Driven by grief and a commitment to West Side youth, the Jerome Burke Foundation is marking its seventh year of expanding educational and career pipelines for young Black men across Austin.
Founded by Dr. Salena Burke in 2019 following the death of her older brother, Jerome, the volunteer-led organization provides scholarships for four-year colleges and trade programs while connecting students with mentors, professional development opportunities, and civic engagement programs. At its Dec. 12 annual gala, the foundation will award five additional scholarships, bringing its total to 35 since its founding.
The foundation’s work is rooted in Jerome Burke’s commitment to neighborhood children. Before his death, he regularly helped Austin families cover the cost of school supplies, clothing, and shoes when they fell short. His ongoing dedication to young people directly influenced Burke’s decision to establish an organization that would carry that care forward on a larger scale.
Burke and her brother grew up in Austin, where their parents moved in 1971. As the middle child of three, Burke shared a particularly close bond with her older brother —spending hours talking, making plans to care for their aging parents, and navigating a neighborhood experiencing decades of disinvestment.
“My mom used to say we could have been twins because we just clicked,” Burke recalled. “If he called, I came. If I called, he came.”
Jerome died unexpectedly in December 2018 at age 47. Shortly before his death, he had shared that he was finally ready to start a family. Although he never had children of his own, his devotion to neighborhood youth had long been evident. As Burke later searched through old family photographs, she struggled to find a single picture in which her brother was not holding someone else’s child.
She filed the legal paperwork to establish the Jerome Burke Foundation just weeks after his death in January 2019. Rather than memorializing her brother solely through a traditional grave marker, she insisted that anyone looking to honor Jerome should see his name “on a check, on a program, or on the resume of a student getting hired.”
“Say his name — that’s what I mean,” Burke said. “Every kid we touch becomes one of Jerome’s kids.”
The foundation’s scholarship program supports students pursuing both traditional college degrees and trade certifications, reflecting a playful, ongoing debate the siblings often had about education and career paths. Burke attended college, while Jerome pursued certificate programs, trade courses, and truck driving.
“We argued about college versus trade school all the time, but he won,” Burke laughed. “Now our scholarships support both.”
The foundation’s scholarship recipients have pursued opportunities at institutions including Princeton University. One of its 2019 recipients earned an undergraduate degree there and spoke at last year’s gala about his path to law school.
Beyond financial assistance, the organization introduces students to professional fields through workshops and guest speakers. Students have connected with professionals in real estate, financial services, and corporate technology, including employees at Microsoft.
The foundation also partners with the Chicago Metropolitan YMCA’s Youth & Government program, which introduces students to the legislative process. Through a six-month curriculum, participants draft legislation, debate public policy, and travel to Springfield to experience state government firsthand.
Recruiting students for the civic engagement program can be challenging, particularly when young people have limited exposure to local politics or family members who have worked in public office. Recalling her own first trip to the state capitol, Burke said “there was only a handful of us” in the room — a gap in representation she is determined to close.
To make the experience more accessible, Burke has been documenting her son’s participation in the legislative program to show prospective students what the process involves and demystify state government.
Her interest in connecting students with career opportunities also led to the development of NorthStar, a platform created through her doctoral research. Using Holland Code career theory and artificial intelligence-powered career bots, the platform helps students explore industries, identify career interests, develop prompt-engineering skills, and connect with local internship opportunities.
Burke is also preparing a book, Finding Your NorthStar, which explores career development through personal strengths, faith, and community service.
The foundation’s community work extends beyond education and career preparation. Each Thanksgiving morning, volunteers and students serve meals to approximately 100 residents at Austin Oasis senior home near Austin Boulevard and the Eisenhower. The initiative also provides students with an opportunity to complete the 10 community service hours required for scholarship eligibility.
Throughout the year, the organization hosts fundraising and student events, including a bowling trunk party in June, a birthday and casino night fundraiser in August, and its annual gala in December.
At the summer trunk party, graduating high school students receive supplies to help prepare for college or their next steps after graduation. Watching incoming freshmen select items offers Burke a telling glimpse into the transition ahead, noting how younger students often overlook basic necessities like laundry detergent and paper towels.
“It shows how innocent they are … they don’t even know detergent costs money yet,” said Burke. “We try to support them through that exact transition into the world.”
The annual gala serves as the foundation’s primary gathering, designed to connect students with the broader network of supporters invested in their growth.
“Thank you for the money, but I need you to be there,” Burke said, stressing that financial supporters must physically attend in person so scholarship recipients can “see the community standing behind them.”
This year’s gala is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 12, at the 19th Century Club in Oak Park. The foundation will award five additional scholarships, bringing their total to 35 since its founding. Applicants must maintain at least a 2.0 grade-point average, submit transcripts and two letters of recommendation, and complete 10 hours of community service.
Burke’s ultimate goal is anchoring the foundation with a permanent headquarters in Austin. Plans for the physical space include interactive labs for journalism, law, medicine, and tech, a launching pad she eventually wants to back with full college tuition coverage.
The foundation currently operates through private donations and volunteer effort rather than relying on external grant funding.
Every scholarship awarded and student mentored keeps alive the same quiet advocacy Jerome offered neighborhood kids long before the foundation had a name.
“In a way,” Burke reflected, “the young men we serve have become the family Jerome never got to have.”