Students lead very busy lives. If you’ve tried juggling class, homework, and the stresses of maintaining personal relationships all while struggling to pay the bills, you know that thinking beyond yourself and your present circumstances can feel overwhelming.
But what if it actually helps you?
Countless studies show that serving others and thinking beyond our own problems improves mental health and ability to feel positively about our own lives. It can also help relieve financial burdens.
Living life selflessly may make you the perfect candidate for a private, merit-based scholarship.
Follow the tips below to set yourself up for success:
Make a List of Values to Live by
Most companies operate according to a set of core values. For example, at Fox pest Control the company has a defined list of 18 core values that they focus on across all aspects of the business.
But values aren’t just for businesses. It’s important to set a list of values to live by in your own personal life.
Why? When you live according to a code of ethics that represents a positive view of the world, you make the biggest impact. The positive footprint you leave will naturally come back to you.
That’s how you get paid — in this case, literally.
Private companies often look for scholarship applicants that reflect the traits they seek out in their own employees and company leaders. More often than not, some of your core values will line up with theirs.
For example, if a company’s core values include putting family first and living fearlessly and your core values align with those two principles, this gives you a leg up.
Highlight those core values in your application to that company’s scholarship.
Put Your Values to Work
While it’s good to have a list of values you want to incorporate into your daily life, you need to do more than write them down. Scholarship essay applications with impeccable English and perfect grammar are impressive, but plenty of college students (or future college students) know how to write.
Your experience, coupled with your writing, will make you stand out from the crowd.
Put your values to work. If you believe in helping the less fortunate, organize a club that raises awareness for homelessness in your community through service projects and community events; gather books for children who don’t have the resources to obtain them; eat meals with elderly individuals who don’t have family nearby…
The possibilities are endless. Pick a cause you’re passionate about and find a way to help.
Apply for a Scholarship
Once you have identified your own core values and executed them in your life, apply for a scholarship that fits your experience. This is your time to mold your communication skills and experience into an impeccable essay or video submission.
In 2021, Delia Cote applied for the first annual Fox Pest Control Scholarship and received $2,000. While volunteering for Hope for NH Recovery — a nonprofit that helps people with substance abuse issues in Manchester, New Hampshire recover — Delia and her father created what they called the Post-It Project. In an effort to make each person in recovery feel loved and appreciated, they purchased close to 600 post-it notes, wrote inspirational messages on them, and posted them over three walls in the organization. Delia wrote a separate note of instruction next to the display: “Take one or leave one.”
Delia’s essay displayed her dedication to Fox’s ‘Lift Where You Stand’ core value and highlighted her passion for her project.
If you’re applying for a service-based scholarship, following her example may just help you pay for your education.
If you think you have a dynamic and exciting philanthropy experience to share, consider applying for Fox Pest Control’s 2022 Scholarship. Like Delia, your dedication to your values and willingness to serve others could be the reason you receive $2,000 to put toward your education. Put your hard work to the test, and apply today.