Now accepting Foundation scholarship applications Lack of application submissions for Foundation scholarships has advisors worried

SAMANTHA BRAVO Managing Editor @sammybravo93

Pierce College’s Foundation has been offering scholarships to help students achieve their academic goals; however, lack of submissions has advisers questioning students’ interest and eligibility.

Students can submit applications now through April 7. The winners will be announced at the Student Awards Brunch the morning of commencement on June 6, 2017.

Associate Professor of political science Denise Robb encourages students to apply for the scholarships before the deadline approaches.

“Often, students don’t know there are scholarships available,” Robb said. “You can apply to as many as you want in that section.”

According to the Pierce College Foundation website, there are eight different scholarships available that students can apply for ranging from $250 to $500.

Gain experience with job fair

An array of professionals working in various fields from software design to law enforcement, and more things in between, will be answering students’ questions in their respective line of work.

The Career Center is hosting a Job Fair on Thursday, March 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will offer students seeking to land a job a chance to meet with employers and different vendors in the community.

The scholarships that are listed are the General Scholarship Fund, Saunders Initiative Scholarship, Larry Horn Memorial Scholarship, Spanish American Institute (SAI) Scholarship, Ken Weiser Memorial Scholarship Fund, Mona Field Scholarship, Marilyn and Stewart Robb Memorial Scholarship and Gold’s Inspiration Scholarship.

According to Robb, there are additional scholarships that are not listed on the website, but are offered by the department. The student can refer to their department chair if they are interested in applying.

“I know there’s only eight mentioned here, but I remember last year’s ceremony; it goes on for hours,” Robb said. “I know sports has their own scholarships, then dance department, journalism department, math departments and so on.”

Most of the scholarships require that the applicant be a full-time student (12 or more units), maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA and write a onepage essay in which they describe the reason why they deserve the scholarship.

Professionals attending will provide opportunities within career fields such as the food industry, education, government and more. Presentations and information will be available for students looking to expand their career choices.

It is an event to create professional connections, establish first impressions with potential employers, and explore different options in the working world, whether or not a person is set on an occupation.

Economic and Workforce Development College Counselor

David Turcotte offered students advice to get students engaged with their employment community.

“[The Job Fair] is a good opportunity for students to showcase their resume and find out what jobs and careers are out there,” Turcotte said.

Most of the employers attending the Job Fair will be looking to hire

“We’ve had scholarships where no one applied, and the money just sat there and didn’t get used,” Robb said.

English Professor Marra Kraemer said the foundation struggled with getting applicants last year.

According to Kraemer, only four students applied for the English scholarship last year.

“We would like more students to apply, but the challenge is they think they don’t qualify, which the matter of fact is they do,” Kraemer said.

The Ahmadian Follett Scholarship is the English department’s scholarship. According to Kraemer, the student would need to have taken an English 21 course to qualify for that scholarship.

“I think there’s a confidence students get when they receive a scholarship. They feel like they represent their discipline,” Kraemer said. “That can often take students really far in their major.” immediately.

Pierce College Financial Aid Director Anafe Robinson said scholarships are an additional resource for students to help pay for expenses.

“It’s promoting employers from across various domains. It’s for students looking for entry level or even career specific type of employment,” Turcotte said. “It’s important for students to engage with employers.”

Wendi Meckler, counselor and director at the Career Center, said the upcoming Job Fair will be hosting more than a dozen different employers and vendors such as: early education, engineering, hospitality, healthcare, government, social work, law enforcement, insurance and software design.

“A lot of students are undecided on what to do,” Meckler said. “This gives them a good idea of some areas they could pursue their careers. It’s good for them to see areas they can get part time jobs, internships and volunteer work. They’ll also be talking about full time opportunities too.”