The Rev. Chuck and Nancy Thomas Scholarship was established in 1998 by Lorella and Todd Hess in honor of Lorella's father, Rev. Charles Thomas, and his support of Unitarian Universalism and lay leadership. The scholarship will be awarded to an individual who has shown an outstanding commitment to Unitarian Universalism as a lay leader to support the first year of seminary or pre-seminary academic work at the undergraduate level. The seminary or undergraduate institution the applicant plans to attend must be recognized by the UUA's Ministerial Credentialing Office or the comparable authority of another U/U community that was a member of the former ICUU. The scholarship is available to international applicants. Applicants must submit two letters of recommendation. These letters should show a connection between the individual's ministry and their life goals along with examples of their strong leadership skills as a lay leader. Ideally, letters will be written by individuals familiar with the applicant's work as a UU leader. If the applicant is not a member of a UUA or CUC congregation, at least one letter must be from an official of the applicant's local U/U community. Any U/U community that was a member of the ICUU at the time of the ICUU's dissolution in 2021 may provide this reference. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the Unitarian Universalist Association for more information.