The Matthew Neely Scholarship Fund is dedicated to helping Park High School English Learners students who are in financial need and desire support in order to continue their education. English learners, or ELs, are students who are unable to communicate fluently or learn effectively in English, they often come from non-English-speaking homes and backgrounds, and typically require specialized or modified instruction in both the English language and in their academic courses. Our goal is to help deserving individuals within the Park High School EL community achieve their career goals, an objective which has the added benefit of bettering the community at large.

This Scholarship fund was set up in remembrance of Matthew Neely who died of cancer in 2016 at the young age of 39. Matthew studied Spanish in college and quickly became interested in supporting new comers to the country. He received a Masters of Education and was not only a teacher, but an advocate and a mentor, who believed in his students! Matthew Neely was a dedicated and passionately engaged EL teacher at Park High School. The Scholarship is designed to carry on this dedication and support of the EL community that he loved so dearly. The funds will be distributed to students in need through an application process. All applications will be reviewed by a select committee, chaired by Matt's surviving wife, Amanda Neely.