- Three $1,500 Scholarships Awarded in 2026Due to the impressive pool of candidates, we elected to award three Max Marischen Technology Scholarships this year. Valparaiso High School students Rick Madrigal, Madeleine Ehrhardt, and McKenna Bogner each received a $1,500 award. Rick Madrigal plans to study Computer Electrical Engineering right here in Indiana. Madeleine Ehrhardt tentatively plans to study Aerospace Engineering. AndContinue reading “Three $1,500 Scholarships Awarded in 2026”
- Two $1,500 Scholarships Awarded in 2025It is with great pride that we announce that the Foundation has awarded its fourth and fifth Max Marischen Technology Scholarships. In spring of 2025, Cameron Walden and Jonathan Winland, seniors at Valparaiso High School, each received a $1,500 award toward their continuing education. Max’s father, Robert Marischen, presented the scholarships in person. Mr. WinlandContinue reading “Two $1,500 Scholarships Awarded in 2025”
- One $2,000 Scholarship Awarded in 2024It is with great pride that we announce the winner of the third Max Marischen Technology Scholarship. Last night, William Maldia, a senior at Valparaiso High School, received a $2,000 award toward his continuing education. Max’s brother, Beck Marischen, presented the scholarship in person. William plans to study Computer Science, as Max did. So far, heContinue reading “One $2,000 Scholarship Awarded in 2024”
About the Scholarship
Max was exceptionally talented with technology, most notably in his understanding of computers. This scholarship will help students who share his interests and abilities.
This scholarship is aimed towards students pursuing a degree in computer engineering (or a closely related field). This scholarship can soon be applied for through Naviance. Students will complete the general application process, then recipients will be chosen based on merit.
Support the Scholarship
The Donate button above will take you to our PayPal donation form.
Online donations can also be sent through Zelle, using this email address: MaxMarischenFoundation@gmail.com
Physical checks can be accepted at MaxFest, which is hosted the Saturday on or after July 17 each year.
The Max Marischen Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation. Donations are fully tax deductible.
About Max Marischen
Max Marischen is a beloved family member and an irreplaceable friend to countless people across the years. He is survived by his two brothers, as well as his parents.
Max was the life of the party, wherever he traveled. Everywhere Max went, he carried this amused outlook – a genuine happiness. Every victory could be clenched from the jaws of defeat. Every panicked rush could become triumphant. Every scuffed trip could be put back on track, or better yet, made into something greater. It was this spirit of ambition, this pure wish for enjoyment of the world, that made the man we know and love today. And today, this same spirit is carried on by his friends and family.
To complement the flashiness of his social life, Max was notably talented. From personal art projects to technological favors, his intelligence was flaunted through his creations. Max took pride in doing things his way: from scratch, with a curiosity that carried through every passion project. If one idea fell through, it danced perfectly into the beginning of the next.
Max was not a perfect student, but in a way, that is why he will be remembered for so long. Max excelled in his abilities, and he dazzled judges during competitions. But, the awards or achievements were not what mattered most to him. The most important thing Max did was create projects than rung true to himself. He understood that not every project required his utmost passion, but rather that his passion required a worthy project.
Many a night were spent with friends and family, creating an LED masterpiece, or perhaps an oddly charming sidescroller game. Whatever form Max’s projects took, it didn’t matter. Because no matter what his amusement was for the month, he gave meaning to the words “burning passion.” Few can match the level of personality that was woven into his ideas. Every detail dripped with his charm.
Truly, Max’s passion burned brighter than the stars, among which he now rests peacefully.
Pictures of Max, Family, and Friends
