[W]e are proud to announce the seven finalists for the 2016 JustJobs Scholarship award, which include a future speech-language pathologist, game designer, neuroscientist, film director, political economist and engineer. 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 Friday, July 15th. 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.
Jendayi Johnson, Communication Sciences and Disorders
In the Ancient Egyptian text, Maxims of Ptahhotep, speech is cited as being so powerful that it is “mightier than all fighting.” In this case, I am not referring to speech as a weapon in a literal sense. Instead, my desire to study speech-language pathology is driven by my belief that all individuals should have the opportunity to utilize speech to provide them with a sense of self-agency and to preserve their native language as an essential part of their culture
In the Ancient Egyptian text, Maxims of Ptahhotep, speech is cited as being so powerful that it is “mightier than all fighting.” In this case, I am not referring to speech as a weapon in a literal sense. Instead, my desire to study speech-language pathology is driven by my belief that all individuals should have the opportunity to utilize speech to provide them with a sense of self-agency and to preserve their native language as an essential part of their culturePreston Lingle, Games and Game Design
How did I choose my major? Simple. The Last of Us. The Last of Us in just its first few hours of play showcased what you could do with a video game as a storytelling medium, integrating aspects of film and gameplay to tell a passionate story, ultimately, of the love between a father and daughter. Despite our two protagonists not being related. It has the players not only experience the development of character not just through cut-scenes but also displays character through subtle lines through gameplay.Jacob Huls, Neuroscience
I came to my major through a long route of thought and interest. In middle school, I read a book about philosophy, which discussed the relationship between the brain and the mind. Oddly enough to me, the book discussed the mind and the brain as two different things, one immaterial and the other material, and provided several arguments as to why this is the case. After reading said book, I become engrossed in the branch of philosophy called “Philosophy of Mind,” which seeks to answer philosophical questions about the mind.Raz Tzameret, Electronic Media and Film
For two years before moving to the US, I worked eighty hours a week to pursue my dream of moving to the US and become a film director. I spent my days as a full-time member of an IT department, and three nights a week and Saturday I spent working shifts at a gas station. People called me crazy for working so much, but I knew I could do it. I was no stranger to hard work. From the age of 18 to 21, I served in the Israeli Defense Force.Antonio Sakkis, Political Economy
Although active in the church, volunteering for the past five years, the experience of following politics has changed the way I look at most institutions. The church was no exception. I question many aspects of Christian dogma and have always used church teaching as I did politics, as a point of view and not necessarily an absolute. I’ve realized through my volunteer work that opinions on politics vary depending on social and economic conditions.George Nail, Engineering
It has been in my raising that I have discovered a loving relationship with math and physics and the potential applicability of its mechanisms to solve real world problems. The fascination of being able to make something the most efficient functioning component of its denomination is a topic that has developed in me and inspired me to take on engineering to solve the problems of the world.Nathan Rauscher, Jazz Performance
Majoring in Jazz Performance meant overcoming fear. When I began planning for college, I didn’t know what to study. Music was my passion, but the whole starving artist image terrified me. I doubted I could make it as a performer, but performing was all I wanted to do. For a while, I considered studying health care like my parents and maybe playing in a band on the side. Although I never had much enthusiasm for that idea.