[Nfbwv-talk] National Scholarship Time

[Smyth, Charlene R]

The Secret to Winning a National Federation of the Blind Scholarship

by Patti S. Gregory-Chang

 

>From the Editor: Patti Chang is a past NFB scholarship winner, president
of the NFB of Illinois, and a member of the NFB board of directors. She
also chairs the National Federation of the Blind scholarship committee.
Since the application will be on our website <www.nfb.org> November 1,
it's time for her annual article about the process. This is what Patti
says: 

 

Let me begin by announcing that we are developing a new interface for
scholarship applications. The web page stays the same, but new features
make it easier for applicants and the committee. For example, applicants
may now work on applications in several sessions before submitting a
final product. Numerous improvements are in the works. Please contact me
with your comments and feedback. 

 

Each July at our national convention the National Federation of the
Blind gives a broad array of scholarships to recognize achievement by
blind scholars. We offer thirty scholarships ranging in value. Our
$12,000 Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship is the largest. The NFB scholarship
program is our investment in the future of blind people who demonstrate
scholastic aptitude, leadership, and service. I encourage every blind
college student to apply. I am sometimes asked what the secret is to
winning an NFB scholarship. I am going to tell you the secret.

 

First of all, applicants must meet the eligibility requirements to
receive a scholarship. All applicants for these scholarships must be
legally blind; must reside in one of our fifty states, the District of
Columbia, or Puerto Rico; must be pursuing or planning to pursue a
full-time post-secondary course of study in a degree program at an
accredited United States institution in the fall of the 2012-2013
academic year, except that one scholarship may be given to a person
employed full-time while attending school part-time; and, if chosen,
must participate in the entire NFB national convention and in all
scheduled scholarship activities. 

 

Many think the key to becoming a winner is a high grade-point average.
Others believe it is based on participation in extracurricular
activities. Still others think it is one's level of commitment to the
NFB. While grade-point average is important because it demonstrates the
ability to learn and be successful academically, it is not the only
attribute that influences the scholarship committee. Participation in
extracurricular activities is important in portraying oneself as a
well-rounded person; it is not sufficient in itself to justify a
scholarship award. Committed members of the organization recognize the
attributes that are important to committee members when determining who
wins a scholarship.

 

The scholarship program is a tremendous tool for us to develop future
leaders of the National Federation of the Blind, but scholarship awards
are not restricted to members of the organization. The National
Federation of the Blind is an organization dedicated to creating
opportunity for all blind people. To that end recipients of NFB
scholarships need not be members of the National Federation of the
Blind. Many of our past winners were not even aware of the NFB before
they applied for our scholarships. When you check the records for past
winners, you will see that students of all ages and in widely differing
fields have won over the years. The class of 2011 included students
entering their freshman year on up to older students who were nearly
ready to write their PhD dissertations. The winners of 2011 are
currently working toward credentials for employment as diverse as
recreational therapist, equine veterinarian, organic chemist, molecular
biologist, and teacher.

 

There is truly only one way to win an NFB scholarship, and that is to
apply. 

 

Each November the new, updated scholarship application forms are posted
on the web at <www.nfb.org/scholarships> along with important
information about the contest, links to information on past winners, and
a page of frequently asked questions. The online application form for
2012 will be available from November 1 to the contest deadline on March
31, 2012. The process can be initiated with an online application, which
we prefer, or students can download a print application from the site.
Any students who do not have access to the website may contact the
scholarship office to request a print copy of the form and other
necessary materials. 

 

A complete application consists of the official application form and a
student essay, plus these supporting documents: student transcripts, two
letters of recommendation, and proof of legal blindness. The student
must also complete an interview with the president of his or her state
of residence or the state where he or she will be attending school. High
school seniors must also include a copy of the results of their ACT,
SAT, or other college entrance exams. 

 

Unfortunately, some applications are incomplete, so the committee is
unable to consider them fairly.  Applicants should be sure to provide
all the requested information along with supporting documentation. They
should carefully consider who can do the best job of writing their
letters of reference. Letters should support the application by being
full of facts and observations that will help the members of the
committee see the applicant as a smart, active student and citizen. 

 

Students can write their essays using word-processing software. They
should remember to use the spell checker (or a human proofreader) before
uploading, printing, or copying and pasting it into the online
application form. In an effective essay the applicant will talk about
his or her life in a way that gives the committee insight into him or
her. The essay should cover the ways in which one lives successfully as
a blind person and describe one's personal goals for the future.
Committee members give the essay a great deal of attention. 

 

The NFB scholarship committee is comprised of dedicated, successful
blind people who will review all applications and select the top thirty
applicants as the scholarship class of 2012. 

 

Note that students submit just one application to the program; the
scholarship committee will choose the thirty winners from all
applications received. These thirty scholarship winners will be notified
of their selection by telephone no later than June 1. 

 

Finally, during the annual convention in Dallas from June 30 through
July 5, 2012, the scholarship committee will decide which award will be
presented to each winner. Attending the entire NFB national convention
is one of the requirements to become an NFB scholarship winner. Of
course attending the convention is also a significant part of the prize.
This is the largest gathering of blind people to occur anywhere in the
nation each year, with 2,500 or more people registered. 

 

Those chosen as scholarship recipients will have the opportunity to
network with other blind students, to exchange information and ideas,
and to meet and talk with hundreds of blind people who are successfully
functioning in many, many occupations and professions. Our past winners
often comment that the money was quickly spent, but the contacts they
made and the information they gathered at convention have continued to
make their lives richer than they ever imagined. 

 

Often students apply more than once before winning a scholarship, so
applicants are encouraged to reapply. The NFB may award three or more
scholarships to men and women who have already received one Federation
scholarship in the past if enough strong and worthy candidates apply.
Individuals receiving a second NFB national scholarship are recognized
as tenBroek Fellows. 

 

The secret, if there is one, to winning an NFB scholarship is to read
carefully the application on our website and then provide all of the
required information and supporting documentation before the deadline of
March 31, 2012. However, I actually maintain that there is no secret.
The only way to win an NFB scholarship is to apply.