JustJobs Announces 2014 Scholarship Finalists – help us choose one winner!
[W]e are proud to announce the seven finalists for the 2014 JustJobs Scholarship award, which include scientists, reading specialists, security experts, mediators and teachers. We received thousands of exceptional applications, but we feel that these candidates showed the best combination of passion, integrity, and dedication to their chosen fields of study.
Now we need your help in choosing the one scholarship award winner! The final selection process will involve three different factors:
outside voting (Facebook ‘Like’ and other social media options on the left side of the essays)
comments left by visitors
the JustJobs Scholarship committee’s scoring of the student’s application and essay
The one winner will be announced on Monday June 30th. 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 the ‘star’ icon above the comments section.
Teryan Brown, Biology/Chemistry, Willamette University
I refused to stay in that place of grief and panic. I know the kind of person I want others to describe me as: a leader, smart, kind, and strong. I feel that these things are reflected in my everyday actions. The world around me may not be a fair one or easy to navigate, but I want to be one of the few dedicated to not giving in. I want to never give up, follow through with my word, and always help the people that surround me. This character is who I believe myself to be today.
Erin Grigg, Reading Specialist, Teachers College Columbia
When I returned to the United States, I was dedicated to learning how to effectively teach literacy to those who may remain oppressed by their illiteracy. I am now studying to become a reading specialist at Columbia University, a place I never imagined my ADHD self would be capable attending. I was not diagnosed with ADHD until I was 20 years old, after years of therapy and incorrect diagnoses. I moved to Bolivia in the first place because I had just finished college and needed some time away from the structure of school.
Boot camp was one of the most challenging but worth-while experiences of my life. It made me a stronger person both personally and professionally. I learned more about how our country interacts with others, specifically during times of war and crisis. I developed an interest in international conflict and a desire to innovate our policy and actions to benefit overall security and development in our own country as well as globally.
My decision to now pursue a degree in conflict resolution reflects my 18-year history in Pakistan as well as the experiences of other Pakistani youth. Like me, my friends boarded a crowded public bus on an ordinary day. Like me, they saw a man at the front of the bus— a man who was ordinary in every way except that he carried a gun. Amidst the frightening commotion, they also saw another ordinary man light the front two tires on fire.
Meilinn Tram, Biochemistry, University of New Mexico
Two years ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Vietnam and China to meet my distant relatives. It was quite a culture shock for me because for the first time, I was exposed to extremely ill individuals. I discovered the cause, improperly disposed medical waste needles, which are extremely hazardous to leave lying around. This observation spurred me into researching sickness and medical waste disposal in other countries. I narrowed it down to researching vaccines and eventually my degree in biochemistry. I found that third world countries don’t have a government regulated system of disposal.
Aeloch Kim, Instructional Technology and Media, Teachers College Columbia
Another gunshot and ambulance siren after a few minutes – such familiar signs meant that I was going to attend another funeral for a friend’s family. Growing up as a foreigner in the worst neighborhood in Kazakhstan, I saw lives of the underprivileged. I was ten when my closest friend’s brother died from gang violence. At the funeral, I asked my mom, “wasn’t he a good guy, like Sonic the Hedgehog?”
I like to see people succeed. As a YOSAR technician, I have been put through many trying circumstances from dealing with fatalities to multiple-day, back-country searches in variable weather conditions. Through these and other personal experiences in the outdoors, I have begun to master mindfulness and personal strength, the tools that enhance growth and communication, and help people to succeed. As a guide and educator, I have helped inspire success, but I have also seen many failures. I have often struggled with how to help others understand how to cultivate more successful behaviors.
I refused to stay in that place of grief and panic. I know the kind of person I want others to describe me as: a leader, smart, kind, and strong. I feel that these things are reflected in my everyday actions. The world around me may not be a fair one or easy to navigate, but I want to be one of the few dedicated to not giving in. I want to never give up, follow through with my word, and always help the people that surround me. This character is who I believe myself to be today.
When I returned to the United States, I was dedicated to learning how to effectively teach literacy to those who may remain oppressed by their illiteracy. I am now studying to become a reading specialist at Columbia University, a place I never imagined my ADHD self would be capable attending. I was not diagnosed with ADHD until I was 20 years old, after years of therapy and incorrect diagnoses. I moved to Bolivia in the first place because I had just finished college and needed some time away from the structure of school.
Boot camp was one of the most challenging but worth-while experiences of my life. It made me a stronger person both personally and professionally. I learned more about how our country interacts with others, specifically during times of war and crisis. I developed an interest in international conflict and a desire to innovate our policy and actions to benefit overall security and development in our own country as well as globally.
My decision to now pursue a degree in conflict resolution reflects my 18-year history in Pakistan as well as the experiences of other Pakistani youth. Like me, my friends boarded a crowded public bus on an ordinary day. Like me, they saw a man at the front of the bus— a man who was ordinary in every way except that he carried a gun. Amidst the frightening commotion, they also saw another ordinary man light the front two tires on fire.
Two years ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Vietnam and China to meet my distant relatives. It was quite a culture shock for me because for the first time, I was exposed to extremely ill individuals. I discovered the cause, improperly disposed medical waste needles, which are extremely hazardous to leave lying around. This observation spurred me into researching sickness and medical waste disposal in other countries. I narrowed it down to researching vaccines and eventually my degree in biochemistry. I found that third world countries don’t have a government regulated system of disposal.
Another gunshot and ambulance siren after a few minutes – such familiar signs meant that I was going to attend another funeral for a friend’s family. Growing up as a foreigner in the worst neighborhood in Kazakhstan, I saw lives of the underprivileged. I was ten when my closest friend’s brother died from gang violence. At the funeral, I asked my mom, “wasn’t he a good guy, like Sonic the Hedgehog?”
