The First Action-Based Scholarship
A Call to Adventure
Have you ever had the thought: “I want to change the world”? I bet every single one of us, at one point or another, has had this thought.
But when do we actually know that it’s possible? Steve Jobs said, “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” Maybe we can, and so when a world-changing idea comes creeping up on us, we should not hesitate or fear; we should charge forward. . .
On A Journey to Open More Doors to Higher Education
Coming to the United States when I was 10-years-old and didn’t know a single word of English, I persisted. I grew up in the Boston neighborhood of Dorchester, where the median household income is about $30,000. My mom made a little over $20,000 a year while my brother and I were in high school. Foodstamps, and free and reduced lunch were some of the means that helped me get through high school at Boston Latin Academy; one of the top 100 public high school in the U.S (Source).
I graduated with high honors, but found myself facing a bigger problem. After I was accepted into Northeastern University, I realized that I was unable to pay for it. So, with English as my second language, but armed with grit and determination, I wrote over 120 essays and applied for over 40 scholarships. Fortunately, I was awarded $500,000 in scholarships. This included the Boston Public High School Scholarship, the Yawkey Foundation Scholarship, the National Association of Asian American Professional(NAAAP) Scholarship, and the Greater Boston Real Estate Board(GBREB) Scholarship.
Believe me, I am extremely grateful. But if education is the key to success, why is the only way to gain access to so limited?
I want to enable students to do what they love for their scholarships. There are so many ways students can express their potential, and companies miss out on these talents if they were all condensed within an essay. I can help enable students to show their talents
I started ScholarJet with the belief in helping hardworking and ambitious students, who have the drive for getting a higher education, to fully unlock their potential and become the future leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs. ScholarJet does this by working with companies who want to create product champions, positive brand awareness, and a pipeline of future talent through ”action-based scholarships.” Instead of writing essays, students can earn money for college by designing websites, painting, dancing, or even building robots. These multifaceted challenges designed with the company’s mission in mind will help students see what the future have in store for them.
ScholarJet Announces First Action-based Scholarship, a Vietnamese Poetry Challenge
The first scholarship administered through ScholarJet is a Vietnamese Poetry Challenge sponsored by T.Le Enterprise, which owns Pho Hoa restaurant in Dorchester. The owner, Tam Le, believes in the Vietnamese-American cultural heritage and is working to create a mural in front of Pho Hoa to show the growth and unity of the Vietnamese community in Boston. The winner of the challenge will earn the $1,000 scholarship. The award ceremony for the winner will be held in late October, with the date and time to be announced.
Tam said, “I have always been an advocate for youth empowerment; in fact, my restaurants are majority run by high school and college students. I believe in enabling students to be innovative and creative. ScholarJet aligns with that vision and also helps me give back to the community in a meaningful and impactful way.“
There are many more challenges coming in the Fall of 2017, and we already have some more in queue for the Spring of 2018. These challenges are opened to all high school students within Massachusetts.
Join Us
If an action-based scholarship can help your marketing, talent pipeline goals or corporate social brand, email me at Tuan@scholarjet.com or tweet @2onhello and let’s talk.
Find out more information on current open challenges at www.scholarjet.com
