Scholarship America's Blog

There are a couple of excellent news items we're pleased to announce this week; click the headlines to download the full press release!

* Scholarship America Recognizes Select Dollars for Scholars Volunteers with National Award
Scholarship America honored five Dollars for Scholars volunteers during fiscal year 2009 by presenting them each with the National Honor Roll award, which recognizes volunteers who are instrumental in successfully guiding the course of their local chapter in a significant and beneficial way.

Marie Landino from Woburn High School Scholarship Fund in Woburn, Mass. was selected to receive the Award in September 2008. Susan Nocella, Margaret Gagnon, and Lynn Ebrecht, also from Woburn High School Scholarship Fund, as well as Joan Bonsignore from Island Trees Dollars for Scholars in Levittown, NY, received the award in June 2009.

* Scholarship America and Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities Announce Strategic Partnership to Improve the Lives of Youth
Scholarship America and Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities (BBBS) have forged an important partnership in support of Twin Cities’ youth. This partnership will link the services that both organizations currently provide to youth, to assure that a greater number of Twin Cities students have access to a continuum of services that will help them succeed from elementary school through postsecondary education and beyond.

“This partnership is an important step in providing holistic services to youth as they make their way from secondary education to postsecondary education and beyond,” says Dr. Clifford L. Stanley, President & CEO of Scholarship America. “Working together, we can assure that students understand that they, too, have access to postsecondary education.”

by Lauren Costella, National Volunteer Coordinator

Citizen Service is the very American idea that we meet our challenges not as isolated individuals but as members of a true community, with all of us working together. Our mission is nothing less than to spark a renewed sense of obligation, a new sense of duty, a new season of service..."
-- former President Bill Clinton

"Roger has a sixth sense about the community's needs and how to support the people in it. ... He is the superman of all projects ... and he uses his free time for the betterment of others."

These are the words of Verna Bowie, director of the Southeast Polk Dollars for Scholars (SEP) chapter, when asked to describe volunteer and chapter chair Roger Mahnke. Without a doubt, these words ring very true, given the impact he and the rest of the SEP chapter have in their community. This year alone, the chapter gave out 242 scholarships ranging from $250 to $4,000 -- 51 of which came directly out of the money raised by chapter volunteers.

Roger has always been very involved with the Southeast Polk community, ensuring students have the best possible opportunities for getting a great education. He served as a school principal starting in the 1960s, later moving to the school district office as the director of personnel. In 2001, when the SEP chapter formed, Roger began volunteering his time raising scholarship funds for students. Since 2002 he has been the chair of the chapter; in that time, Roger, the SEP Dollars for Scholars volunteers, and the community as a whole have gone above and beyond to raise as much scholarship money as possible. From payroll deductions and golf tournaments to elementary school hat days and bussing tables for tips, Roger and the SEP chapter volunteers do just about anything to give out as many scholarships as possible. One of their premier events is their annual Mars Dinner Auction (a sit-down dinner and live auction) that, this year, raised over $24,000 in scholarships!

But as Roger will say over and over again, it is not just him making this happen; it is the combined efforts of all the SEP chapter volunteers and the entire Polk community that make miracles happen. But no one can deny that such a close knit community and bond for contributing to education has developed through Roger’s personal touch efforts in connecting with every organization in the community. Roger made it a personal endeavor to visit all the local community organizations and businesses to ask for their help. In fact, he dedicates hours upon hours visiting and meeting one-on-one with people in order to create strong bonds and relationships and garner support for the local chapter. As Verna jokes, “If you want to know a good place to eat, Roger knows the place!”

Joking aside, Roger values the importance of creating these personal relationships and contacts, and when these businesses donate or get involved, Roger recognizes their wonderful contributions. For example, he invites all of these businesses to their scholarship awards night. All these businesses and donors are recognized in their scholarship recognition booklet. The booklets describe the donor or the business and the purpose of the scholarship. Also, business representatives and donors are given the opportunity to actually meet the scholarship student. Students and donors get pictures together at the event. Finally, businesses are given a 12-by-18-inch recognition poster. Those posters can be seen proudly displayed in businesses all over the community, and have actually encouraged other businesses to donate and get involved.

It’s all about building relationships and creating personal contact; these elements make all the difference in shaping the community strength around Dollars for Scholars. People in the community have come to trust and appreciate Roger for his incredible leadership, and of course Roger passes this lesson on to the students who receive a scholarship. Every student is required to write a thank you letter to the donors who contributed to their scholarship. If students fail to write a letter, they don’t get their scholarship. It’s just that simple. It’s vital to thank and appreciate the benevolence of donors. As Roger describes, “We had a family leave their entire estate to the school which has accounted for over $250,000 in scholarships, but students didn’t know who this family was.” This is also why, in addition to thank you letters from students, Roger and the SEP chapter created a donor recognition book that includes all the donors and businesses that have helped with contributing to raising scholarship funds. With this booklet, students, their families and the rest of the community know exactly where and from whom the scholarship is coming from and can then thank them for their kindness and generosity.

Roger and the rest of the Southeast Polk Dollars for Scholars chapter have worked wonders for the students and families in their community. And while such endeavors can be time consuming, it’s the effort and hard work that make the program great. Every day, Roger and the SEP chapter see the incredible impact they are having in students’ lives. In the future they want to be able to give our meaningful scholarships to every single student in the community! It sounds ambitious, but that’s the out-of-the-box thinking that Roger and other chapter volunteers possess. They know that investing in their youth is an investment in the future of the community and the return on their investment will certainly reflect success.

Scholarship America's founder, Dr. Irving Fradkin, visited our Minneapolis offices last week in conjunction with our Board of Trustees meeting; while he was here, Dr. Fradkin got to meet a few of the thousands of students and volunteers who make Dollars for Scholars great. We've got a terrific new two-minute video introducing Irv and the folks he met; click on over to the main page of scholarshipamerica.org to take a look. (And keep an eye out for a high-definition version you can watch and share, coming soon.)

And once you've watched the video, check out the behind-the-scenes photos; our Flickr page features not only those, but pictures from our recent board meeting and Indiana Dollars for Scholars' Hoosier Heroes Celebration. (You can also take a look at a slideshow from the event at HoosierHeroes.org.)

If you're a Dollars for Scholars supporter or volunteer, we'd love to see your pictures and videos as well! Contact us and let us know where we can find them, and we'll feature them here.

Last week, founder Jordan Goldman of Unigo.com appeared on The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet, shown on Fox affiliates across the nation; in addition to discussing Unigo's unique services -- college reviews and advice by college students, professors and more -- he also mentioned Scholarship America among the resources that can be found there. To see the video and learn more about the site, check out the video post on The Morning Show's Web site.

By Lauren Costella, National Volunteer Coordinator

Those who can, do. Those who can do more, volunteer. ~Author Unknown

$50 for books and student fees may not seem like much, but it was that scholarship that inspired Dr. Reynaldo Garay to a life as a relentless, passionate, dedicated force for helping the lives of students.

Rey was born and raised in East Los Angeles, one of five sons of immigrants from Mexico. He was a good student and accomplished water-sports athlete, but the family's economic struggles left little room to dream about postsecondary education; that small scholarship from East Los Angeles College meant much more to him than simply a way to pay for books. It was a sign from his community that people believed in him and cared about what he did with his future.

Spurred on by his community's faith in him, Rey maintained a solid GPA while participating in five different sports, eventually going on to graduate from UCLA, achieving his Master's and Ph.D. degrees at USC, and giving back to students by becoming a teacher, administrator and lifelong learner. In the 1990s, he was asked by national Dollars for Scholars staff members to help establish a chartered regional office in Southern California, out of which came California Dollars for Scholars; if his founding work and year as board president weren't enough, Rey also started the Wilmington Dollars for Scholars chapter in his community.

Rey continues to be a dedicated volunteer on both the community and statewide levels; even though he's retired from his full-time work, he's still busy dedicating himself to students. In his words, “When a student does well in school, we (the community) need to recognize it.” He still serves on the board for both California Dollars for Scholars and Wilmington Dollars for Scholars. With his vibrant energy and unyielding belief in students’ abilities for achieving success, Rey volunteers to pass on the same generosity that his East Los Angeles community bestowed upon him years ago. After all, this simple recognition can go a long way in changing the course of someone’s life: indeed, it changed Rey’s.



After completing the schooling inspired by that first scholarship and spending some time in the military, Rey ended up finding a career path in teaching. He taught Spanish, health and physical education and supervised sports at Gardena High School in Los Angeles, and was offered another scholarship grant to participate in a fast-paced, Japanese language studies program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. The program was intense but the new cultural understanding and experience was unlike anything he had ever known. After finishing the program, he traveled to several East Asian countries, and then finally returned to teach Spanish at Los Angeles Harbor College. After that, he spent the next decade in various college administration positions throughout the Los Angeles school district, recently retiring from his last post as the Dean of Academic Affairs.

Education still remains a focal point in Rey’s life, as he dedicates most of his time and energy to Dollars for Scholars chapters. He does, though, recognize that maybe his time in the driver’s seat is approaching the end and that new blood needs to step up and take the wheel: “It’s time to bring in new people to take over for older members. It’s time for me to give somebody else a turn.” He enthusiastically expressed his excitement about fellow volunteer Lucia Moreno-Linares. “She is ready to lead, to do more. This is a very positive step [for the chapter]. We do what we can but at some point we have to turn over the reigns to encourage new leaders to forge a new path and direction for the chapter to keep it going and help aid in its success.”

Of course, Rey has learned some lessons about chapter success in his time with Dollars for Scholars; one of the keys he mentions is simply paying forward kindness and recognizing the benefits of volunteering. He got involved with Dollars for Scholars because it was a way to give back, but in his time volunteering, he also finds that he has become a better person because he has the opportunity to do something. He helps to give students a better chance for a successful future and his actions actually impact in the lives of others, and not just in a trivial way: his actions make a difference.

In all, Rey is very satisfied with his successes and his life’s accomplishments, and he loves knowing that his energy and influence have helped to cultivate more and better opportunities for students to pursue a postsecondary education. But more than that, Rey is proud that he fulfilled the expectations that his community bestowed upon him so many years ago. The East Los Angeles College scholarship was what Rey refers to as the initial ripple in the “ripple effect.” What started as a simple monetary investment from a caring community rippled into so much more for Rey: a better life for Rey and those he has touched.

Exciting news for blog fans: Scholarship America was featured earlier this week as the daily 'Worthwhile Cause' at PerezHilton.com -- check it out here!

Guest Post from Alisa Johnson, blogger at collegedegrees.com

It’s not a great time to be a student, especially if you were hoping to get a good job in a field that you love on graduation. In fact, it’s not a good time for anyone who does not have a job or who’s in one with little security. It’s worse when you’re in college, because you have a mountain of debt in the form of student loans, debts that you were hoping to clear with a well-paying job. Now that the recession is upon us, the possibility of not being able to gain gainful employment could be weighing heavily on your mind, and you’re at the risk of doing badly in college because of this added stress. When the field is loaded against you, there’s nothing else to do but play to your strengths, and you can do this by:

• Focusing on the present: It’s not wise to fret about the future and end up losing what you do have in the present. So for now, even though the job situation does look bleak, focus on your grades and your current life in college instead of worrying about your job prospects and messing up your grades and other things that are going well for you right now.
  
• Minimizing your debt: You can do this by taking a part-time job, something that will help minimize the burden of your student loans. Even after you get out of college, instead of waiting interminably to get the job that you want, take any job you can get so that your debts don’t pile up and become overwhelming.
  
• Reducing spending: And by that I mean on the unnecessary stuff. You need to know where your priorities lie, so stop using your credit card unless it’s absolutely necessary. If you’ve already run up a huge bill, transfer your balance to a zero interest card (for a limited period that you can use to pay off the amount). In short, tighten your financial belt before it becomes a noose around your neck.
  
• Looking to campus placement programs: These are still your best bet at securing a job straight out of college. Instead of holding out for the job of your dreams, apply for anything that sounds good, and if you’re offered a position, hold on to it for the financial security.
  

Although it may not seem to be much of life when you have to settle for what you get rather than what you want, the alternative is much worse. And as long as you maintain a positive outlook and keep yourself out of the claws of debt, it doesn’t matter that the world is in a recession, you’re still going to survive.

Alisa Johnson writes about grants for graduate school at collegedegrees.com. She welcomes your feedback at Alisa.Johnson1982 at gmail.com .

by Lauren Costella, National Volunteer Coordinator

"Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." –Margaret Mead



Scholarship recipients for 2008 from St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce Career Investment Dollars for Scholars

Every day, our Dollars for Scholars volunteers and supporters create opportunities for student success in our communities across the nation; Beverly Fritz of the St. Paul (MN) Area Chamber of Commerce Career Investment Dollars for Scholars chapter is absolutely no exception. A loving wife and mother of three college graduates, Beverly works day in and day out to ensure that students understand the importance of—and possess the tools for—attaining a postsecondary education.

Beverly was born and raised in Rochester, MN. Her parents offered her and her three older brothers the support and encouragement needed to pursue college; this consistent emphasis on making postsecondary education a priority helped all four siblings became first generation college students. Beverly became the first in her family to attend a private college (Macalester College in St. Paul.) The door to her dream school opened when she received a generous scholarship allowing her to attend tuition-free—an opportunity that meant the world to her: “Sometimes [donors] may not even realize the importance of the scholarships in the lives of students," Beverly says. "But really it means more than words could possibly describe.”

Ever since her own college dreams came true, Beverly has devoted countless working and volunteer hours to giving back to her community, particularly through public education. She worked as an English as a Second Language teacher for 15 years before moving into an administrative position, focusing on enhancing programming for K-12 learning, developing volunteering in schools, and building student enrichment programs.

During her teaching years, Beverly became a regular attendee at events for Henry Sibley Dollars for Scholars in Mendota Heights, MN, and helped her local Rotary Club partner with the chapter to distribute scholarships. When she started a new career working with the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce Charitable Foundation, she immediately set up an affiliated Dollars for Scholars chapter, allowing Beverly to help students pursue their dreams—and to give back the same community support that made her own college education possible. (Including the donation she and her husband made this year, of a scholarship to the chapter.)

The St. Paul Chamber of Commerce chapter focuses on cultivating a strong bond between students and donors. The chapter's annual reception brings the two groups together in person; the students and families get to thank their donors, and the donors witness the priceless impact the scholarship has on the student’s life. (In addition, donors receive framed photos of themselves and their students, reminding them every day how their graciousness and generosity keeps student educational dreams alive.) Beverly points out scholarship recipient Juventino Rodriguez as a quintessential example:

“I feel that I am part of something I care about, and something that influences and encourages me to perform and be the best I can be," Juventino said, upon receiving his American Bank Career Investment Scholarship. "Without you, I would have never been in this position that has not only changed my life, but the lives of those most close to me." Today, as a college sophomore, Juventino is still working to thank the donor and the chapter, frequently volunteering to speak on panels and at local events to impress upon others the importance of scholarships.

Students like Juventino keep Beverly excited and motivated about Scholarship America's mission. And while achieving all goals set forth by the chapter are not always easy—especially gaining the necessary support for expansion—she and her chapter push forward relentlessly. In fact, she offers a very valuable piece of advice to other volunteers who may be struggling to expand the impact they have in their communities: “Don’t be afraid to ask for money. People usually assume that because the economy is weak that people will not give, and that is not always true.” And she reminds us: “You are never going to get a ‘yes’ if you never ask.”

It's hard work, but the combination of passionate leaders and a willingness to ask for time and money are crucial for chapters to further our mission. And, taking one last page from Beverly: when the going gets tough, she simply reminds herself that these daily efforts have unparalleled impact in educating the next generation of bright young minds to change the world.

Inspired by Beverly's story? Want to help? Click here to support Scholarship America.

Did you know that April is Financial Literacy Month? It's a great reason for everyone to take a few minutes and learn more about keeping their finances in order, and it's especially important for college students, parents and counselors to take a good look at the costs of school.

Fortunately, there are some excellent resources out there, including these two:

• NASFAA, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, has an ongoing Financial Literacy Month series at their Web site, nasfaa.org. This week's entry is on Responsible Borrowing; that link contains fact sheets on the financial benefits of higher education, as well as guides to when it's okay to borrow, how to find tax credits, the appropriate debt levels for various majors and much more. Check it out for an excellent overview.

• The America's Promise Alliance is offering, for free download, its "$aving Our Futures: Financial Responsibility for Young People" curriculum. Teachers and after-school leaders can access the PDF textbook of "$aving Our Futures" here, and marketing and presentation materials are available here.

• And, of course, Scholarship America and the National Endowment for Financial Education have made our "40 Money Management Tips Every College Student Should Know" brochure available in a new edition. Click here to download the PDF.

What other tools do you have for helping students and families manage their money? Let us know in the comments.

Guest Post by Lauren Costella, National Volunteer Coordinator

"All the flowers of tomorrow are the seeds of today." ~ Anonymous

Nancy Levy's passion for inspiring change and investing in education emerged early in life, thanks in part to a former grammar school teacher who told her class that "you shouldn't waste time, and when you do something have something to show for it."

At the time, these words were meant to inspire summertime projects for young students, but Nancy has taken them to heart her whole life. From her ten years as Board of Education chair to her work as President of the Windsor Locks (CT) Dollars for Scholars Chapter, she has made a lifelong effort to plant the seeds of student success by improving advocacy for, and access to, higher education.

Windsor Locks is a small town, literally; it takes up only twelve square miles. Many students do not come from affluent backgrounds, and many families see education as an impossible dream or luxury, instead of as an achievable reality and a necessary step for student and community success. During Nancy's decade on the Board of Education-a role taken on after all three of her children had finished high school-she helped cultivate a stronger community understanding about the importance of long-term educational investment, even from those without children in the school system. After ten years, though, she wanted a new challenge with more direct impact.

Windsor Locks Dollars for Scholars was a natural transition. The chapter not only represents a visible, positive movement for education, but also allows for immediate feedback from students impacted by receiving scholarship money. Nancy described one memorable example: "One student ... had received a scholarship to attend school, but because of family issues could not enroll until two years later. She asked if her scholarship was still available. Because our chapter holds scholarships for up to two years, we told her that she could still utilize that scholarship money. She was thrilled!" Moments like these keep Nancy inspired and reaffirms why she commits her time to volunteering for Windsor Locks Dollars for Scholars-her chapter can literally make the difference in whether a student continues school or not.

In addition, the chapter is working on more than just scholarships. In order to get students interested in college early, the local high school desperately wanted to bus all 8th and 9th graders to visit local campuses. Unfortunately, the cost was too much for them to take on, so Nancy and her chapter went to work fundraising for the program. A lot of hard work and $3,000 later, all of these 8th and 9th graders will be taking a local college tour. As Nancy explains, it's one of the projects that stemmed from the harmony between the high school and her chapter; thanks to good communication, listening and mutual respect, the two organizations function as complimentary partners rather than competing adversaries.

Nancy's relationship with high schools is only the beginning. She sees a need to develop such mutual respect throughout all of Windsor Locks, to help create successful students. This involves, among many other things, continuous work to recruit volunteers. (See below for some of Nancy's indispensable advice, as well as new recruitment materials from Dollars for Scholars.) Fortunately, though recruiting is never easy, Nancy's built a network of passionate contributors, some of whom have been around since the chapter's beginning eight years ago.

All of those volunteers know one thing: encouraging students to dream big has equally big payoffs, improving the community and contributing to a nationwide movement of higher education and success. But this effect only happens if the seeds of success are planted early, and that's why Nancy sees her chapter as a group of "community gardeners": "We are planting the seeds," she said. "Giving scholarships or being known in the community tells students that we care about them...we are telling students that we notice the work they have done, and we care about how they do."

With Windsor Locks Dollars for Scholars helping sow those seeds, students are reaping the benefits: big dreams, new opportunities, and, ultimately, educational success.

Why not donate today and help a chapter like Nancy's?