Marie C. Desir Scholarship

The Marie C. Desir Scholarship is named in honor of Foundation Co-Founder and Board Chairman Jean-Alix Peralte's mother. She was a woman who dedicated her life to caring for those around her.

Ms. Desir grew up in Haiti, where her family recognized her early potential and ensured it could be realized by providing her with an education, though it was beyond their means. After having a successful nursing career in Haiti, she moved to the United States with a singular mission in mind: to build a brighter future for her son.

She started nursing in Cincinnati, but an opportunity to transfer to the University of Chicago Hospitals (U of C) brought her closer to her family. She would work at U of C directly with patients for over 40 years. She turned down administrative and teaching positions at the Bernard Mitchell Hospital to focus on patient care, where she felt she could make the most difference.

Ms. Desir built a new life in a new country. Nursing was a devotion she practiced with pride and unwavering commitment. She went back to school to earn her master's in nursing well into her sixties and did not retire until she was in her seventies, after being awarded several service awards as a nurse. Her friends and coworkers came to know Ms. Desir as someone whose poise and quiet authority commanded the room. Her family remained her first love, and her position enabled her to provide for them in Haiti. Throughout her life, she remained deeply connected to her roots in Haitian culture through food, music, and her family.

Eventually, she was able to pave a path for her son to join her in the United States, where he earned his college education, advanced in his career, and founded Peralte-Clark, LLC. When establishing the Peralte-Clark Foundation several years later, Jean-Alix prioritized recognizing his mother's continuous contribution to his success by creating the Marie C. Desir Scholarship in her name.

Prompt:

Recipients of the Marie C. Desir Scholarship will demonstrate in their essays the commitment to caretaking grounded in excellence that underscores Ms. Desir's life. In 500-750 words, write about what patient care means to you in practice. Share a moment, experience, or relationship that shapes how you will care for your patients and reflect on how you sustain your own standards of excellence. Describe how, through your career as a nurse, you hope to care for others, your family, and your community.

Scholarship Details:

• This scholarship will be a one-time payment of $2,000. These funds will be directed to your school and are applicable to tuition and educational expenses.


• The deadline to submit your application is 11:59pm on July 10th, 2026.

Eligibility:

• The Marie C. Desir Scholarship is open to high school seniors, GED recipients, undergraduates, and graduate students who have been accepted into a nursing program at the University of Chicago.


• Applicants must demonstrate academic achievement through grades and GPA by uploading their current transcript (unofficial transcript is okay).


• Applicants must demonstrate financial need as determined by the FAFSA Student Aid Index (SAI). Priority consideration may be given to applicants with an SAI below $20,000.


• Applicants must upload an original personal statement based on the prompt above which demonstrates extracurricular involvement and a passion for nursing through patient care.


• Applicants must not be immediate family members of any current or former Peralte-Clark, LLC employee, client, or business partner. Current and former Peralte-Clark interns are eligible to apply.

Evaluation Criteria:

Applicants will be evaluated based on the following equally weighted categories:

• Academic Success


• Extracurricular Involvement


• Demonstrated Financial Need


• Passion for Nursing and Patient Care


• Personal Statement Content and Quality