College expenses can become a very heavy burden on students and their families, and scholarships are a great way to alleviate some of the financial stress that comes with attending college. There are dozens of options for East Chicago Central High School’s students to choose from, one of which is being offered by the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc-Sigma Theta Zeta graduate chapter of East Chicago, IN.
The Zeta Phi Beta graduates are offering two 500-dollar scholarships to two female students that attend East Chicago Central High school as seniors. The scholarships were founded in 2017 where they were named the Laura L. Hicks Thomas and Betty Jean Wells Memorial Scholarships in tribute to the two deceased sorors.
“The scholarship initiatives have always been a grounding principle for the Zeta Phi Beta members,” said Chapter President Tiffany Ballard.
Thomas and Wells were both educators. Thomas was a 1992 graduate of East Chicago Central High School. Wells helped to charter the Sigma Theta Zeta Chapter and Thomas assisted in establishing the scholarship at East Chicago Central High School.
When the scholarships were first introduced, the women of Sigma Theta Zeta chose to offer it to East Chicago Central High School first, with plans of offering scholarships to students throughout Northwest Indiana.
The funds for the scholarship were accumulated through their fundraiser with Double Good, a gourmet popcorn company that partners with organizations to raise money. They hold fundraisers every year to raise money for their scholarship initiatives. Ballard shared that they hope to increase the amount awarded to the scholarship recipients due to the success of this year’s fall fundraising.
Like almost all of the other scholarships available right now, this scholarship does have certain qualifications that must be met in order to apply. Standard qualifications, such as a 2.5 cumulative GPA and confirmation of your acceptance to a two or four-year college or university, have to be met. The more specific application criteria is that the applicant is a female attending East Chicago Central High School with two letters of recommendation.
If you believe that you have met the specified qualifications and are looking for an opportunity to earn 500 dollars, or possibly more, to help support your college expenses, you can apply with the completion of a basic google form with six short sections.
There are four written sections that must be completed as part of the application process. Section one of the application is basic student information such as contact information and date of birth. Similarly to section one, in section two the student will fill out their high school information, such as their GPA, the name of their high school counselor, and any extracurricular activities the student participated in.
Applicants are asked about their planned course of study in section three. Proof of their acceptance to a college or university must also be provided in this section.
The last part of the application, section four, consists of a personal statement/essay. Students must answer the following prompts:
- How has your education contributed to who you are today?
- Describe your most meaningful achievements and how they relate to your field of study and your future goals.
- Describe the types of community service you have done and what it means to you.
During the selection process, Sigma Theta Zeta will be looking for the two young women who show the most dedication to their education, as well as to their community. They are looking to select two students who exceed academically and are exceptional in providing service to their community.
Female students who meet the standards to apply for this scholarship, are urged to submit an application. It is a great opportunity to add more money to your college funds. The deadline to apply is Monday, April 12, 2021.
The scholarship being offered by Sigma Theta Zeta is just one of the many available to students right now. If you or someone you know is planning on going to college, you will definitely want to know where you can find more of these scholarships. Luckily, East Chicago Central’s High School students have access to a list of links with available scholarships through a portal that can be found on the school’s website in the tab titled “Scholarships.” Click here to view them.
If you are on the search for scholarships outside of those offered through East Chicago Central High School, you can find more on CollegeNet, FinAid, and Scholarships.com that can provide you with information on the millions of scholarships out there.