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Summer programs provide the opportunity for networking and hands on experience.

With the semester coming to a close, many educational opportunities are opening up. Several scholarships and summer programs are now available, but their application deadlines are coming soon. The Higher Education Center is spreading the word about these programs in preparation for next semester.

The Johns Hopkins Global Health Leadership Conference (GHLC) is the foremost program available to all high school students. For those interested in the medical field, this will be an online conference with medical experts from across the globe. It does have some submission requirements, such as personal information, academic information, an optional letter of recommendation, and a short essay. There is a conference registration fee of $99. The cost may be waived for those who cannot afford the fee.  The GHLC’s initial application is due on January 20th.

Although this is the only program available to all grades, this is an exceptional opportunity for the junior class. Some of these programs include:

• USC Bovard Scholars, a program for high-achieving AP students in need of financial aid. The three-week program helps students with college applications and career planning. It is due on January 12th.
• MIT Women’s Technology Program is a four-week experience where women are dormed at MIT. It has classes, labs, and projects that focus on mechanical engineering. This is only for beginners or those interested in engineering, who should have proficient math and science skills. The application closes by January 15th.

Outside of summer programs, there are some scholarships available for anyone interested in them. While they are limited, it is an opportunity to earn money or outside experience. Combined, they can be essential resources for college.

The Live Más Scholarship, held by the Taco Bell Foundation, has an interesting submission requirement. It is a thirty-second to two-minute video, in the form of an animation, short film, or just a recording. It addresses three questions focusing on your passion and future career. Recipients can receive from $5,000-$25,000 and the deadline is January 3rd.

The JFK Courage Essay Contest selects ten finalists with a price range of $100-$10,000. It requires an essay describing an act of political courage by an elected US official after the year 1917. This contest is more of a research, informative essay as it requires five sources and a limit of 700-1,000 words. The contest ends after January 12th.

Those are the only two scholarships for all students due in January. The primary goal of scholarships is to assist with the financial burden of college because money may become a deciding factor for students. Fortunately for seniors, there are numerous scholarships available for them.

• The SuperMoney’s Financial Literacy Scholarship is made for those students who are in tune with the world of finances. This requires a transcript but also a creative demo of a financial calculator. It should be beneficial to programmers or anyone with financial literacy. The demo submission is due by January 10th, and winners will earn $500.
• The DECA Students Scholarships contains several separate scholarships, all due January 12th. The scholarships can provide $1,000-$5,000 based on the program. The program interests vary from; finance/accounting, tourism, property management, marketing, retail, and entrepreneurship.
• The Dr. Meme Heineman Scholarship is for seniors planning on majoring in Psychology or Applied Behavior Analysis. There is only one recipient for the $6,000 scholarship, but there is a required essay describing the impact of the scholarship on your college experience. The submission should be sent by January 14th.

As winter break for Segerstrom is coming soon, this is a perfect chance to apply or invest time into one of these programs. These are not all of the programs, as the rest can be found through the Higher Education Center or independent research. Whether or not these programs appeal to you, it is an excellent asset and opportunity for college.