And the Recipient of This Years Scholarship Is…
Recently I began to suffer from the heart palpitations felt only by those thinking of the endless mountain of debt piling up behind the garage from three kids who have been in private schools since they were in diapers.
After having a good cry and finally accepting my husband’s bleak assessment of our future, I started poking around online to see what kind of scholarships there are out there for those with unusual skills or assets, or in our case the fair-to-mediocre types who would enjoy college, but have no real shot at winning a full ride.
How foolish and naive I had been to think that only the truly exceptional were rewarded for their hard work and determination!
There is a National Make It Yourself With Wool Scholarship (self-explanatory), the Zolp Scholarship (you only have to prove this is your legal last name to quality), the Icy Frost Bridge Scholarship (can you sing the National Anthem with sincerity? Please apply!) and one I was happy to see: The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance Scholarship!
They award money annually for members pursuing a college education and you need only write an essay on personal fat activism or related topics to qualify.
Personally, I’m going to prod the kids to shoot for the stars and work towards the J.D. Salinger Award at Ursinus College for “oddball geniuses,” but perhaps we should stick to something closer to earth like Hiram College’s “Random Act of Kindness” Award?
YAY for NAAFA!! And their conference is taking place August 4-8th in Washington D.C. For anyone interested in the link: http://www.naafaonline.com/convention2011/
They use this conference in part as an annual fundraiser which helps to provide the scholarships you are talking about!
Shit! If only I had known about the oddball award, I would have been a sure thing! In fact, I probably would have been accused of being a ringer.
Oh and way to go on the private school. My parents did the same and it’s not easy for a middle class family to manage. My brothers and I all did work study. So the summer before my freshman year I was on a cleaning crew of other poor freshmen and we basically scrubbed the place from top to bottom with no air conditioning. Then my sophomore year I helped set up bingo every Thursday (a Catholic staple). Junior year I forget, but Senior year I was charged with wiping down the windowsills, which I began in earnest and gradually cut back to nothing at all within a matter of weeks.
Of course, in the end I didn’t get my diploma because I flunked honors Calculus, so I’m glad I wasn’t busting my ass for those assholes (long story…).
Peace,
Shannon