© US SQUASH and North American Open Squash are registered trademarks of the United States Squash Racquets Association (USSRA), Incorporated - All rights reserved. By using this site you agree with the terms of the U.S. Squash Privacy Policy.
The tournament supports the NAO Scholarship Fund in partnership with US Squash, which provides financial assistance to participants in urban squash programs as they elect to attend private secondary schools or college. The SEA squash programs around the United States provide substantial academic support for kids who also play squash. For many of these young men and women private secondary school or college is a significant next step that can only be possible with financial aid – especially now as many academic institutions are reducing financial aid programs. The NAO Fund will make an important difference in the education of these young men and women as a result of the generous support of tournament patrons.
NAO SCHOLARSHIP FUND COMMITTEE
John Burke ~ Tim George ~ Kevin Klipstein ~ Steve Scharff ~ Liam Kenny ~ Luke Albright
The NAO Scholarship Fund, founded in 2010, has made a substantial impact on the lives of young people from inner-city communities who participate in SEA programs.
The thoughtfulness that led to the founding of this fund is something we at US Squash are proud to help facilitate and be a part of.
Grants from the NAO Scholarship Fund are meant to supplement and enhance the scholarship funding that urban squash program participants receive from the urban squash program, the beneficiary’s school and other sources. This financial assistance is provided as the students elect to attend private secondary schools or college. Specifically, the funding is intended to offset the tuition, room or board costs the student will incur, but has not received adequate funding from other grants or scholarships to cover.
Below is the distribution report for the NAO Fund.
Distribution Summary:
FY10 – 0
FY11 – 20,500
FY12 – 20,500
FY13 – 15,500
FY14 – 15,500
FY15 – 19,400
FY16 – 25,885
FY17 – 25,885
FY18 – 25,885
FY19 – 28,000
FY20 – 26,000
FY21 – 24,000
FY22 – 18,644
FY23 – 6,000
FY24 – 0
FY25 – 18,000
Totals – 289,699
The NAO Fund, which to date has awarded nearly $300,000 in scholarships over the past fifteen years, makes a life-changing difference in the education of these young men and women as a result of the generous support of tournament patrons. The fund has a current balance of $135,183.
The 2025 grant recipients were:
* Yanelise Santiago – MetroSquash Evanston
* Julian Cardenas – StreetSquash
* Maurice Anderson – StreetSquash
* Matthew Dale – StreetSquash
* Janthony Paulino – CitySquash
* Gabriel Garcia – CitySquash
Clearly, the impact of the NAO Scholarship Fund is tremendous and has changed the lives of deserving young people. US Squash is proud to provide this report and be a part of this program that has the ability to change the lives of SEA program participants.
