Marking the announcement of 50 new scholarships, Northwestern Mutual celebrates past recipients giving back through medical careers this National Cancer Research Month
MILWAUKEE, May 5, 2026 – Northwestern Mutual, through its Foundation, announces a new class of scholars from its annual Childhood Cancer Scholarship Program (CCSP), reinforcing the company’s ongoing commitment to supporting families affected by childhood cancer. The program provides scholarships to students affected by a diagnosis — either as survivors themselves or as siblings — enabling recipients to chase their dreams and transform their experience into purpose.
This year, 25 survivors and 25 siblings will be awarded up to $10,000, totaling $500,000. The scholarship represents what the company calls, “goldeNMoments”, moments of joy, resilience, and community impact that are lighting the way toward a cancer-free future.
“Receiving a childhood cancer diagnosis can create profound physical, emotional, and financial hardships for families,” said Steve Radke, president of the Northwestern Mutual Foundation. “At Northwestern Mutual, we aim to help families at every stage of life, including unexpected moments that test us most. Through the scholarship, we hope to empower students to create their own goldeNMoments and celebrate all they’ve accomplished.”
Since the program began in 2017, 371 scholarships have been awarded to survivors and siblings, totaling $3.1 million. This impact extends beyond financial support: nearly half of recipients have pursued careers in nursing, medicine, or other health care-related fields – many inspired by the care teams and medical professionals who supported them and their families during their own journey. Last year’s cohort had the highest number of scholarship recipients with plans to enter a health care-related field, including aspiring pediatric oncologists, nurses, and clinical researchers.
In honor of National Cancer Research Month, Northwestern Mutual celebrates scholarship alumni who are now giving back to the cause through medicine and research – a powerful reflection of the program’s impact of nurturing educational aspirations and fostering careers that drive advancements in cancer treatment and care.
“Each of these recipients represents resilience, purpose, and possibility,” said Radke. “We’re not only proud to offer financial relief to families affected by a diagnosis, but to witness the same students become the next generation of researchers, caregivers, and innovators shaping the future of medicine is an honor itself.”
The Childhood Cancer Scholarship Program is indicative of Northwestern Mutual’s larger commitment to accelerating the search for better treatments and cures for childhood cancer, while also supporting families and survivors living with long-term side effects. To date, Northwestern Mutual, through its Foundation, has funded more than 860,000 hours of childhood cancer research and contributed more than $75 million to the cause overall.
To learn more about the scholarship program, visit https://northwesternmutual-foundation.com/scholarships/
