The Lester Korn Scholarship Program: Keeping passion for learning alive

Believing in hard work and big dreams

Lester Korn was a bold entrepreneur who transformed the search industry when he started Korn Ferry International with his partner, Richard Ferry. He believed in hard work and big dreams—and he also believed in rewarding people for their achievements.

It’s in that spirit that the Korn Ferry Charitable Foundation honors Lester Korn’s memory with the Lester Korn Scholarship Program. These $10,000 scholarships support the children of Korn Ferry employees worldwide.

To qualify, students must be pursuing a bachelor’s, graduate degree, or the equivalent from an accredited college or university. Students may use the scholarship funds for any education-related expenses.

Scholarship recipients are selected based on their academic record, demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities, work experience, a statement of career and educational goals and aspirations, unusual personal or family circumstances, financial need, and an outside recommendation letter. An independent third party, Scholarship America, manages the scholarship application and selection process.

The Korn Ferry Charitable Foundation awarded 39 scholarships in 2021

In the inaugural year of the scholarship program, the Korn Ferry Charitable Foundation awarded nearly $400,000 in scholarships to 39 exemplary students. The scholarship recipients are evenly distributed across Korn Ferry’s four geographic regions based on the number of applications from each region. The 2021 program recipients are from Canada, Chile, Colombia, India, Japan, Mexico, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. They are majoring in diverse fields, ranging from early childhood education to computer science, public relations, philosophy, engineering, business, and nursing.

The Korn Ferry Charitable Foundation is proud to help students achieve their dreams. Korn Ferry CEO, Gary Burnison, remarked, “Lester was one of the rare individuals who could, with complete conviction, foresee the structure of a lasting enterprise where others only saw bare ground. We are honored to help keep his passion for learning and entrepreneurial spirit alive and thriving within our Korn Ferry family through the Lester Korn Scholarship Program.”

“This scholarship has helped me in continuing my studies in Business Administration. I am very thankful,” said Maria, a recipient of the 2021 scholarship. Her mother, Korn Ferry employee Gema Casquero Trenado, offered her thanks to the Korn Ferry Charitable Foundation for the scholarship. She said, “I can’t put into words how excited my daughter was when she received the notification and the gift. It’s certainly a source of pride for us and especially for me in two ways: my daughter’s achievements and the opportunities offered by my company’s foundation.”

The Korn Ferry Charitable Foundation plans to continue awarding this scholarship and, with it, to keep Lester Korn’s passion for learning alive. To learn more about Lester Korn, read his story here. For additional information on the scholarship program, read the eligibility criteria and application guidelines here.

Published: 2021