Written By: 
Edited By: All his experiences pointed Khoury towards policymaking, particularly in regards to healthcare. Through the study of government and economics, he could make a real change in the medical field. But, like medical treatment, the cost of higher education is restrictively high. Khoury had been nominated for the Carson Scholars Program during his sophomore year, so as a junior, he started to look for more opportunities to offset the financial burden of college.
Connor Khoury, Healthcare Advocate and Scholarship Winner
Make a Difference
When young Connor Khoury needed a lifesaving but impossibly expensive cancer treatment, Georgia Congressman Sanford Bishop wrote a personal letter to the insurance company convincing them to cover its cost. Today, Khoury is a rising sophomore at Harvard University, where he is working with Congressman Bishop to make healthcare policy changes that will save the lives of countless people like himself— and he’s covered $20,000 of his tuition with the help of Scholarships.com.
Khoury’s passion for politics began in 2016, when he was only in the 5th grade. He watched the news as the U.S. presidential election drew nearer and nearer, fascinated by the way governmental debates could impact the lives of so many people.
“I looked at projection models and forecasts so often that I remembered the value of each state on the electoral map,” Khoury recalled. “I just fell in love with the process.”
As he continued into his secondary education, Khoury considered the directions he could go with his interest in helping the public. Though he enjoyed chemistry and biology, he found that after 12 years of intense medical treatment, a hands-on career in pharmaceutical development would not be a source of passion for him. In high school, he widened his scope by taking a total of 16 AP courses and joining countless extracurricular activities.
“I was on the Georgia State Superintendent Advisory Council, so I got policy practice there,” he said, adding that he also participated in Georgia’s Colony Bank Leadership Academy program and the week-long government simulation program Boys State. “I saw how politics can both divide and bring people together over similar and different views; I wanted to focus more on the togetherness aspect versus the division.”
“There’s no time wasted on Scholarships.com,” said Khoury.
“Okay, where are some similar things to this one?” he recalled thinking as he began his scholarship search. “And I stumbled upon Scholarships.com.”
On Scholarships.com, Khoury matched with awards based on his personal circumstances. He discovered a wealth of scholarships offered to benefit students with complex medical conditions, the specificity of which meant they were less competitive than other awards.
“I think every student has a particular niche, whether it's academic, whether it's their background, or whether it's athletics,” Khoury said, “and I love how the filter system within Scholarships.com really caters to those different varieties.”
Apart from the personalized matching system, Scholarships.com’s organization was also a great help to Khoury as he balanced his scholarship search and his busy academic life. He noted that the site’s daily updates and simple layout were of particular importance in his hunt.
“You can see an overview of all these different deadlines sorted out, and then all these different categories,” he explained. “Everything’s up to date.”
Khoury used Scholarships.com throughout the remainder of high school to organize and apply for the awards that best suited him. By the time of his graduation, he was a recipient of multiple niche scholarships, like the Ted and Holly Rollins scholarship and the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation survivor scholarship, all while maintaining his high grades and involvement in extracurriculars.
“There’s no time wasted on Scholarships.com,” said Khoury. Now approaching his second year at Harvard University, he understands the value of that saved time.
Khoury’s college schedule is packed to the brim. Aside from a courseload of rigorous economics and policy classes, Khoury is a staff writer for the Harvard Political Review, a young adult representative with the EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases, and a member of several clubs dedicated to helping the community around him.
“I’m part of an organization called Pediatric Cancer Buddies, and we volunteer with children who have cancer,” he said. “We make baked goods and play games and give them a good time. It reminds me of the child life specialists I would often interact with when I was younger… I’m happy these organizations exist and allow people my age to join and make a difference.”
One of the most important effects of this eased financial burden on Khoury’s college life is the peace of mind it brings him. Khoury can participate in college life with minimized anxiety knowing $20,000 of his tuition is paid for, directing his energy away from stress and towards the place it counts most: healthcare law.
“You can see an overview of all these different deadlines sorted out, and then all these different categories,” he explained. “Everything’s up to date.”
“Congressman Sanford Bishop helped me access lifesaving treatments— chemotherapy and immunoglobulins that my insurance would not cover— through his role as Congressman,” Khoury said. “I saw how policy could be used to make healthcare more accessible, more affordable. And I realized: the government side of policy is nice and all, but actually making it realistic is something else.”
Khoury’s scholarship awards, personal history, and academic and extracurricular distinction have earned him an internship with Congressman Bishop himself. He manages constituent phone calls and assists with Bishop’s markups for the Appropriations Committee, doing the work to spark real change in real policy.
“I work with the Congressman’s staff members to help with his remarks and his amendments,” explained Khoury. “[I’m in a place where] I can actually make a difference, where I can benefit others, help them get out of a similar hole to the one I was in.”
In all, Khoury’s future in healthcare policy is bright; he’s proud of his achievements thus far and honored to have received the scholarship money to continue making change throughout his college career. Even now, he continues to apply for new opportunities on Scholarships.com, making the most of every resource available to him.
“Don’t give up. Refine your essay, talk with teachers, get your recommendations in order,” he advised other students setting out on their scholarship searches. “It’ll work out at the end of the day.”
Sign up to receive your own personalized scholarship matches today, sent directly to your email inbox every week; support the Harvard Undergraduate Pediatric Cancer Buddies on Instagram @hupcbuddies.