A scholarship to benefit students of Sacred Heart Elementary School in Lincoln was established in July 1997 by the estate of Paula J. Foley. Ms. Foley, who passed away May 1997, established the scholarship in memory of her father, John Michael Foley. The scholarship has been awarded to graduates of Sacred Heart Elementary School who attend Pius X High School. After Sacred Heart School closed at the end of the 2018-2019 academic year, Pius X students who are members of Sacred Heart Parish are eligible to receive the scholarship.

Ms. Foley was an elementary school teacher in Ohio before moving to Nebraska. She taught at St. John’s in Plattsmouth, Cathedral of the Risen Christ in Lincoln, and finished teaching at Blessed Sacrament in Lincoln. She was known by friends and colleagues for her strong dedication to her students.

Father John Perkinton, Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Lincoln, commented on Ms. Foley’s teaching career: “Paula was not only an exemplary teacher, but she was a dear friend to many people and an inspiration of Christian discipleship to many more.”