More Than a Test Score

Scholarship America’s Dollars for Scholars program is giving away three scholarships through Best Buy’s @15 Exchange, and you get to decide how much they’re worth! Feel the power – and discover a pretty cool resource while you’re at it.

Best Buy @15 (www.at15.com) was developed for teens to make their voices heard, network with peers across the country, and share the causes they’re passionate about. And in addition to all those resources, it offers a real lesson in the power of philanthropy. You can earn points for participating in activities on the site. Every quarter, you can donate your points to one of four organizations – and the points you give out decide how much of Best Buy’s $250,000 donation each organization receives.

Dollars for Scholars is one of those four organizations this quarter. To underscore the point that giving back has its rewards, they’ve created the new Dollars for Scholars UHelp Scholarships, which are entirely through proceeds from @15. You can head over to the link below to apply for a UHelp Scholarship, and the more points you earn and donate, the bigger the scholarships will be.

More points = more scholarships. Simple, right? Head over to www.at15.com/points/big_give/org/dollars_scholars and start banking some points – you’ve got until April 30.

Jessica Cronnin is an aspiring graphic designer that has done an amazing job here in this years March Madnezz competition.  She has pushed through to the Final 64 and was able to get published in two newspaper articles! With amazing talent and such determination we know that even though this scholarship wasn’t in the cards for her, she will be able to accomplish so much!  We wish you luck Jessica! We hope to see you participating in other Zinch scholarships! Keep up the great work.

-Zinch Team

Harrison Richards our winner of the Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship under the prompt: My very best failure…

Has given us a blog interview! Here is his experience in winning.

When/where did you hear about Zinch and the Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Zinch Scholarship?

I heard about the Scholarship on Zinch the day before the submissions were due.

What was your reaction when you found out that you had won the Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Zinch Scholarship?

I was ecstatic. My girlfriend was sitting next to me and I said, “You know, I think I just won one thousand dollars”. I’m still enjoying the excitement of winning a Zinch scholarship.

What was your parents reaction?

My parents reaction: w00tw00t (they didn’t believe me at first, but they are very proud)

What college would you like to attend and why?

I would like to attend Edinburgh College of Art because of their fantastic landscape architecture program.

How would you move Mount Fuji?

Physically…not sure. But emotionally I’m pretty sure that Mount Fuji, with its tendency towards stillness, would be moved by the concepts of mobility and progress. Life is about change. Mount Fuji might be surprised to learn a thing or two about the negative impacts of stagnancy.

Thanks Harrison and Congratulations!

Congratulations are in order for Dakota Holbrooks! Winner of the Born in ’93 Zinch Scholarship! We asked Dakota a few questions about his experience…

When/where did you hear about Zinch and the “Born in ’93 Zinch Scholarship”?
I was emailed by Zinch one day, and Zinch gave me a list of scholarships I was eligible for, so I applied to a few. I never expected to win.

What was your reaction when you found out that you had won the “Born in ’93 Zinch Scholarship”?
I freaked out. I have never won a scholarship before, and I have been looking for ways to finance my Flight education. Once I read the email that told me that I won, I yelled for my mom to come take a look, and she printed the email out and began gloating for me. I am still in shock.

What was your parents reaction?
My mom wasn’t surprised like I thought she would be. She took the news like she took any other news. But, I knew she was excited when she started calling people up to tell them of this. My father is just ecstatic.

If you could create your own fruit what would it be like?
I have always wondered what it would be like to cross an apple with an orange. Something as crisp as an apple, but yet as citrusy and sweet as an orange. So, this would be my fruit.

How did you become interested in flying?
I believe that it was a mixture between my mom working for US Airways, and my Grandfathers past ambitions of flying. Back when my Grandpa was my age, he wanted to fly for the US Air Force, but they found that he had a hole in his heart during his medical evaluation, and needed to get risky surgery to live. This medical history would keep him out of the military. So his admirations for aircraft and flying kind of just stuck to me. And my mom worked as a revenue analyst for America West Airlines/US Airways, which allowed us to fly for free anywhere in the world. I received many hours as a passenger. Without these influences, I would not be the same person I am today.

How are you more than a test score?
Most Colleges and Universities just look at numbers. But, you cannot fully understand a human being by just looking at how well they did at filling in bubbles with a number two pencil. Zinch allows Colleges and Universities to see me for who I am, and to actually get to know me before I even meet with them.

How would you move Mount Fuji?
There isn’t anything we can’t do here on Earth when we use man power, and intelligence to work together. If we need to move Mount Fuji, we will move Mount Fuji. I would personally use dynamite and helicopters though. That seems like a pretty legit plan.

Congratulations again Dakota! We hope this scholarship helps you on your way to becoming a great pilot!

This is the last week we will be having a the Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship! This weeks prompt is: The biggest thing I wish I had learned in the classroom…

We have finally made it through all of your great essays and have a winner! The winner of the Third Round of The Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship is Natasha Kovacs!

Here is a our winner’s essay: My education has taught me how to count electrons, find “x”, and build cardboard rockets, but I have taught myself the memory tricks for each formula. In my world, creativity has brought me almost as far as education, and I know that alternative ideas can bring us as far as conventional solutions.

Here are the runner ups:

Yoo-Jin Kang: My education has taught me that it’s not all about me. Education is a gift and in some places it’s valued more than I could ever imagine. My Education has inspired me to become a teacher and aim to enrich the lives of others.

Jennilee Davies: My education has taught me that not everything in life can be learned from a book, their are somethings that only experience will teach us. Its also taught me that the only way to be worry free in life is to do what needs to be done quickly. Only then can you truly appreciate the free time you have.

Jacky Huang: My Education has taught me the truths behind history’s greatest horror; the stories behind Genocide like those of the Holocaust. It is from my education that spawns an ironic opposition towards systems of conformity, much like that of a school’s.

Jeremy Madison: My education has taught me that we exist for a deeper purpose than a perpetual drive for material success. Putting all my focus into my academics has ironically shown me that I am here not to be the best, but to pour myself into others and be selfless. Love creates fulfillment, not education.

Julie Chang: My education has taught me about quantum physics, improper integrals, and rhetorical devices, but most importantly, that education is a life-long process, not confined to classrooms or textbooks. Education is visiting foreign countries, tasting new foods, meeting new people. Education is … life.

Seifuddin Saafir: My Education has taught me that success is only a state of mind. But Failure and Struggle is Reality. You must expect to Fail but Aspire to Succeed.

Lize Zalite: A treacherous path must be tread to locate each answer in school and life. One must trek through thorns in troubles and float amiably among clouds when life challenges. My education has taught me that I am capable of solving everything and others are available to aid me.

Zane Doty: My education has taught me that zombies are improbable. It has showed me that Robots will someday rule the world and I hope to be an accomplice. The most important thing how ever is that dinosaurs never existed, they were just made up by the CIA to discourage time travel.