Spring is here! And spring means scholarships. SkillsUSA is happy to offer many scholarships for our student and alumni members. Most of our opportunities are for pursuing higher education and some of these are specific to the trade/technical areas of study. We also have travel scholarships for SkillsUSA events, including NLSC for students going to compete in the Championships and participating in the Leadership training.
We are happy to announce two new scholarship opportunities as well. Ryder has partnered with SkillsUSA to offer the SkillsUSA and Ryder Diesel Tech Scholarship Program for Diesel Equipment Technology students. Another new scholarship is very special for SkillsUSA to announce; The Marsha Daves Memorial Scholarship. Many of you worked with Marsha and remember the legacy she’s built through mentoring students, advisors, colleagues and everyone in the SkillsUSA family. To honor of that legacy, we are offering a merit-based scholarship for a State Officer to pursue their high education and come to NLSC for special recognition. This scholarship will be offered on a rotating basis by region.
Also, I am excited to announce that the mikeroweWORKS Foundation Competitor Scholarship is open for the 2016 SkillsUSA Championships! Please announce this opportunity to state gold medalists at or after your state championships.
Please read below for more information on all scholarship opportunities currently available to SkillsUSA members.
*NEW* The Marsha Daves Memorial Scholarship
During Marsha Daves’ SkillsUSA career she filled many roles, including: first recipient of the Marsha Daves Lifetime Achievement Award, SkillsUSA Board of Director member, Chair of the State of Oklahoma Director's Association, recipient of the Honorary Life Award, and her final role as Director of Education and Training with the national SkillsUSA staff. To the students and colleagues that were able to work with Marsha, her role was truly an educator, advisor, and mentor.
SkillsUSA is pleased to be offering one annual merit-based $1,000 scholarship for college/post-secondary education and a supplementary $500 travel stipend for NLSC to a state officer in memory of the legacy left by our Champion Marsha Daves. The scholarship will recognize how our student leaders use the personal skills they develop to be a team member, leader, employee, citizen and an effective individual that fulfills the mission of SkillsUSA. The Marsha Daves Memorial Scholarship is open to current SkillsUSA state officers who will be attending a college/postsecondary school in the next school year.
Application deadline is May 1.
This will be a rotating scholarship open to one region per year. Region 4 will be able to apply for the first year, Spring 2016, as this is the region Marsha was from and where she started her SkillsUSA career. In the spring of 2017 Region 5 will able to apply. Future application opening will be spring of 2018 for Region 1, 2019 for Region 2, and 2020 for Region 3. This sequence will continue in the future.
Suggested:
Moving forward, the spring scholarship application schedule is as follows:
· 2017 – Region 5
· 2018 – Region 1
· 2019 – Region 2
· 2020 – Region 3
Scholarship applicants will need to fill out the information sheet below and submit a video application. The video should reflect the leadership qualities the student has gained from a SkillsUSA mentor (their advisor, state director, etc.) and how they have used those skills to be a leader in SkillsUSA, other organizations, their community, and/or the workplace. The videos will be judged on the following criteria:
1. Acknowledgement of a SkillsUSA mentor’s impact on their lives
2. Specific leadership-level skills they have gained
· Personal: Integrity, Work Ethic, Professionalism, Responsibility, Adaptability/Flexibility, Self-Motivation
· Workplace: Communication, Decision Making, Teamwork, Multicultural Sensitivity and Awareness, Planning, Organizing and Management
3. Examples of situations in which they have put their leadership skills to use during their time as a state officer and the how they used those opportunities to “pay it forward”
4. Composition of their video including professionalism and creativity
5. Upon being awarded the scholarship, confirmation the applicant is attending a college/postsecondary school during next school year will be required
Videos are limited to one to two minutes in length. Creative editing is encouraged and a professional presentation is expected.
A judging committee will review the nominations and announce the selected winner prior to the annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Louisville in June An award check for $1,000 will be made payable directly to the college/postsecondary school. The winner will be notified by May 15 and asked to attend NLSC, utilizing the $500 travel stipend, where he or she will be recognized during the delegate sessions.
All video applications must be submitted after the applicant’s information sheet with their state director’s signature of nomination and a letter of recommendation from their SkillsUSA mentor, such as an instructor, advisor or state association director. Applications must be received by May 1. If you have questions, please contact Brittney Colburn at 703-737-0637 or bcolburn@skillsusa.org.
*NEW* SkillsUSA and Ryder Diesel Tech Scholarship Program
SkillsUSA is proud to announce, in partnership with Ryder System, Inc., a new scholarship opportunity for SkillsUSA members who are continuing their education in Diesel Equipment Technology. Up to 22, $1,000 scholarships will be awarded through a competitive application process to assist students in their continuing education in Diesel Equipment Technology.
Ryder System, Inc. is a leading provider of commercial transportation, logistics, and supply chain management solutions. Ryder’s products and services encompass everything from fleet management to large-scale supply chain solutions and turnkey transportation solutions, making commerce flow more efficiently, reliably, and safely for everyone.
Selections will be based on students’ completion of this online application, a résumé, and a 300-word essay stating why he/she should be considered for this scholarship. All scholarship materials must be typed, error free and complete.
Applications must be received electronically by midnight on April 4. Those selected to receive a scholarship will be notified no later than May 15.
*OPEN* The mikeroweWORKS Foundation Competitor Scholarship
The mikeroweWORKS Foundation, in partnership with SkillsUSA, is proud to offer a travel scholarship opportunity for SkillsUSA members who have competed and placed first in their state association competition.
The mikeroweWORKS Foundation scholarship programs provide assistance to eligible students who are pursuing an education in a vocational or similar trade-related program. In 2015, the mikeroweWORKS Foundation has a priority focus on high school and college/postsecondary students who are working toward careers in the following trades: manufacturing, construction, automotive, engineering and STEM-related.
The award is based on a student-written, one-page narrative describing the student’s financial need for the scholarship including the lack of school or community resources. The student may be nominated with a letter of recommendation written by their advisor, or state director. Applications should be sent to the national office of SkillsUSA for review and determination. They must be received by Friday, May 29, 2015 (midnight EDT).
The national office will notify the winners the following week.
Requirements:
To apply for the mikeroweWORKS Foundation Competitor Scholarship, applicants:
- Must be a gold medal winner at their 2015 state competition, advancing to national competition
- Have never attended the National Leadership and Skills Conference prior to this year
- Be a SkillsUSA member in good standing
- Must reasonably demonstrate financial need for scholarship
- Must submit application and attachments no later than May 29, 2015 (midnight EDT)
The Southeastern Construction Owners and Associates Roundtable (SCOAR)
The Southeastern Construction Owners and Associates Roundtable (SCOAR) is offering $1,000 scholarships for students who wish to pursue further education or credential in a construction-related field.
The applicants can be a secondary student continuing their education in a postsecondary educational institution for a degree, diploma or certificate program. Applicants should be seniors in high school or already in a postsecondary institution wanting to continue their program.
This scholarship opportunity is open to SkillsUSA students who live in, or plan to attend school in one of the following eleven Southeastern states – FL, GA, SC, NC, VA, KY, TN, AL, MS, AK and LA. Apply online.
NTHS Scholarships for SkillsUSA Members
The National Technical Honor Society annually awards four $1,000 scholarships to SkillsUSA members at the SkillsUSA National Leadership Conference. Two scholarships are awarded to high school members, and two scholarships are awarded to college/postsecondary members. To be eligible, students must be active, dues-paying members of both SkillsUSA and NTHS. To apply, schools must have an active NTHS chapter.
Robert Flint Student Leadership Development Scholarship
SkillsUSA members with financial needs may be eligible for a Student Leadership Development Scholarship to attend the Activate and Leverage in June or the Washington Leadership Training Institute (WLTI) in September. Four scholarships at $1,300 each will be awarded to attend Activate and Leverage training and four scholarships at $800 each will be awarded to attend WLTI. Nominations can only be made by a state association director. For details, contact your state SkillsUSA office.
Sharon Melton Myers Memorial Scholarship
Through a donation from the Sharon Melton Myers Memorial Fund, SkillsUSA and the McMinn County Vocational Center SkillsUSA Alumni Association are offering a $500 scholarship to a SkillsUSA student in memory of Sharon Melton Myers. The Sharon Melton Myers Memorial SkillsUSA Scholarship fund will provide graduating SkillsUSA members the opportunity to continue their education in college or technical school. Apply online.
SkillsUSA Alumni Merit Scholarship
The SkillsUSA Alumni and Friends Association is offering two annual merit-based $500 scholarships to qualifying students. The $500 scholarships will recognize the unique qualities of SkillsUSA students including leadership, commitment to community service, and advocating for career and technical education. Apply today.
If you have a question about any of the scholarships offered through SkillsUSA, please contact me at bcolburn@skillsusa.org or (703) 737-0637.
Thank you,
Brittney Colburn
Development Coordinator
Office of Business Partnerships and Development
SkillsUSA
14001 SkillsUSA Way
Leesburg, VA 20176-5494
Phone: (703) 737-0637
Email: bcolburn@skillsusa.org