Syriana Etheart: Researching and identifying potential scholarships and awards (2-3 points)

        One of my goals over break, and for the new year is to find and apply to more scholarships. Going to Spelman, like any other college, has a cost. Especially with the current state of the government, financial aid isn’t 100% guaranteed. I want to lessen the financial burden of college on my parents and myself. I especially wish to graduate from Spelman with no or very little debt. As I hope to attend dental school, which in itself is incredibly expensive, I want to try to get myself into the best financial situation possible. Therefore, I must begin finding these scholarships and start working on my applications. 

Over winter break, I’ve been able to find around 38 scholarships. A majority of them haven’t opened yet, so I’m waiting for them. I’ve been especially trying to find local scholarships because I know that there’s a higher chance of winning them. I’ve mostly been finding these scholarship opportunities through social media and looking them up online. Although I’ve found a decent amount of scholarships, I definitely want to find more and actually work on setting aside time to apply to them. When I get back to campus, I plan on booking an appointment with a scholarship advisor in order to get even more help. I believe I especially need help when it comes to my essays because I feel that they’re not always the strongest. So far, I’ve applied to one scholarship (CollegeJumpStart); I want to try to commit to applying to at least one scholarship a week. I believe I’ll be able to achieve this, but I once again need to work on setting that time. Nevertheless, I’m committed to putting myself in the best financial situation possible.