The Morgan Jayne Hill Scholarship
Since 2022, the Morgan Jayne Hill Scholarship is an annual competition for Illinois high school seniors that is aimed at bringing awareness about Illinois’ Safe Haven Law.
Requirements for applying for the scholarship:
- Open to high school seniors residing in Illinois and attending college or trade school in the fall of 2027
- Submit either an Essay (up to 500 words) or Artwork
- Complete the online Scholarship Application by March 1, 2027
All submissions will be reviewed by the Scholarship Committee and voted on for awards in each category. Scholarship winners will be notified if they have won a scholarship by May 1, 2027.
This year, we will be awarding six scholarships: two $1,000 Scholarships for best Essay, two $1,000 Scholarships for best Artwork, one $500 Scholarship for best Essay Runner-Up, and one $500 Scholarship for best Artwork Runner-Up.
By submitting your Essay or Artwork, you agree to allow the Save Abandoned Babies Foundation to use your essay or artwork for the purposes of promoting the Safe Haven law.
2028 Scholarships will be posted in September 2027.
Essay Contest
If you would like to enter the Essay Contest:
Essay Prompt:
What does the Illinois Safe Haven Law mean to you personally, and how has it shaped your understanding of compassion, responsibility, and community care?We want to hear your story and your perspective. Your response should demonstrate your personal understanding of the Safe Haven Law and, when applicable, how the law, its purpose, or the issue of infant abandonment has affected you, your family, your community, or the way you think about helping others.
We understand that AI tools are readily available, but this scholarship is intended to give us an opportunity to learn about you, your experiences, your thoughts, and your own voice. Please do not submit an essay that is primarily generated by AI or copied from another source. We are not looking for the “perfect” answer; we are looking for an authentic and thoughtful response that could only come from you.
Your essay should explain:
- What the Safe Haven Law means to you personally.
- How learning about the law has influenced your views on compassion, responsibility, and community care.
- Any personal experience, connection, or meaningful reflection you have related to the law or its purpose.
- Why you believe the Safe Haven Law matters to individuals and to the community.
Most importantly, tell us something only you can tell us.
- Use the information on the website www.saveabandonedbabies.org to learn how the law works in Illinois and current efforts to promote awareness about the Safe Haven law. We know that social media is one way to spread the word as is our website. Get creative in your ideas and think outside the box! Remember, Illinois does NOT ALLOW baby boxes so please make sure you do NOT include them in your essay.
- Attach your Essay as a pdf document with your first name, underscore, last name, as your file name using the attached online Scholarship Application Form.
Art Contest
Create a piece of original artwork that promotes awareness of the Illinois Safe Haven Law and can be used as a powerful T-shirt design.
We want your artwork to communicate what the Safe Haven Law means to you personally. Your design should reflect your own thoughts, experiences, emotions, values, or understanding of how this law protects newborns and gives hope to families facing an unimaginable situation.
Personal meaning and creative expression will take priority over artistic skill. We are looking for artwork that tells a story, creates an emotional connection, or makes people stop and think.
As you create your piece, consider:
- What does the Safe Haven Law mean to you?
- What message of compassion, hope, protection, responsibility, or community do you want your artwork to communicate?
- How can you express that message through your own unique artistic style?
- What image, symbol, words, or combination of elements would make someone want to wear the design and learn more about the Safe Haven Law?
Keep in mind that your artwork will be considered for printing on a T-shirt, so think carefully about size, color, shape, readability, composition, and visual impact. Your design should be eye-catching while remaining meaningful and easy to understand.
Most importantly, make it your own. We want to see your personal perspective and creativity—not simply a picture of the law. Tell us something about why protecting newborn life and providing a safe alternative matters to you.
Originality, personal connection, creativity, emotional impact, and the ability to communicate the Safe Haven message will be the most important considerations in judging the artwork.
- Alternatively, create a design to be used across social media following the same rules as above.
- Use the information on the website www.saveabandonedbabies.org to learn how the law works in Illinois and current efforts to promote awareness about the Safe Haven law. We know that social media is one way to spread the word as is our website. Get creative in your ideas and think outside the box! Remember, Illinois does NOT ALLOW baby boxes so please make sure you do NOT include them in your artwork.
- Attach your artwork as a high-resolution jpg file with your first name, underscore, last name, as your file name using the attached online Scholarship Application Form.
2026 Art Work Scholarship Winners
2026 Essay Winners
About Morgan Jayne Hill
This annual scholarship program for Illinois high school seniors is sponsored by the Save Abandoned Babies Foundation is named after Morgan Jayne Hill.
Morgan became an advocate for promoting the Safe Haven Law based on her own life experience. As a newborn, Morgan was left in a dumpster to die. Fortunately, a construction worker putting trash in the dumpster heard a faint cry and Morgan was rescued. She was brought up in a loving adoptive family and always knew of the story of how she was saved that day.
Morgan Jayne Hill was a tireless advocate for getting information out about the Safe Haven Law.
As Morgan got older, she took on a mission to reach out to others so that a birthmother knows she has options. She told her story to the news media. She spoke to anyone who would listen. Each time she spoke she became more confident and her message became clearer.
Morgan joined the board of the Save Abandoned Babies foundation and spoke to groups all around the country to get out her message. She connected with kids who had been safely relinquished under the Safe Haven law and became their friend and big sister. She organized social media campaigns and even created a motorcycle ride to raise funds and awareness.
Morgan gained confidence talking about her story and spoke frequently to the news media to spread awareness of the Safe Haven Law.
Her Message: “If I can help one mother know that they have an option to safely relinquish their newborn using the Safe Haven law then my efforts are worth it.
Tragically, Morgan passed away at age 27 after suffering an epileptic seizure. She is missed by all who knew her – and we carry on her message of hope and awareness with this scholarship program.”
