Scholarship description
Women have made great strides in the pursuit of education, careers and leadership roles they were once denied. However, they still comprise a minority of leaders in the business world. Women hold nearly 34% of committee chairs in the S&P 500 and hold 31% of director seats, as of March 2023. Only 8.2% of S&P 500 company CEOs are women.
Because Zonta International believes in gender equality, the Jane M. Klausman (JMK) Women in Business Scholarship program helps women pursue undergraduate and master's degrees in business management and overcome gender barriers from the classroom to the boardroom. The Zonta Foundation for Women awarded the first Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarships in 1998 to women pursuing degrees in business leading to a business management career. Jane M. Klausman was a member of the Zonta Club of Syracuse, New York, USA, and the 1990-1995 Zonta International Parliamentarian. During her career, Ms. Klausman was a professional secretary, parliamentarian and entrepreneur.
The program operates at the Zonta club, district/region and international levels. Zonta International offers 37 international scholarships of US$5,000. Each district/region may submit one applicant for consideration for an international scholarship. The five largest districts may submit a second applicant for a total of two applicants.
Since the program's inception, Zonta has awarded 750 scholarships, totaling more than US$2 million, to 596 women representing 74 countries.
![](https://www.zonta.org/images/Online/Pages/Testimonial_JMKScholar-TressaLacy.png)
APPLICATION PROCESS AND DEADLINE
The application process must start with a Zonta club. All application materials must be received at a Zonta club by the deadline printed on the application. If you downloaded the application from the Zonta International website, you must contact a Zonta club first for deadline information. If the Zonta club contact information is not printed on the application, please locate the Zonta club nearest you by using the Club Locator, or email your name and contact information to Zonta International Headquarters at [email protected].
Eligibility
Women of any age, pursuing a business program with major field of specialization in accounting, economics, finance, business management, business technology, information technology, marketing, operations management, human resources management, international business, or entrepreneurship at an accredited university/college/institute, who demonstrate outstanding potential in the field and are living or studying in a Zonta district/region, are eligible.
Online students are also eligible to apply if enrolled at an accredited university/college/institute.
Students must be enrolled in at least the second year of an undergraduate program through the final year of a master’s program at the time the application is submitted to the local Zonta club. Applicants must still be in school at the time the scholarship funds are disbursed and must not graduate before April 2025.
Previous district and international Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship recipients may not apply to renew the Scholarship for a second year.
Club members and individuals with direct membership with Zonta International and employees of Zonta International and Zonta Foundation for Women, and their family members (ancestors, descendants, adoptees, siblings, nieces or cousins, and those of their spouse or co-habiting partner), are not eligible to apply for the scholarship.
Golden Z club members are eligible to apply.
Application
Application Description
Funding
Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarships are made possible by generous contributions from Zontians, Zonta clubs and friends of Zonta to the Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship Fund.
Scholars
2023 JMK Scholars | PDF
2023 JMK Scholars' Bios | PDF
International Recipients
Natalie Rais, USA, District 1
Siobhan Young, USA, District 2
Emma Kruus, USA, District 3
Aislin Roth, Canada, District 4
Simone Green, USA, District 5
Michele Tatiana Kensoung Nguemo, France, District 6
Arina Lazareva, USA, District 7
Marlee Lawson, USA, District 8
Angela Zhou, USA, District 9
Nicole Milner, USA, District 10
Aspen Delano, USA, District 11
Lauren Hanley, USA, District 12
Helene Lassen, Denmark, District 13
Luissa Schemuth, Germany, District 14
Avery Smitz, USA, District 15
Madeleine Newman, Australia, District 16
Nicole Sze Wing Lui, Hong Kong, District 17
Shiu Jern Ong, Singapore, District 17
Cynthia Anaba, Ghana, District 18
Inés Hirschy Soto, Uruguay, Region South America
Maria Korhonen, Finland, District 20
Emilia Bylund Månsson, Sweden, District 21
Karin Östberg, Sweden, District 21
Tara McCarthy, Australia, District 22
Pearl Pyae, Myanmar, District 23
Saloni Shingavi, Australia, District 24
Mansa Shroff, India, District 25
Rin Kikuchi, Japan, District 26
Anamika Das, India, District 27
Carmen Schliesser, Germany, District 27
Katharina Hartung, Germany, District 28
Celine Birkl, Germany, District 29
Ana Chavez, Mexico, District 29
Caroline Kopf, Germany, District 30
Samantha Shaw, USA, District 30
Julie Chou, Taiwan, ROC, District 31
Soyun Shim, South Korea, District 32
Questions
If you have any questions, please email [email protected].