year seminarian Dn Jonathan Reavis (M.Div. ‘26) was chosen to receive the $3,500 scholarship for his essay, “Faith Amidst Uncertainty: Parenthood as a ‘Yes’ to God’s Earth.”
This year's essay topic was as follows:
After carefully reviewing their child's first year of public education, the child's parents adjusted their budget and started teaching their son at home. (Refer to the 2023 St Matthias Essay prompt for background.) As a decade passed, it became evident that homeschooling had definitely led to positive outcomes for their child and family.
In this decade, homeschooling is harder on the family budget. Yet, homeschool enrollment is rising rapidly as more and more parents hope for and work towards successful outcomes for their children and families. However, increasingly more couples are no longer wanting to have children.
Essay Question: What comfort is there in hoping and laboring for the best outcome of one's children when one can choose an easier lifestyle by avoiding them? In answering the question, include Proverbs 16: 2-3 and limit your essay to 750 words.
Dn Jonathan’s essay made a compelling case for faith in God through family. In his opening he referenced the letters of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor imprisoned by the pre-WWII Nazi regime, writing, “For Bonhoeffer, marriage is not only a means of sanctification, but also a commitment to work with God in the world — to labor in faith against hopelessness. ... How he described marriage, however-- as a 'token of confidence in the future'-- rang true to my experience, and I applied this understanding to parenthood." He expanded his thesis by pointing to the Annunciation and the Garden of Gethsemane and concluded with Proverb 16:1-3.
The scholarship committee thanked all of the contestants for their effort in submitting high-quality essays, saying, “Thank you again for allowing us to provide this essay scholarship. Every year it is a bounty of thoughtful insights that we welcome and hope it is of benefit to all who participate and assist in its fruition.”
Read Dn Jonathan’s Essay
Dn Jonathan Reavis and his family came to St Vladimir’s Seminary in Fall 2023 from Kansas City, MO. He is a member of the Orthodox Church in America, Diocese of the South.
The St Matthias Merit Essay Scholarship is one of many offerings by the Seminary to help its seminarians graduate tuition debt-free as they go forth to serve the Church. SVOTS also administers need-based tuition grants, need-based scholarships, merit scholarships, continuing education grants, and matching grant opportunities for seminarians. These are made possible thanks to many benefactors who have graciously given funds to St Vladimir’s.
Support Seminarians Today
Previous winners:
