GENERAL INFORMATION:
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
In 1908, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority became America’s first Greek-letter organization established by and for Black women. Her roots date back to Howard University, Washington, DC, where Ethel Hedgeman Lyle of St. Louis, Missouri, conceived the idea for formation. She viewed the Sorority as an instrument for enriching the social and intellectual aspects of college life by providing mental stimulation through interaction with friends and associates.
Through the years, however, Alpha Kappa Alpha’s function has become more complex. After her incorporation as a perpetual body in 1913, Alpha Kappa Alpha gradually branched out and became the channel through which selected college-trained women improved the social and economic conditions in their city, state, nation and the world.
Today, that tradition has continued---internationally, nationally and locally through a nucleus of more than 260,000 members in graduate and undergraduate chapters in the United States, the U. S. Virgin Islands, the Caribbean, Canada, Japan, Germany, Korea and the continent of Africa.
Our 2014- 2018 great mission is Launching New Dimensions of Service, which has 5 Signature Program Initiatives: I. Educational Enrichment, II. Health Promotion, III. Family Strengthening, IV. Environmental Ownership, and V. Global Impact.
Scholarship Awards sponsored by the Psi Omega Chapter of
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. &
The Boston Pearl Foundation, Inc.
For 92 years, the Psi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. has dedicated herself to serving the Greater Boston community. In 1932, the Psi Omega Chapter presented its first scholarship award of $75. Since then, more than $200,000 has been awarded to deserving college students from the Greater Boston area.
The Boston Pearl Foundation, Inc. was founded in 2005 in order to continue the legacy of the Psi Omega scholarship program and to ensure that such scholarships may continue to be provided to qualified candidates in perpetuity.
TERMS:
The monetary amount of the 2018 Scholarship Award ranges from $1000 to $5000. Awards are not renewable.
ELIGIBILITY:
An applicant for the 2018 Scholarship Award must be a Massachusetts resident who identifies as a student of color, and who is a high school senior applying for Fall 2018 admission into an accredited four-year college/university.
An applicant’s grade point average must not be lower than “B” for the cumulative period Grade 9 through the most recent grading period/semester.
ONLINE APPLICATION FORM:
Applicants must complete the on-line application form. Available at the "Scholarship" link from http://www.akaboston.org.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION:
11:59 P.M. EST on March 16, 2018
Applications with incomplete or missing documentation will not be considered. No exceptions will be made.
REQUIRED SUPPORTING CREDENTIALS:
- High School Transcript
Applicants must submit official copies of their high school transcripts, which include the results of all grading periods completed at the time of application. The transcript must clearly display the official school seal. The transcript must be emailed by 11:59 P.M. EST on March 16, 2018 to bostonpearlfoundation@gmail.com.
- Essay:
Please select one of the following topics for a 400 word typed essay to be submitted with this application.
- What is a Servant Leader? Please explain how you have demonstrated Servant Leadership
- What are you short term and long term goals? How will they benefit your community or the society at large?
- Name an important economic or social issue facing your city, state, nation, or the world today. Explain how you have worked to resolve or plan to solve the issue.
- Reccomendation Letters:
Applicants must submit three (3) letters of recommendation. At least one recommendation must be from either a teacher or guidance counselor. All recommendations must include the email and phone number of the person writing the recommendation. Recommendations must be emailed by 11:59 P.M. EST on March 16, 2018 to: bostonpearlfoundation@gmail.com.
SELECTION PROCESS:
- Interviews:
Interviews with the Scholarship Committee will be required for those applicants who meet the eligibility requirements and are chosen as finalists. A Scholarship Committee member will notify finalists regarding interviews, which will be held in April 2018.
- Award Decisions:
The Scholarship Committee will notify applicants of a decision by May 1, 2018. If you are selected as an award recipient, your presence will be required at a recognition event held on June 2, 2018.
QUESTIONS
Please email any questions regarding the Scholarship to bostonpearlfoundation@gmail.com.