Jonathan Laxamana Annual Memorial Scholarship

Hello, my name is Charlie Lee, and I am a lifelong friend of Jonathan Laxamana.

On December 7, 2022, we unexpectedly lost our dear friend, Jonathan, at the way-too-early age of 52. He was an amazing son, brother and uncle and a great friend and mentor to many.

Jonathan was a proud graduate of Addison Trail High School (Class of 1988) and the University of Illinois and had a distinguished career in the publishing industry. He also dedicated his enormous talents to the world of independent film 

and was not only a founder of the Filipino American Film Festival but also a nationally recognized leader in promoting Asian-American films. Countless filmmakers owe their start to Jonathan’s selection and inclusion of their films in festivals throughout the country.

Along with his brother, Joe, I am working with a few of his closest friends to launch the Jonathan Laxamana Memorial Scholarship at Addison Trail High School. Each year, the scholarship will recognize a graduating senior(s) who will be pursuing a liberal arts or media degree at a four-year college, as those were Jonathan's passions. We will be offering the scholarships annually each spring and have already submitted the application for the class of 2023 graduates.

We are hoping to raise money to fund the scholarships for the next 10+ years! Everyone who donates will be provided annual updates as to the scholarship recipients.

We will be MATCHING the first $25,000 in donations, which is why we chose the $50,000 target. We hope you can help us reach our goal and know that every dollar you contribute will be doubled!

Sincerest appreciation for helping us memorialize and honor our departed friend. We are grateful to help the community we grew up in and continue his legacy .

Thank you, God Bless and please help us spread the word!