Abune Zekarias Scholarship
INTRODUCTION
The Abune Zekarias Scholarship Fund was established by the R’ese Adbarat Tserha Aryam Kidist Selassie Cathedral EOTC to provide financial assistance to high-school seniors who are members of the TAKS church and will be a freshman at an accredited college/university in the coming Fall Semester. Scholarship fund from the Abune Zekarias Scholarship is available in competition among qualifying students based on financial need, academic excellence, commitment to church services, and response to essay question.
GOALS
1. Support graduating high-school seniors through means of financial support
2. Function as a source of motivation for students to achieve academic excellence
3. Empower the youth in their involvement with the church, and
4. Build a bridge between the youth and church community to further strengthen youth engagement and leadership skills.
REQUIREMENTS
1. Applicant must be a member of the church either through parents/guardian or if old enough, on her/his own.
2. Applicant is expected to have completed at least 25 hours of church volunteering service within the church within the last year (including teaching kids, cleaning, singing, mentoring, volunteering at stadium, and other).
3. Applicant is anticipated to complete additional 15 or more hours of volunteering service within the next academic year.
4. Applicant must be accepted to a college/university and plans to start in the Fall Semester (include a copy of acceptance letter).
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTION
1. Complete and submit the online application thoroughly and provide all requested information by June 18, 2023 at 1pm.
2. Provide information to determine financial need (specify tuition fee and total amount received from all scholarships).
3. Submit the acceptance letter from the college/university you plan to attend in the 2023-2024 academic year or your Fall Semester class registration list (screen shot).
4. Submit an essay based on one of the topics listed in the application (750 to 1000 words). The essay is an important part of the scholarship application. It will be evaluated based on content, organization, and writing style.
APPLICATION, EVALUATION AND AWARD PROCESS
The evaluation and award nomination will be completed by an independent committee that will receive anonymous application documents. The application and evaluation process will follow the below steps:
1. Scholarship application are submitted to the Parish Council Administration Office by June 18, 2023 at 1pm.
2. Applications received before the deadline will be evaluated by scholarship selection committee (an independent committee comprised of three to five volunteers) who will receive the application documents without applicant names or any identifying information. The committee will complete its evaluation from June 18 – June 25. Applications will only be referred by application numbers; names will be revealed upon receiving the award. The scholarship selection committee will evaluate each application and will collectively decide and select two to three applicants based on the items listed in the requirement’s section.
3. The scholarship selection committee will forward its decision to the Parish Council Administration Office by June 24, at 9am.
4. Finally, all applicants will be notified of the decision by Saturday, June 24, and the winners will be announced to the parishioners on Sunday, June 25.
ESSAY TOPICS
I. How do you plan to achieve your academic goals while keeping your spiritual life rich?
II. Pick a Saint from the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church teachings, describe the Saint’s life, the values you have learned from the Saint's life and how you will use it to guide your path.
III. What creative ways should the church adopt to keep the youth engaged while preserving the church’s long-standing values and culture?
IV. What is the effect of social media and connected world to the spritual life of an Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church youth?
DEADLINE
The 2023-2024 Abune Zekarias Scholarship application will open on May 28, 2023, and will end on June 18, 2023 at 1pm.
AWARD AMOUNT
$500 each.
QUESTIONS
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