DiversityJobs is proud to announce the seven finalists for our current scholarship award. We received an unprecedented number of applications for the August 2012 deadline, and the quality of essays was exceptional. We are very thankful for the registered universities that help us spread the word about our scholarships.
All applicants are graded on the essay which addresses how the applicant chose his/her major, what he/she has accomplished or overcome, and what it means to graduate with his/her chosen degree. As we read through the essays, we note the student’s passion for area of study, motivation, writing style and how well the essay was crafted. These seven candidates scored the highest after our review.
Now we need your help in choosing the one scholarship award winner! The final selection process will involve three different factors – outside voting, comments left by visitors, and DiversityJobs scholarship committee’s final review of the essays on September 26th.
Please help us with our selection by voting for your favorite essay (Facebook ‘Like’ and other social media sharing options on the left side of the essays) and by leaving comments or clicking on the star icon at the bottom of the page.
Shondra Celestine – Criminal Justice at University of Phoenix – click here to read Shondra’s full essay and vote.
“I grew up in Compton California and saw many of my peers fall to peer pressure. I on the other hand grew up with a family that showed me that discipline, responsibility, and structure was the way to go. My grandmother always taught me it is not where you come from, but where you plan to go and how far your dreams can take you. Through my degree in Criminal Justice I would like to be an encouraging figure to the lives that I can touch. I would like to be the voice that can give youth and wayward adults another way of thinking, acting, and dreaming.”
Leilah Moeinzadeh – Urban Studies at University of California Berkeley – click here to read Leilah’s full essay and vote.
“I witnessed first-hand the struggle of vulnerable adolescents who were left without afterschool programs that would keep them away from neighborhood violence and peer pressure. The financial decrease in programs that ultimately influence youth to contribute positively to society made me feel strongly about the need for urban change. I knew that a degree in Urban Studies would provide me with skills in city planning, environmental design, urban poverty reform, education, political economics and other subjects that would help me contribute to systemic change.”
Adrienne Rodriguez – Nutritional Sciences at Pepperdine University – click here to read Adrienne’s full essay and vote.
“At the end of my eleventh grade year, my parents and I made the tough choice to change our eating habits. Over the course of the following year I lost about forty pounds, but gained something much more important. I developed a deep passion for helping others change their health in the same way that I did. I came to believe that nutrition is one of the most important factors in living up to our full potential because it has one of the biggest influences on our ability to function in everyday life. I knew that I wanted to become a dietitian.”
Hila Sachs – Psychology at University of Miami – click here to read Hila’s full essay and vote.
“When thinking about why I chose psychology as my major, I always seem to go back to the times of my childhood where schooling became difficult because of my lack of muscle strength in my hands. Easily fixable, I was sent to an occupational therapist. That year of treatment seemed to me then like climbing Mount Everest. Those hours I spent writing the same letters and numbers over and over again, the grueling ‘pencil-holding’ exercises, and tedious hand strengthening movements, just never seemed to end. It made the six year old me despise school and anything that had to do with writing.”
“When thinking about why I chose psychology as my major, I always seem to go back to the times of my childhood where schooling became difficult because of my lack of muscle strength in my hands. Easily fixable, I was sent to an occupational therapist. That year of treatment seemed to me then like climbing Mount Everest. Those hours I spent writing the same letters and numbers over and over again, the grueling ‘pencil-holding’ exercises, and tedious hand strengthening movements, just never seemed to end. It made the six year old me despise school and anything that had to do with writing.”LaToya Samuel – Elementary Education at University of Phoenix – click here to read LaToya’s full essay and vote.
Mayra Solomon – Healthcare Administration at University of Phoenix – click here to read Mayra’s full essay and vote.
“Growing up in New York City in Spanish Harlem, the choices were limited in my neighborhood. I left to serve my country not knowing what I wanted to do as a career, the only thing I had been motivated by was that my uncle went to medical school and became a doctor. This inspired me to work hard and dream BIG. In my first duty assignment, I had a great leader. He pushed me to do and be my very best. When things got tough, as they sometimes did being the only female in my position, I would look for ways to accomplish my goals without sacrificing quality.”
Shannon Thomas – Peace and Conflict Studies; Middle Eastern Studies at University of California Berkeley – click here to read Shannon’s full essay and vote.
