Level 5's Scott Tucker welcomes new class of scholarship recipients

Kansas City — Ten-time national driving champion and Level 5 Motorsports team owner Scott Tucker announced a new set of scholarship recipients for a program he established to help young people in the Kansas City area. The scholarship enables students to attend the prestigious Rockhurst High School and prepare them for higher education.

“These fine young students have worked hard to put themselves into the best possible position to succeed,” Tucker said. “Our goal is to give them a hand to help them overcome obstacles that might be standing in their way.”

Scott Tucker

Photo by: Trevor Horn

“What I have accomplished at Rockhurst has meant a great deal to me and my family,” Miller said. “Over the past four years, I've met some amazing people. Mr. Tucker's contributions have allowed me to further receive an incredible education from one of the most prestigious schools here in Kansas City, Missouri. I can honestly say that with his contribution he has guaranteed me a top of the line education. It is an enormous blessing to receive such a great education and to be apart of such a brotherhood tradition without having to worry about financial stresses.“

Tucker established the scholarship two years ago to help his alma mater after he was approached by fellow Rockhurst alum Tom Houlehan who saw a great opportunity and worked with Tucker to identify students in need. The two worked with the school to identify students that had been enrolled for at least one year, had proven themselves to be responsible students, were involved in extra-curricular activities and had encountered financial hardships, putting their attendance at Rockhurst in jeopardy.

"I knew Scott would make a major impact," Houlehan said. "But sponsoring five students, and in doing so helping five different families, was just awesome! All the students have shown amazing improvement — one example being a student named Jason Nix. His story is an excellent example where if you help someone who wants to better their life and give them a person with Scott's work ethic to look up to — it is a combination for success. At the core of the program, that is exactly what Scott wanted for these kids and that is what Level 5 as an organization is all about."

While a student at Rockhurst, Nix’s world was turned upside-down when his father was seriously injured in an accident and the family was left in financial straits.

“I had to figure out how to get to school and keep up with my work while he was in the hospital,” Nix said. “Personally, my family was scraping the bottom of their pockets to put me through school. Financial aid helped pay for some schooling, but it wasn’t enough.”

Tucker decided to do something to help Nix and awarded a scholarship that would pay for the remainder of Nix’s high school tuition. There is no question that the gesture helped the teen turn his life around.

“I didn’t have much motivation to finish,” Nix said. “But, when the scholarship came, I remembered that I had to keep working for the people who believed in me.”

After getting to know Tucker and his philosophy, that’s exactly what Nix did. Not only did Nix go on to finish high school, he was accepted into West Point, which has some of the toughest admissions standards in the country. On top of that, Nix also received a scholarship to play for the famed Army Black Knights football team.

“In his world-renown Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius Loyola notes that love ought to be shown more in deeds than in words,” said Gus Sonnenberg, Office of the President — Rockhurst High School. “By generously supporting five Hawklets for the past three years, Scott has accepted St. Ignatius' invitation to labor beneath the banner of the Cross for the good of others. We are confident that his loving deeds will bring great blessings to these growing men, their families, their friends and their communities.”

“It’s amazing what some people can do when you give them a little lift,” Scott Tucker said. “You give someone a boost and they run with it. They end up achieving more than you even knew they could. Jason is a perfect example. I gave him an opportunity to finish high school, but he took it to the next level, and now he has a chance to attend one of the finest schools in the world. It’s truly incredible.”

In addition to the scholarship program at Rockhurst, Tucker’s philanthropic efforts have supported public education in the Kansas City area, Ryan Chalmer’s “Push Across America” and Kansas Policeman Bob Schluben, who recently completed 52 marathons in 2013 to benefit two charities: Sunflower House and the Surviving Spouse and Family Endowment Fund (S.A.F.E). His in support for children's organizations in the Kansas City Area includes The Children's SPOT and The Farmer's House, providing opportunities for youth and adults with disabilities.

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