History of ESAP (Educational Scholarship Assistance Program)

The Educational Scholarship Assistance Program (formerly the Elder Scholars Assistance Program) or ESAP was founded in 2005 to provide scholarships and financial aid to families at ten Catholic grade schools within what was then the Elder High School district. Today ESAP has grown to include twenty west-side grade schools that feed into several area Catholic high schools. Over the past seven years, ESAP has awarded over $860,000 to 1800 students.

ESAP was started by George “Butch” Hubert, Jr., an Elder alum of the class of 1959. Butch grew up in Fairmont and was the son of a poor family with a struggling butcher supply company. He was not able to play sports or participate in extracurriculars as every moment was devoted to the family business. From these humble beginnings, Mr. Hubert began the legacy of working hard and giving back. The lessons he learned from his family, the nuns at St. Leo’s grade school and the priests at Elder were never far from his mind, nor was Elder’s motto, “What I had I gave. What I saved I lost.”

ESAP began with a brief conversation with a waitress at White Castle. Elder was playing Winton Woods in the 2003 Skyline Crosstown Showdown when Mr. Hubert entered White Castle for a quick burger before the game. Seeing him in his Elder t-shirt the waitress said, “Hey, my kid wants to go to your school!” The waitress was working three jobs to earn enough money to send her children to Catholic schools, but it was still not enough. She knew the value of a Catholic education and was doing all in her power to attain it, and still it was not enough. Her story stayed with Mr. Hubert. He tried to find her again to personally aid her but could not. Her story and her struggles, however, resonated with him and his humble beginnings. How could he help her and others like her, people who are working hard and doing their best and trying to raise children with values? A plan began to form – the creation a scholarship fund to help families afford Catholic school tuition. The result was the establishment of the Elder’s Scholarship Assistance Program.

Until recently, Mr. Hubert remained the anonymous donor. Daugther, Kathy Hubert Smith, explains, “My dad did not want attention drawn to himself. He was just glad to be helping others, but it was brought to his attention that if he announced himself, his example could spur more generosity. His giving could be a light drawing others to follow and give. And in this light, it is our hope that others will follow.”

In the coming months, Butch Hubert’s family (ten children and their spouses) will be expanding the program to assist even more families attain a quality Catholic education. The first endeavor will be a program where gifts to ESAP will be matched dollar for dollar by the family.

In 2011, ESAP awarded close to $140,000 to over 350 families. Mrs. Hubert Smith shared these final thoughts with the scholarships recipients and their families, “You have shown the ESAP spirit. You are the parent modeling – you are the student giving freely.  Remember this award and how it was earned. Continue to be an example of generosity and continue to make our world a better and brighter place.”