What’s up Madison Seniors!

This week, I am introducing you to Julia, the Tutor! Fun fact: she used to work part time as a tutor for international college students for essay help, grammar, and classes. She did this for about 4 years.

Reminder that if you need help with college/scholarship essays and want help with ideas or need an extra pair of eyes to double check your grammar, Julia the Tutor is here to help! Make sure to schedule a 60-min appointment for essay help at calendly.com/juliakimcoach/

To-Do List

Attend Group Session #3 this week 10/14: Wednesday from 3:30-4:30PM at our google meet link
Fill out FAFSA/ORSAA if you haven’t already! If you need help, check out this buzzfeed quiz
Sign up for an October 1-1 Check-In with Julia here
Nominate a Junior for College Possible!
Register for the ACT if you plan to take it. Register here by Nov.6th

Group Session #3

Our group session is this Wednesday 10/14 from 3:30-4:30 PM using the same google meet link as usual (link above). Check out what we will be covering in our agenda here

Schedule an October 1-1 Check-In Appointment

Some of you have met with Julia already, but if you haven’t, schedule one here at my calendly link. I want to meet with you!!!!

Nominate a Junior for College Possible!!!!

We’re still recruiting juniors! Seniors will be entered into a raffle drawing to win a t-shirt from the college of their choice for doing any of the following:

Referring an eligible junior to apply
Filling out the recommendation form
Recommending a student and sharing their contact information

For every junior student who submits an application, the senior who recommended them will also be entered into a raffle to win a $20 Dutch Bros gift card. Seniors can also participate in recruitment as a Student Ambassador. If you have any questions about nominating a student, I have CC’d Muhammad Shareef, who is the one and only fantastic Junior Coach at Madison! You can ask Muhammad any questions you got J

Register for ACT if you plan to!

Do it by Nov.6^th for a December test date!! Remember to let Julia know if you are signing up so you can use your fee waiver. We recommend you to take the ACT with the writing section, and the fee waiver will cover that! Register here

Building Confidence in your Balanced College List

If you are feeling unsure of your college list, here are 5 easy things you can do to feel more confident about your schools:

Take a virtual campus tour! – Getting a sense of the campus can be a great way to see if you will feel at home here for the next few years. If you Google your school name and “virtual tour”, you should find it.
Look at the list of majors offered! – Usually colleges offer a wide variety of things you can study.
1. If you find a major you are interested in, take a look at the classes to see if they sound interesting!
2. Having a hard time finding a list? Try Googling “name of college” and one of these terms: “undergraduate programs”, “undergraduate majors”, “degrees”
Look into the clubs and student organizations! – These give you ways to engage in your interests outside of what you may be studying as your major, or can be a way to find even more opportunities within your field.
1. If you Google the name of your school and “clubs”, you should find a list!
Follow your schools on social media! – See what kinds of things they post and get a sense of what the community is like
1. Follow other organizations at the school, like cultural centers or student unions
Look up your schools on College Greenlight or College Scorecard! – Get some quick facts about the college, like size of the student body, or graduation rate.

Jobs 101

Join a special student cohort to learn about yourself, find jobs and internships, explore career interests, clarify your path, build a resume, and master job and interview skills! It begins next week (Mon Oc.12) and you can earn $50 and get some elective credit. If you have questions, you can call/text Kaylynne Gray at (503) 610-3744 or email them at kgray@impactnw.org. Sign up here. I have attached a flyer to this email!

PPS Tools to Build Your Future

This is happening Wednesay, Oct.21 from 10AM-3:20PM. Any PPS high school student can now pre-register for the 1^st innovative, district-wide, virtual career & postsecondary planning event here at pps.net/buildyourfuture. All students who pre-register by Monday, October 19^th by 5PM will be entered to win a free lunch delivered to their door on the day of the event! Students attending the day’s events will be entered to win prizes such as mood lamps, headsets, AirPods and high school gear. Pre-registration is not required but you can win all those cool prizes so Julia encourages you to do it!! See the attached flyer for more info ;)

Virtual Volunteering

Looking to bulk up your resume and college apps? Here are some ways to safely engage in volunteering opportunities that are virtual!

Hands on Portland – a database for volunteering opportunities in the Portland area. You can change searches to specify virtual volunteering. This website is better used as a starting point for volunteering opportunities. Hands on Portland also has volunteering opportunities made specifically for students/teens that can be found here!
Children’s Book Bank – an organization here in Portland that has transferred some of their volunteering opportunities to the virtual world. There are opportunities for individuals as well as groups.
Shadow Project – their mission is to make school more accessible and engaging for children with learning challenges, so they can achieve their full potential. They have numerous virtual opportunities, but they may have age restrictions. Check to see if you qualify to volunteer.
org – provides unique opportunities for students to be a part of volunteering opportunities and social campaigns. This website was created with students in mind. They have a range of campaign options with varying time commitments; some even have scholarship opportunities!
United Nations Volunteering – provides a database of volunteering opportunities. They have ranges of ways to volunteer that can fit your specific skill set. This website is better used as a starting point for volunteering opportunities.
org – another database of volunteering opportunities including virtual experiences.
Smithsonian Digital – provides opportunities for individuals to expand access to the Smithsonian’s massive collections, and participate in a variety of research programs. Some roles require special knowledge or skill, but many do not. All volunteering opportunities are virtual.
Translators without Borders – has volunteering opportunities for individuals who may speak multiple languages fluently. Individuals will need to fill out applications to see if they qualify for this volunteering opportunity.
Volunteer Match Virtual Volunteering – another database of volunteering opportunities including virtual experiences.

Leaderboard: Ooh, there’s some new faces joining the competition :)))))

Mario and Tom Hanks tied with 13 stamps
Dwayne the Rock Johnson with 9 stamps
Joseph Gordon Levitt and Ariana Grande tied with 8 stamps
Ironman and BTS tied with 7 stamps
Zach Efron, Yo Yo ma, and The Purple Teletubby tied with 5 stamps

Yay to Mario and Tom Hanks this week!

FYI: If you think this is wrong, there is a good chance that you’re right. If you think you should be higher on the list, let me know. It is hard to keep track of everyone’s progress lol

Scholarships (click on “Scholarships” for more scholarships and a very cool website!!)

Scholarship America Dream Award
Deadline: October 15, 2020
Amount: $5,000-15,000
Levels: Have received a high school diploma or the equivalent from a U.S. school by September 2020.
Available for undocumented/DACA students? Be U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents (holders of a Permanent Resident Card), or individuals granted deferred action status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA).
Basic Information: Scholarship America has established a scholarship program to help students currently enrolled in higher education programs (two- or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school) pay for their second year and beyond.

Horatio Alger Association
Deadline: October 25, 2020
Amount: $10,000
Levels: High School Seniors
Available for undocumented/DACA students? No
Basic Information: The program specifically assists high school students who have faced and overcome great obstacles in their young lives. The scholarships are funded by Horatio Alger Members who, like the Scholars, have experienced challenges but ultimately overcame them to become successful business and civic leaders.

Cooke College Scholarship
Deadline: October 30, 2020
Amount: Tuition
Levels: High School Seniors
Available for undocumented/DACA students? Does not state restrictions
Basic Information: The Cooke College Scholarship Program is an undergraduate scholarship program available to high-achieving high school seniors with financial need who seek to attend and graduate from the nation’s best four-year colleges and universities.

Western Golf Association Evans Scholars Foundation Scholarship
Deadline: October 30, 2020
Amount: 4-year tuition and housing to UO and other select institutions
Levels: High School Seniors
Available for undocumented/DACA students? Does not state restrictions
Basic Information: This foundation offers full, four-year tuition and housing scholarships for golf caddies who meet the eligibility criteria and attend or plan to attend University of Oregon and other select institutions.

Dyslexia and Auditory Process Disorder Scholarship
Deadline: October 31, 2020
Amount: $1,000
Levels: Available for students who have proof of college enrollment.
Available for undocumented/DACA students? Does not state restrictions
Basic Information: Send us your story in the form of an essay on the topic “Living With Dyslexia” or “Living With Auditory Processing Disorder”. Your essay should be educational and/or inspirational, giving us all a unique insight into what it’s like to live with a learning struggle.

Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship
Deadline: October 31, 2020
Amount: $2,000
Levels: Must be 14 years of age or older at time of application
Available for undocumented/DACA students? No
Basic Information: Submit an online written response to the question: “Imagine that your high school or college has been overrun with zombies. Your math professor, the cafeteria ladies, and even your best friend have all joined the walking dead. Flesh out a plan to avoid the zombies, including where you’d hide and the top-five things you’d bring to stay alive.” (250 words or less)

Coca-Cola Scholars Scholarship
Deadline: October 31, 2020
Amount: $20,000
Levels: High School Seniors
Available for undocumented/DACA students? U.S. Citizens, U.S. Nationals, U.S. Permanent Residents, Refugees, Asylees, Cuban-Haitian Entrants, or Humanitarian Parolees – based on the guidelines utilized by U.S. Department of Education for Federal Financial Aid eligibility
Basic Information: The Coca-Cola Scholars Program scholarship is an achievement-based scholarship awarded to graduating high school seniors. Students are recognized for their capacity to lead and serve, as well as their commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities.

National Security Language Initiative for Youth Program
Deadline: November 5, 2020 by 1PM PT
Amount: Participant travel, room and board, and programming costs
Levels: High School Students between ages 15-18 years at the start of the program
Available for undocumented/DACA students? No
Basic Information: This is a program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, provides merit-based scholarships for eligible U.S. high school students to learn less-commonly taught languages in summer and academic year overseas immersion programs. Programs are available in Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Indonesian, Korean, Persian (Tajiki), Russian, and Turkish. Previous language study is not require; language learners of all levels are welcome to apply.

Dell Scholars
Deadline: December 1, 2020
Amount: $20,000
Levels: High School Seniors
Available for undocumented/DACA students? No
Basic Information: Dell Scholars was designed to provide a support system for the challenges many students face while pursuing a degree. Even so, we recognize that college costs can be a significant burden for many students and their families. Nationally, 500 Dell Scholars are selected each year to receive a scholarship plus lots of non-monetary supports. All Dell Scholars receive: A $20,000 scholarship; personalized, multifaceted support for the academic, financial, and emotional life challenges that may prevent students from completing college; a laptop with 4-year warranty; Chegg credits ($500 annually for four years) to be used for textbook purchases and rentals and/or textbook solutions (via Chegg Study); a Scholars Resource Network that connects students and their families with resources to deal with stress, debt, managing child care, and life circumstance; a teletherapy service that connects students to professional counseling

Ron Brown Scholar Program Scholarship
Deadline: January 9, 2021
Amount: $40,000
Levels: High School Seniors
Available for undocumented/DACA students? U.S. Citizens or permanent residents, Black/African American and current high school seniors
Basic Information: The RBSP program seeks to identify students who will make significant contributions to society. Applicants must excel academically, show exceptional leadership potential and make an impact on their communities through service to others. Julia has attached a pdf for more info!

Finally finished this email. You know how to reach Julia. Now, she is going to bed.

Cello piece of the week: Elgar Cello Concerto in E minor

Adam Sandler movie of the month: Hubie Halloween (on Netflix)

Low-key song of the night: Monsoon by Hippocampus

Post Malone song of the season: Circles