POE Scholarship Helps Pay for College
Local scholarship program gives financial aid to under-resourced students.
By Bibi Sediqi
Local scholarship program gives financial aid to under-resourced students.
By Bibi Sediqi
The Pursuit of Excellence Foundation Scholarship is a program based in the Bay Area tailored to help low-income students who are demonstrating determination in their academic studies. The program, being offered for the 4th year at Pioneer, provides financial assistance for students to ensure they have the necessary resources to succeed in college. The financial support covers tuition, educational materials and living expenses.
Only a few students are selected for the interview process, then once they pass, the applicant will be chosen to meet up with a donor to create a financial plan for their next steps of their college career. The finances all come willingly from the donor, with amounts such as $500 to $5,000 in scholarship funds.
POE is open to all students who meet the financial criteria and show a commitment to academic excellence. Eligible students have a minimum GPA of 3.0, demonstrate financial need and show a commitment to their chosen academic field.
“This scholarship provides a mentor opportunity. It’s a person who is giving you money out of their own pocket, who essentially is helping fund your college education, but you need to do your part to show that you're doing well academically,” said academic counselor Nicole Pearson.
The individuals who donate money to students are mainly Bay Area locals who want to make a difference in providing for the under-resourced students in need. Donors usually stay in contact with the receiver for two to four years, or more, after a student is admitted to college.
A representative from the program who is also a donor, Jayne Goldberg, had a workshop with the prospective applicants in the library on Feb. 1.
“The program was started by a couple around 40 years ago in the peninsula, and one of them was a teacher and wanted to basically help students, specifically underserved kids. It started with the couple donating to schools and students first, and then that’s where their friends joined in later and now we have this program here today around the peninsula, East Bay and South Bay,” said Goldberg.
At the workshop, most seats were filled as students learned about the scholarship opportunity. One student who attended was Theoni Sarakinis, 12, who hasn’t applied yet but is planning to.
“The workshop gave me all the information I needed and then some. They did a great job at keeping us engaged and keeping the information concise and easy to understand,” said Sarakinis. “I think the scholarship is beneficial for seniors as many scholarships tend to offer money one time, whereas this scholarship offers to pay a certain amount for all years you are in school as well as give any additional support mentally.”
The foundation is an exclusive program, making schools request an interview to be chosen for the scholarship to be available for students.
“Not every school in Silicon Valley has access to this program, so it's a really beneficial program we have available on campus,” said Pearson.
According to the foundation, they have made over eight million dollars in donations towards students and helped over 725 students have the opportunity to attend college. Current high school seniors are highly encouraged to apply by the application deadline on Feb. 28 at 12 a.m. Email Jayne Goldberg at [email protected] to apply or for any questions.
Only a few students are selected for the interview process, then once they pass, the applicant will be chosen to meet up with a donor to create a financial plan for their next steps of their college career. The finances all come willingly from the donor, with amounts such as $500 to $5,000 in scholarship funds.
POE is open to all students who meet the financial criteria and show a commitment to academic excellence. Eligible students have a minimum GPA of 3.0, demonstrate financial need and show a commitment to their chosen academic field.
“This scholarship provides a mentor opportunity. It’s a person who is giving you money out of their own pocket, who essentially is helping fund your college education, but you need to do your part to show that you're doing well academically,” said academic counselor Nicole Pearson.
The individuals who donate money to students are mainly Bay Area locals who want to make a difference in providing for the under-resourced students in need. Donors usually stay in contact with the receiver for two to four years, or more, after a student is admitted to college.
A representative from the program who is also a donor, Jayne Goldberg, had a workshop with the prospective applicants in the library on Feb. 1.
“The program was started by a couple around 40 years ago in the peninsula, and one of them was a teacher and wanted to basically help students, specifically underserved kids. It started with the couple donating to schools and students first, and then that’s where their friends joined in later and now we have this program here today around the peninsula, East Bay and South Bay,” said Goldberg.
At the workshop, most seats were filled as students learned about the scholarship opportunity. One student who attended was Theoni Sarakinis, 12, who hasn’t applied yet but is planning to.
“The workshop gave me all the information I needed and then some. They did a great job at keeping us engaged and keeping the information concise and easy to understand,” said Sarakinis. “I think the scholarship is beneficial for seniors as many scholarships tend to offer money one time, whereas this scholarship offers to pay a certain amount for all years you are in school as well as give any additional support mentally.”
The foundation is an exclusive program, making schools request an interview to be chosen for the scholarship to be available for students.
“Not every school in Silicon Valley has access to this program, so it's a really beneficial program we have available on campus,” said Pearson.
According to the foundation, they have made over eight million dollars in donations towards students and helped over 725 students have the opportunity to attend college. Current high school seniors are highly encouraged to apply by the application deadline on Feb. 28 at 12 a.m. Email Jayne Goldberg at [email protected] to apply or for any questions.