How to Prepare for the Scholarship Renewal Process

What does it mean to be a South Central Scholar?

By being a South Central Scholar, you understand that your acceptance into the South Central Scholars Program means that you must adhere to certain requirements and expectations during your college matriculation.

South Central Scholars is different from other programs because you are not just receiving a scholarship, you are receiving an entire network and support system. By receiving a scholarship, you are automatically enrolled in the Mentorship and Jobs & Internships Program.

As a requirement of your participation and to be eligible to renew your scholarship each year for the length of your college career, we have certain expectations regarding your involvement and participation in South Central Scholars' year-round activities. The activities that we host are meant to get you thinking about the future (i.e. career, financial stability, professional success) and prepare you now both for college and career success. They are not meant to be time-consuming, but are meant to be educational, both for you and for us as an organization devoted to supporting you throughout your matriculation.

Our expectations for 2010-2011 are:

1) That you will participate in no less than two (2) webinars per year. These webinars are meant to get a gauge of your status in school, connect you to peers, and provide important information that can help you succeed in school!

2) That you will complete no less than one (1) survey and one (1) evaluation per year. These surveys are meant to track your progress through school and get valuable feedback regarding the ability of our programs to meet your needs!

3) That you will reapply each year to renew your scholarship. Read below for more information on what is needed to renew a scholarship!

4) That you will attend at least one general meeting per year. South Central Scholars holds conferences, mixers, campus visits, and workshops every year to encourage networking and professional/academic development!

In an ongoing effort to provide program quality improvement and continued capacity building for staff and volunteers, SCS requires that all scholarship recipients fill out and/or provide the following forms when it comes time to renew the application for the upcoming school year:

1) Progress Report (for the previous year, 2009-2010)

2) Undergrad Scholar Survey (for the previous year, 2009-2010)

3) College Transcript (for the previous year, 2009-2010)

4) Financial Aid Award Letter (for the upcoming year, 2010-2011)

These materials provide us with a current snapshot of your academic progress, financial aid status, and program/service access. The information that you provide in these materials allow SCS staff, board, and volunteers to better leverage resources for the benefit of current and future scholars, as well as provide important data and statistics that can facilitate fundraising efforts.

SCS also, in an ongoing effort to ensure that all scholars are working proactively to prepare themselves for academic and career success, require that all (SCS) scholarship recipients provide the following "Journal Entries" prior to the next renewal application:

1) A minimum of two informational interviews (identify at least two professionals whose positions or industries you are interested in learning more about, and interview them). Send a brief "journal entry" of your findings;

2) A minimum of three career paths (identify at least three jobs/positions that you are interested in pursuing that are related to your current major/field of study). Send a brief "journal entry" detailing the positions, examples of companies, and your strategy for preparing for one or all of those paths;

3) A minimum of one academic reference (identify at least one person from your college, such as a faculty or staff member, that you have or will create a relationship with, so that you may potentially ask them for a reference in the future). Send a brief "journal entry" of your relationship with the individual and your strategy for remaining in contact with them.; and

4) Your most recent resume and cover letter.

For questions regarding these items, please contact Meredith Curry.

For examples of "journal entry" submissions, please see the "Journal Entries" section below!

Journal Entries

"Journal Entries" are documents that scholars send in to South Central Scholars' staff to document investigative work that they do throughout the year. There is no specific deadline for these items, however they must be turned in by or before submission of the following year's scholarship renewal application.

Each item is meant to be a proactive approach to academic and career development and encourages all students to look at the "big picture" and ask themselves the important questions:

"How will my major translate into a job or career after I graduate?"

"How can I best prepare myself now for the real world?"

"What does it take to get a job?"

"How can I make the most of my time while I'm still in school?"

The "Journal Entries" will be focused around the following topics:

1) What do I know about jobs that I am interested in?

2) What jobs are associated with my major/course of study, and what kind of companies hire people like for those positions?

3) Who have I worked with (or I can work with) here at school that can provide me with a great reference when needed for work or graduate/professional school?

4) Do I have a resume and cover letter that are updated and ready to go at a moment's notice?

For examples of responses to these topics, check the example sections on the right!

NOTES & TIPS:

For Journal Entry #2, go to the California Postsecondary Education Commission's "School To Employment Pathways System (STEPS) Main Page" to quickly look at jobs associated with your major and the minimum degree required!

News & Announcements

2010 PPIA Junior Summer Institute  New! Updated 9/21/09

The Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley is now accepting applications for the 2010 PPIA Junior Summer Institute at UC Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy.

The application deadline is *November 1, 2009*.  For the application materials and to apply, visit: http://ppiaprogram.org/app/.

The PPIA Program is open to college juniors from diverse backgrounds who are interested in being prepared for graduate studies and ultimately careers in public policy and international affairs. The program is an intensive seven-week summer program of classes and co-curricular activities promoting the professional and personal development of emerging leaders in public service.

Los Angeles Schweitzer Fellows Program  New! Updated 9/21/09

The Los Angeles Schweitzer Fellows Program, of The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship provides community service opportunities and support for graduate students in health-related disciplines who seek to help those currently underserved by our health care system. Founded in 2007, the Los Angeles Schweitzer Fellows Program is a collaboration between Kaiser Permanente; Los Angeles Physicians for Social Responsibility; Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County; University of Southern California; University of California, Los Angeles; and University of California, Irvine. The program will serve the greater Los Angeles area and is funded through a generous start-up grant from Kaiser Permanente of Southern California.

ACTIVITIES OF THE FELLOWS

Service Project: Each Schweitzer Fellow designs and carries out a community service project of at least 200 hours of direct service that is beyond any course requirement.

Public Outreach: Each Fellow works in a small group to organize an outreach activity that may take the form of a public symposia or group service activity.

Monthly Meetings: Monthly meetings provide Fellows with interdisciplinary discussions, time for reflection on community service, and an opportunity to network with professionals in service professions. Fellows are required to attend all monthly meetings.

Final Reports: Upon completion of their projects, Fellows submit a written final report to the Program Office. Guidelines are provided by the Fellowship.

Stipend: Each Schweitzer Fellow receives a standard stipend of $2,500.

For more detailed information on applying, please see the application guidelines.

ELIGIBILITY

Students enrolled in degree granting programs in health-related fields such as medicine, nursing, public health, acupuncture, education, engineering, law, music, occupational and physical therapy, pharmacy, social work, public policy, and others are eligible to apply.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

John K. Su, MD, MPH, Co-Director

Los Angeles Schweitzer Fellows Program

Kaiser Permanente

Family and Sports Medicine

4950 Sunset Blvd, 4th Floor

Los Angeles, CA 90027

T: 510.325.6398

johnksu@gmail.com