2011-2012 Scholarship Winner

Julie Otto

Congratulations to Julie for a strong and articulate essay. She has been awarded a $500 scholarship to study Communications and Spanish at Marquette University. We wish Ms. Otto all the best for a successful first year.

What Makes a Winning Essay? Tips and Tricks

Many of you may be wondering what goes into the selection process of determining a winning essay for the scholarship. The first and foremost answer is the ability to read and follow directions. When the requirements ask for a certain word count or to elaborate on an experience, the request is mandatory not optional. The judges have seen many applicants exceed word count. More is not better in this instance. Others have not put nearly enough effort in the essay. The judges do not know if the applicant was trying hard enough or has no ability to convey full meaning. In other words, the essay has to be memorable enough to stand out in the judges' minds without being too verbose.

Another aspect that judges look for is the sincerity and need of the applicant. If the student was awarded money, would it actually impact his or her life in some significant way? It does not have to be life changing, since the award amounts are usually between $250-$500. But would the money allow you to work one less part-time job or take a course that would not otherwise be available to you? The judges do not want someone who already has ten scholarships and is not sincere in helping improve the international adoptee community.

Finally, fill out the application and essay completely and by yourself. Do not have someone else do it for you, despite that other person's best intentions and hopes for you. Judges want to get a sense of who you are. They want to like you personally. You are not your degree or future profession. If you show your personality and character in your writing style and reveal your interests and hobbies, that will come through. So InterDoptee encourages you to be yourself. If you would like, request samples of past winning essays. We are happy to provide them for you. That will give you an idea of what goes into a winning essay.

We hope these tips help you create a winning application and essay. If you have more questions, shoot us an e-mail. We will be happy to point you in the right direction.

Important Announcement

After the scholarship application closed, we received five applications. Voting was conducted and final scores were tallied. The board contacted the winner and gave the recipient a deadline to submit required documents and proof of adoption and school enrollment. The 2010-2011 scholarship winner elected not to accept the award. In this particular instance, the board decided not to select a secondary winner. Instead, the $300 award will remain available for next year's scholarship application pool.

In the meantime, since the close of the scholarship process, the co-founders, Max and Missy Stockbridge, relocated to Minnesota for an undetermined length of time. Fundraising has been placed on hold until further notice while stability and a permanent locale is finalized. The goal of the organization is to provide support, financially and emotionally, to internationally adopted persons seeking higher education. The purpose of focusing on educational opportunities is to discover leaders who would like to advance and promote adoptee causes and strengthen the community and community at large. Wherever the home of the organization becomes or remains, we hope supporters know that the contributions and generous support of the organization has been and will always be sincerely appreciated. We thank you for allowing us to keep the dream alive and continue the mission despite the uncertainty. Please stay tuned for periodic updates and for next year's scholarship application announcement.

Where are they now?

We are delighted to bring you updates from our previous year�s winners

Kira Donnell

Kira Donnell is graduating in May with her MA in Asian American studies from San Francisco State University. Her thesis, entitled �The Claiming of Identity, Agency and Advocacy in Korean Adoptee Literature,� analyzes poetry and creative writing by Korean adotpees. She will also be applying to PhD programs in the fall. Her commitment to the international adoptive community is something she wants to continue to advance.

On a personal note, Ms. Donnell will also be traveling to Korea this summer to meet her birthmother for the first time. She has been corresponding with her since November 2009 and is looking forward to reconnecting with her after twenty-seven years.

She had this to say to InterDoptee supporters and donors, �Thank you for your support as I�ve pursued my academics. I certainly appreciate the acknowledgment and encouragement from fellow international adoptees.�

Jennifer Bogan

Jennifer Bogan also has some exciting news. Via her mother, we learned that she got engaged this past Christmas. And with that, she will be transferring from Texas A&M Corpus Christi to a college closer to home. Jennifer�s mother, Jane writes, �She will definitely be finishing her degree, however. We are very excited for her. Thank you for giving her this honor.�

UPDATE!! We have raised $100 from your efforts! Thank you for helping us reach our GOAL!

This has been the easiest way to make a difference on two fronts. We are helping the environment and raising money for the scholarship fund. Because this has been such an easy fundraiser, we would like to continue the program into this year. We would love it if you got your friends, family and co-workers also involved. If you would like more baggies, e-mail us and we'll send you self-addressed, postage-paid mailers that will ship directly to Empties4Cash. Our partner in this fundraiser will send us donations directly so there are no additional steps for anyone. Thanks again, for supporting this project and making our dream a reality. Let's keep up the good work!