Testimonials

Christine Mayne was the oldest of three sisters that attended St. Pius X Catholic School in Mission, Kansas, and Bishop Miege High School.  Of the three sisters, she was described as the “brain.”  In eighth grade her parents were told she had completed the math classes St. Pius X offered, so they gave her and a classmate the opportunity to take an algebra class at Bishop Miege. 

After high school Christine went on to college to earn her Bachelor’s in Computer Engineering from Boston University, worked for four years at Cerner, then earned her MBA from Duke University which led her to work in Silicon Valley, California in 2000. 

In 2005, she took a promising new job.  Before taking the job she suffered a common knee injury, went to the doctor, where an appointment was set for orthoscopic knee surgery.  On the second Monday at her new job, she went home from work, and that evening a blood clot from her leg moved up into her lungs and she died.  This tragedy was the end of her life, but not her story. 

Following Christine’s death, her parents, Jerry and Julie Mayne, wanted to do something to honor her memory.  They used the proceeds from Christine’s savings and life insurance to start a scholarship through the Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas (CFNEK).  The award benefits a female student at Bishop Miege High School that is “first based on need and secondly giving priority to those who have shown an interest and/or aptitude for mathematics and or physical science.” 

“The goal was to create a scholarship that would provide one full-tuition scholarship to attend Bishop Miege forever,” said Jerry Mayne.  Initially the fund was not large enough to produce enough income for full tuition, but over time with more contributions from the family and investment growth the fund has grown to meet this goal.  “I think most people would like to leave a permanent legacy,” continued Mayne.  “It feels good to know that 50 or 60 years from now someone that might not be otherwise able to attend Catholic high school will be able to, and it will always be attributed to Christine’s memory.”

If you would like to contribute to the Christine Mayne Memorial Scholarship or to establish a new fund to honor or to memorialize a loved one, contact CFNEK at (913) 647-3062.