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104 How to Write a Winning Scholarship Essay Emily Kendall, Association for Women in Science Scholarship Winner To tutor a struggling math student, Emily drew on the patience that her own teachers had shown her when she was younger. This is the topic of Emily’s essay, which she wrote to win a number of scholarships and to apply to Harvard, Duke, MIT, Washington University in St. Louis, Caltech, Vanderbilt and the University of Chicago. In fact, she not only gained admission to all but also received a number of offers of full scholarships. In addition to her volunteer work, she has been named a national semifinalist in both the Intel and Siemens-Westinghouse national science research competitions, led her high school academic team to two state championships and been one of two delegates from her state to participate in the U.S. Senate Youth Program. A graduate of North High School in Evansville, Indiana, she is now studying physics at Harvard University. A Lesson for Both of Us June pursed her lips and furrowed her brow as I plunged into yet another problem demonstrating least common denominators. Recognizing June’s confusion and exasperation, I wracked my brain for a simpler approach, but as I spoke, the blank expression on June’s face foretold my impending failure. I waited hopefully as she puzzled over the final step, but she dropped her pencil and sighed, “Negative numbers just don’t make sense!” Clearly, June was frustrated. So was I. All my life, I had ceaselessly soaked up knowledge from books and asked questions about everything around me. I explored new ideas; I pushed myself to achieve and to learn far more than my classes required; and when it came to math, I would gladly spend days pondering a challenging problem. Why couldn’t this girl be more like I am? Or at least more like my other pupils? My other math students studied faithfully; my freshman debaters shared insightful new arguments with me daily; even little Hernando, whom I tutored in inner-city Chicago, had been thrilled to have a friend who would study with him. Part of me wanted to give up on June, but then I realized that some of my own difficult experiences, which had shaped me greatly, could help me to help June. I recalled my painful rejection from the first grade “select choir.” Chapter 5: 30 Winning Scholarship Essays 105 That experience, although it had taught me to accept failures with grace and learn from them, had still hurt terribly, so I resolved never to let anyone label June a failure at math. I also recalled my determination to make the eighth grade volleyball team and the countless hours I spent lifting weights and repeatedly serving the volleyball alone in my backyard before I earned a school uniform. Recognizing the persistence necessary to achieve something difficult, I determined to work my hardest until June mastered her algebra. Finally, I recalled my enthusiastic middle school teacher whose coaching helped and inspired me to win local MATHCOUNTS competitions, qualify for the state team and advance with my teammates to place second nationally. Seeing the value of a committed, motivated, enthusiastic teacher who puts more faith in you than you put in yourself, I promised myself that, despite my frustration, I would not give up on my student. As I move on to college and beyond, I intend to excel, but more importantly, I want my endeavors to have a positive influence on others. As I work toward this end, I am thankful for my talents and my successes; however, I recognize that some of the greatest gifts I can offer are the perseverance, humility, compassion or strength arising from apparent defeat. Drawing on my natural abilities and life’s lessons, I can continue to help others as I helped June, whose blank looks turned to expressions of understanding, whose signs of frustration became promising smiles and who, though I still have much to teach her, finally believes she can succeed. 106 How to Write a Winning Scholarship Essay Career Plans or Field of Study Danny Fortson, Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarship Winner Danny applied for the Rotary scholarship as a way of not only studying journalism but also doing so abroad. He will use the award to gain formal training in journalism and to continue his studies in Spanish. A graduate of U.C. Santa Barbara, Danny’s experiences include writing for two San Francisco-based publications, studying abroad in Costa Rica and interning for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a foreign policy think tank. He thinks he won the award because of his persistence. An unsuccessful applicant the previous year, he used the time in between to increase his qualifications with more journalism experience which is clearly evident in his essay. International Journalism Several months ago, I walked into the local bicycle shop, picked out one of the few two-wheelers that fit my lanky frame, strapped a Styrofoam helmet to my head, and set about riding my bike to work every day through the hectic downtown San Francisco traffic. I did not do this out of a strange compulsion to tempt fate but because the day prior I had signed up for the California AIDSRide, a 575-mile, week-long sojourn from San Francisco to Los Angeles to raise money for AIDS treatment and awareness. When I first heard about the event, I had trepidation: “Why not just drive your car? There is no way I’m going to ride my bike more than 500 miles in one week!” However, I was drawn to the event not only by the desire to challenge myself but to serve a worthy cause. It is these guiding principles, to always push myself and to impact people beyond my own circle, that I look to for direction in all the things I do and something that I feel journalism fulfills. That is why I have chosen to pursue it as a profession, because to be able to write news that is relevant to people’s lives is a way to tangibly serve society. Chapter 5: 30 Winning Scholarship Essays 107 My primary job is as a reporter at The Daily Deal, a financial newspaper aimed at investment bankers, corporate lawyers and company executives. Knowing nothing of the complexities of the financial world, I was thrown into the job initially as an editorial assistant, which required me to write authoritatively for a very sophisticated audience. After about three months of intensive learning, I moved up from my post as an editorial assistant to reporter. It was and still is a daunting task, especially with the daily fourhour deadline, but I love the challenge. My work as a freelance reporter at The Independent Newspaper Group, on the other hand, provides a whole new set of challenges and resplendent rewards. For The Independent I cover stories with a human aspect, issues that are relevant to the people of the local community. Whether I am covering the community service of a local congregation or the phenomenon of the ever-popular scooter, I enjoy the work because I can engage with people in the community and talk about issues important to them. Working for two drastically different publications, I have learned that so much is determined by larger economic and political factors, but that it all ultimately trickles down to people on the local level. Making that connection with the community is incredibly rewarding, and to be able to extend my reach to a wider audience but retain the local interest is what I am ultimately aiming to do. A year abroad would provide the crucial steppingstone toward that end. Of course, the issues affecting local communities are most tangible when you experience them first hand through interactions with its less fortunate, something I have always sought. In Costa Rica, I found myself at the other end of this teacher-student spectrum. The seven months I spent living and studying at The University of Costa Rica were my first experience as a foreigner in a foreign land. Staying with a local family and attending university classes, I had no choice but to learn Spanish, and fast, at a level that six years of classroom instruction did not afford. In addition, I was in the middle of a crash course in Central American culture and the pertinent issues to the people there, and it was that experience of fully delving into Costa Rican life that imbued me with a passion for the region. 108 How to Write a Winning Scholarship Essay I took that passion to Washington D.C. where I worked as an intern for The Center for Strategic and International Studies, a foreign policy think tank. While there, I worked for The Mexico Project, a program that brought together dignitaries from both sides of the border to foster a unified binational policy. My time in Guatemala also is what fueled my desire to work closely with the Americas Program director to coauthor an election study of that country’s presidential race that was disseminated throughout Capitol Hill. Writing that piece for a crowd so far removed from the issues highlighted what I have found to be a recurring dichotomy between the local concerns of one community and the disconnect with a potential audience so many miles away. That is the gap I want to be able to bridge. It has been three years since I used Spanish in my daily life in Costa Rica, and I desperately want to reach the level of fluency necessary to use in a public forum. In seeking to go abroad once more I intend to do so, as well as get the formal journalistic education to buttress my practical training. Moreover, I could absorb the sense of a foreign society, history and culture that is only attainable through living the daily experience of another country. I would then be equipped to communicate more effectively and to a much wider audience, taking into account the sensibilities of another people and culture and balancing that with the knowledge I have from my own. Chapter 5: 30 Winning Scholarship Essays 109 Cecilia A. Oleck, Knight Ridder Minority Scholar Cecilia has competed athletically on the court, field and track. But it’s her sense of competition in the newsroom that makes her want to pursue a career in journalism. While a student at West Catholic High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan, she wrote for the newspaper, tackling topics such as the double standards for athletes and gender stereotypes. As a result of her journalism experience, she won over $80,000 in awards including the Knight Ridder Minority Journalism Scholarship and a scholarship from the Detroit Free Press, where she has worked as an intern. A student at Saint Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana, she is majoring in communications, preparing for a career in journalism. The Right Fit For more people, the future is uncertain; the direction their life will take is not spelled out for them. Each person is responsible for the choices she will make that will determine the course of her life. One of the choices that has an incredible impact on her life is what she will choose for her career. This can be a difficult decision to make, as it will affect almost every aspect of a person’s life to some degree. Most people are also not fortunate enough to receive a startling revelation directing them on the right course for their lives. Instead, the most powerful way that a person is able to determine her direction is not through an earthshaking revelation but through the quiet confidence that this is what she is called to do and to be. In the same way, I have never received any startling revelations that I should pursue a career in journalism, but as I look back on my life, I am able to see that there were many little steps along the way that have led me to this choice. I have often heard my parents tell the story of how, on my first day of kindergarten, I came home crying because I had not been taught how to read. I have always loved to read and from that has developed a great respect and fascination for the written word. Joseph Pulitzer stated the purpose of a journalist should be to “Put it before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it, and above all, accurately so they will be guided by its light.” His words serve as a reminder for me of the many 110 How to Write a Winning Scholarship Essay different dimensions of writing. Journalism encompasses both creativity and technicality. It is a way of expressing individuality and of communicating with others. Many of my personal qualities convince me that a career in journalism is my calling. I find that I am a person who responds well to challenges. Perhaps it is because of my competitive nature that challenges motivate me, and I discover that my biggest competitor is usually myself. I think this is why I enjoy trying to combine both the creative and technical aspects of writing. Each time I begin to write, I am presented with a fresh challenge. Every day that I live, I realize more the impact other people have on me and the impact I have on them. Writing is a very personal way of reaching out to people I may never meet, but who I am still connected to because of our identities as human beings. Journalism allows the opportunity for the sharing of information, thoughts, feelings and ideas between people from all walks of lives. It enables people to see things through another’s eyes and gain new perspectives on the world around them. It is because of the many dimensions of journalism that I desire to pursue a career in this field. I feel that as a journalist, I will be able to use the talents that I already have, as well as learn new ones. I believe it is a chance for me to be an instrument to bring people together. Chapter 5: 30 Winning Scholarship Essays 111 Chris Kennedy, National Merit Semi-Finalist From Leawood, Kansas, Chris has always been around animals. He has volunteered at a wildlife rehabilitation center, studied butterflies and moths and worked for his family’s canine rescue group. In the ninth grade, Chris and his parents decided that he should be homeschooled so he could better pursue his interests. In addition to studying at home, he has remained active in local science groups and taken courses from a charter high school and college. With this essay on his plans to become an avian veterinarian, he was recognized as a National Merit Semi-Finalist. He gives this advice on applying for scholarships: “Don’t put it off. The closer it gets to the deadline, the more terrifying it becomes. So start now.” Avian Veterinarian I am the only person I know who dreams of becoming an avian veterinarian. That’s a bird doctor if your Latin is rusty. I got my first bird—a cockatiel named Sunny for his cheerful disposition—slightly over a year ago. One look into those sweet, intelligent eyes, and I was hooked. I first gained experience caring for birds of prey, songbirds and waterfowl volunteering with Operation Wildlife, a wildlife rehabilitation and education center that serves the eastern half of Kansas. One particularly memorable day at the center had me tube-feeding a hummingbird. I also participate in the Idalia Society, a group of lepidopterists that studies butterflies, moths and their environments. The magic of nature has always fascinated me, and I am lucky to have found a passion that will let me explore the world of birds and nature in my eventual career. After seventh grade I chose unorthodox schooling that allowed me to explore my avian interests in more depth while still covering all academic subjects at an advanced level. I have thus pursued a blend of home-school, public school and college coursework. Each year’s educational program has been different. In ninth grade I chose a year of home-schooling in literature and world history complemented with work at the college level in geology and biology at Johnson County Community College and volunteering with Operation Wildlife and Farley’s Angels, my family’s private canine-rescue effort. 112 How to Write a Winning Scholarship Essay At the end of that year I decided I wanted to earn a Kansas Regent’s high school diploma but also wanted to continue working at my own pace, exploring topics with greater depth than might be possible in a high school classroom. Those goals came together at Basehor-Linwood Virtual Charter School. I am completing the four-year curriculum in three years, substituting college courses in the sciences. Thanks to the Basehor-Linwood program I have had the latitude to pursue my interest in one facet of my heritage by substituting three years of intensive immersion education in Norwegian for more traditional language programming. At home, I’m currently completing Cornell Ornithology Lab’s Bird Biology distance learning course, the University of Missouri-Columbia honors physics course and continuing my volunteer work. My hard work earned me prizes in physics in the Kansas City Science Fair, in science and social studies in the State of Kansas Scholarship Contest and recognition at the national level by Duke University’s Talent Identification (TIP) Program. My unusual curriculum allowed me to compete with students from traditional academic backgrounds while serving my interests as no public school could. Boy Scouts gave me the chance to enjoy the outdoors while learning about myself and others and gaining valuable leadership skills. I applied those leadership lessons last summer in the American Legion Boys’ State of Kansas, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn about state government. Together these programs taught me about the importance of individual participation and good leadership in groups. At the most basic level my goals are like those of many others. I want to find the best college environment, study my chosen field of biology or pre-veterinary medicine, go to graduate school and have a fulfilling career. Of course, my particular career goal—to start my own avian veterinary clinic—is unusual, but it serves the same human need. I hope to be a good husband and father, to learn from mistakes, help others and do the right thing while remaining young at heart. With my preparation thus far and a lot more hard work, I will achieve my goals. Chapter 5: 30 Winning Scholarship Essays 113 Andrea Setters, Dow Scholarship Winner While she had always known that her future was in the sciences, it took an inspiring teacher for Andrea to discover that her passion was for chemistry. Her teacher at Fairborn High School in Fairborn, Ohio, taught her about the laws of thermodynamics, periodic trends, redox reactions and moles, and in doing so also became a mentor and friend. Andrea says about her teacher, “She brought out the best in me.” Andrea, majoring in chemistry, won scholarships including the Dow Chemistry Scholarship and Furman Founder’s Scholarship to attend Furman University in South Carolina. She hopes to eventually earn a Ph.D. and work in pharmaceutical research. Scientific Inspiration I often sit in front of blank pieces of notebook paper and half-finished applications wondering why in the world I am still doing all this, wishing it were all over a little sooner. After all, basket weavers make a nice living: they create wonderful pieces with both aesthetic and functional purposes and I bet they didn’t have to fill out 20-page questionnaires about what they have done with every waking hour of their lives for the last four years. Then again, I don’t have any desire to be a basket weaver. Honestly, I would not have the slightest clue how to begin a basket and I hate splinters. I do, however, have a love of chemistry and it is this love that pushes me to continue with all the forms and essays with a little more enthusiasm than I may have started them with. When I began to consider future careers, I set two basic criteria: I had to be decent at it, and it had to be something I never seemed to grow tired of. Science became the obvious answer. The not-so-easy question became what I wanted to do with science and what specific discipline. Then, during my sophomore and junior years, two experiences helped narrow down my field: my chemistry classes and being a teaching aide. When I signed up for honors chemistry, I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. I soon discovered, however, that I had nothing to worry about. The guidance gods smiled on me when they were assigning classes