Loyola Student Dispatch

By Jose Silva

Figuring out how you’re going to pay for college can be a stressful time for high school seniors preparing to graduate. That is no longer the case for, Denzel Kane, a senior from Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Minneapolis.

Kane, 17, recently learned live on TV, that he won a scholarship to attend Loyola University Chicago.

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This scholarship is offered to 15 incoming freshman by Loyola and invites students from Cristo Rey Network schools to participate in the Cristo Rey Scholars Program. The scholarship covers full tuition and room and board for eight consecutive semesters at Loyola.

Kane, who has worked for Hubbard Broadcasting, owner of KSTP, channel 5, in Minneapolis for four years has worked as a production assistant for the local talk show Twin Cities Live (TCL) as part of the Hire4Ed Work-Study program. There he has earned responsibilities normally held by college interns and because of his hard-work and commitment his co-workers at TCL pleaded Loyola, on-air, to “give him the scholarship”.

After the video went viral, it eventually reached the right people at Loyola the week of Kane’s scholarship interview, and that following Monday Loyola called TCL to inform them that he had been selected to receive the scholarship and that they wanted to send a representative to tell him live on air.

“It was one of the greatest days since I’ve been at Loyola,” said the Rev. Justin Daffron S.J., associate provost of academic services, who was personally on hand to award Kane his scholarship. “It’s infrequent that I am able to provide such good news and to do it in a way that was so meaningful was special. To be able to do it at the station he had been involved with his whole academic career in high school was quite a rewarding experience.”

It started off as just another day on the studio for Kane who was unaware of what was to proceed, until Daffron- walked on set to reveal the good news.

“It was a feeling of excitement and relief,” said Kane on his initial reaction of hearing the announcement. “I wouldn’t have to be worried about paying for college anymore. It was that feeling of relief and finally getting your dream recognized.”

Once the news was announced, Kane’s family and friends crowded the set to join in the celebration, all wearing Loyola’s gold and maroon T-shirts.

“My mom was definitely the one who pushed me the most to apply. I was kind of discouraged to and she told me, “you never know until you try, the worse thing they could tell you is no,” recalled Kane, “so I was definitely motivated by her the most.”