For the past two years, GiveTeens20® has awarded multiple girls the FEMME 4 STEM Scholarship. Female recipients must be senior high school students planning to pursue a field in STEM. In 2018, GiveTeens20® was fortunate enough to award three students who exemplified hardwork and incredible goals in both their career and in life. As the new application season grows closer, here is how the scholarship has benefited them:
Joan Oclarit – University of California Davis, Microbiology Major
GT20: How did the F4S scholarship assist you in your college career?
Joan: The F4S scholarship allowed me to begin my first quarter at Davis without worrying about any financial burdens. It bought us time to pay for the rest of the quarters during my first year. I am grateful for the financial relief it has brought to my family and I!
GT20: What advice would you give to future scholarship applicants?
Joan: Just try and apply! When I first heard about the scholarship, I thought it was too late, but my teacher encouraged me to apply. The application process may seem difficult, but there’s no harm in trying. You surely won’t regret it!
GT20: How is your first year of college going?
Joan: My first couple months at Davis have been really busy; settling into college has been challenging but exciting. College is a much different experience than high school as you learn to be more independent. I recently started my winter quarter and I think it’s safe to say that I love it here! The general atmosphere feels welcoming and I’m glad to have found a place where I feel like I belong!
Ayuri Kirihennedige – University of California San Diego, Pharmacological Chemistry
GT20: How did the F4S scholarship assist you in your college career?
Ayuri: The process to obtaining the F4S Scholarship provided insight and knowledge that I may not have gained otherwise. At the informational presentation I was able to learn the importance of networking and I created a LinkedIn® shortly after. The scholarship itself provided a means for me to ease the financial burden of college, and taught me that hard work can genuinely pay off in the long run.
GT20: What advice would you give to future scholarship applicants?
Ayuri: My advice to future scholarship applicants would be to pursue whatever career that suits you the best and don’t do things “for the [college] app”. I found that people who were passionate about what they wanted to pursue dedicated their time to making a difference in the community and felt much better about their accomplishments, rather than people who did it to please college admissions officers. There are also some STEM majors that are not well-known, so they are worth looking into. Besides the traditional computer science, math, and biology majors, there are data science, chemical engineering, and environmental engineering majors. If you feel like you have to know exactly what you want to study, that’s great! But there’s always more to explore and options that you might not know you have. It’s not too late to look into them and find a perfect major that fits your interests.
GT20: How is your first year of college going?
Ayuri: My first year is going great! I have done well academically, and have met people through organizations on campus like Nikkei Student Union (Japanese-American Student Union). I have been enjoying the newfound freedom of college life, but am always eager to go home and see my family.
For more information on applying for the 2018-2019 FEMME 4 STEM Scholarship please click here: www.gt20.org/scholarship
Applications are due May 14, 2019
