Columbia Central

James Hecker Endowed Memorial Scholarship

for continuing undergraduate students

The James Hecker Endowed Memorial Scholarship was established to recognize and help defray the cost of tuition for a continuing undergraduate student (sophomore, junior, or senior) earning a degree in Audio Arts, BA, Sound Design, BA, and Music Technology, BS.

Deadline to Apply: February 01, 2025

• How to Apply

  Please follow all directions carefully. Students must submit the following materials to make a complete James Hecker Endowed Memorial Scholarship. There are three parts to the application:

  PART 1: CREATIVE SAMPLES

  Provide one or two samples of your creative work, either by uploading them to the scholarship submission platform, or by providing links to your work on online platforms. These submissions can take the form of audio, video, or other documentation of a work – for example, a report/ illustration of a physical or virtual object you made, or an event you created or contributed to.  Upload a 1-page document that briefly describes your creative sample(s). Identify and discuss your role in the project and key challenges you faced.

  Your written document must include your name and MyColumbia ID number in the upper right-hand corner. Please upload your response in .pdf, .doc, or .docx format. 

  PART 2: ESSAY

  In a one- to two-page essay, explain what role you see audio and/or sound playing in shaping who you are as a person – past, present, and/or future. Be specific and cite concrete examples when possible.

  Your essay must be double-spaced and must include your name and MyColumbia ID number in the upper right-hand corner of each page. Please upload your response in .pdf, .doc, or .docx format. 

  PART 3: FAFSA SUBMISSION SUMMARY

  A current FAFSA Submission Summary must be on file. To receive a FAFSA Submission Summary, students must complete a 2025-26 financial aid application (FAFSA) by February 1, 2025.

   

  Access online applications through Internal Scholarships.

• About James Hecker

  James Hecker’s parents describe him as a “geeky, self-taught, music-loving" young man who didn’t quite fit the mold of his high school or community college. James transferred to Columbia in 2012 to pursue a degree in Audio Arts and Acoustics, where he could finally hone his skills and embrace his passion for music. “When he landed at Columbia, it changed his life.”

  At Columbia, James found professors who were experts in their field and cared deeply about their students. Here, he flourished. Audio Arts and Acoustics department chair Ben Sutherland recalls, “He progressed so remarkably in his Principles of DSP course that I saved his final project and have shared it with later classes, as an example of what they can achieve if they commit and get through the initial learning curve of the software.” James received a President’s Club merit scholarship his senior year—a point of pride for him and his family—and was featured in a Student Spotlight video for his department.

  Upon their son’s untimely passing in September 2020, Linda and Steve Hecker sought to make a tribute to their son in a way that honored his spirit, creativity, and passion. “We want to help other young folks who may have felt awkward, distanced, and ‘different’ to find what he found: a home, if you will.” This summer, the Hecker family established the James Hecker Endowed Memorial Scholarship for students studying Audio Arts and Acoustics at Columbia College Chicago.

  When creating the criteria for the award, James’s parents wanted something inclusive that would benefit students like James who may have had a nontraditional journey to Columbia. “Recipients may not have the highest GPAs, nor the most clarity in their exact path forward: rather, we seek those who have a passion to learn, and to become a fuller, more well-rounded, and just generally overall better person. In some small way, this scholarship award might give hope, recognition, and encouragement to other budding artists, in loving memory of our son.”

• Scholarship Terms
  • Application must be submitted by February 1, 2025 (11:59 pm) for review by the committee
  • Award amount is up to $2,500, awarded half in Fall and half in Spring
  • Scholarship is applied toward tuition only
  • Students' scholarships that are applied toward tuition may not exceed the amount of their tuition costs
  • Recipients must maintain full-time enrollment during the 2025-26 academic year
  • Outstanding documents to Columbia Central before the scholarship can be disbursed. Students can review missing documents in the MyColumbia portal under MyFinancials
  • Scholarship may be used toward a study abroad program through one of Columbia's student exchange programs, excluding Summer sessions. Please note: Recipients who enroll in an independent study abroad program will forfeit their scholarship during the semester spent abroad
  • The rules and regulations governing other sources of financial aid (federal, state, institutional and other grants, gifts, or loans) will apply
  • Columbia College Chicago reserves the right to withhold the award in any year in which, at the sole discretion of the scholarship committee, suitable candidates cannot be found among applicants

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