Each year, SaddleBrooke Community Outreach’s (SBCO) Education Committee receives applications from local high school seniors for college scholarships. After the applications are received, committee members review each student’s financial situation, high school transcript, activities, an essay about personal and professional goals and letters of recommendation. Committee members then conduct a personal interview to select the scholarship recipients. This year, the committee awarded 53 undergraduate scholarships to students. Thirty-nine of the scholarships were for four-year degrees, 10 were for community college and four were for intensive one and two-year private programs (i.e. medical, aeronautical repair and truck driving). For comparison purposes, in 2023, the committee awarded 53 scholarships, 35 for four-year degrees and 17 for two-year degrees.
In addition, this year, the Education Committee awarded a $2,000 Jillyn Marin Memorial Scholarship to the number one ranked Miami student (who also happened to be the overall number one ranked scholarship applicant). Jillyn Marin was an SBCO scholarship recipient who recently lost her life in a tragic auto accident while heading back to her classes at the University of Arizona.
Scholarships were also awarded to graduate students accepted into global business management, healthcare management and social work programs. These scholarships were financed from the interest earned on the SBCO Scholarship Endowment Fund and were awarded as one-time grants. Two of the grants were for $5,000 and one was for $6,000.
As of this fall, students attending two-year colleges receive a $1,800 per year scholarship while those attending four-year institutions receive $3,600 per year. If a student earns a minimum 2.0 GPA while registered as a full-time student with a minimum of 12-credit hours per semester, the scholarship continues until a two- or four-year degree is completed. If a student’s tuition and other expenses are otherwise covered, SBCO will pay for other school-related expenses to offer the maximum benefit from the scholarship. If a student receiving a two-year degree wishes to continue in a four-year program, a second $3,600 a year scholarship may be awarded.
In addition, a member of the Education Committee is assigned to each undergraduate scholarship recipient, serving as an advocate, sounding board and advisor as they tackle the myriad of challenges involved in completing a post-high school degree.
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