More Than a Test Score

Congratulations to McKenzie McFee, our latest Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship winner!

The world of education is a place of knowledge and discovery, and while it’s up to every student to make the most of their academic journey, we recognize that teachers play just as pivotal a role.

That brought to mind a quote from novelist and scholar C.S. Lewis, who once wrote, “The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts.” We wanted to hear our students’ thoughts on that quote, and boy, did you deliver. Ultimately McKenzie’s response won us over for her vivid interpretation and clever word play.

Here’s her winning essay:
This quote means that a good educator does not discourage divergent thinking and inspires their students. The imagery of a jungle reminds one of the vast untamed stretches of the imagination. A desert is devoid of life because of a lack of water, a good educator “waters” the mind.

Here’s a bit more about our winner:
I’m a hardworking student who puts a lot of effort into my school. During the fall I play field hockey. My passion is writing, I love to write. Whether it be a play, screen play, novel, short story, anecdote, poem, you name it and I’ve probably have written one (or at least tried). I am ranked among the top 10 in my class. No matter where I am you can always find me with my nose in a book; I love reading up on new technology and self improvement bits. I also like to read my fair share of fantasy books, science fiction and biographies.

Here’s a few of our favorite runners up:

This quote means to me, that we shouldn’t rely on geniuses, who are naturally incredibly intellectual, to do all of our thinking. We should give the right resources and skills to everyone, even the “deserts,” so that we can find skills and input from everyone. -Bianca W.

To do the impossible. Almost anyone can go out into a jungle with a machete to cut it down to fit their needs, but it takes someone special to make something out of nothing, to plant the seeds of inspiration in a new generation. -Brian Z.

Too often, teachers over-emphasize the mistakes their students; rather than criticize those with potential, but to help and inspire even struggling students, provoking them into thinking about and becoming interested in topics they might have otherwise never considered. -Sarah P.

Did this last prompt fly just under your radar? Don’t worry, cause with our Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship there’s a new opportunity to win $1,000 every Monday! Just click the link, fill out the form, and hit apply––how cool is that?!

Congratulations to Genevieve Morton, our latest Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship winner!

There are certain artistic achievements that speak to the very soul of humanity—the Sistine Chapel, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,”—and whose impact lasts for generations.

That got us thinking, if you had the chance to ask any creative artist about a specific piece of their work, who would you choose and what would you ask? Genevieve’s response caught our eye for digging deeper into an often overlooked painter’s body of work.

Here’s her winning essay:
I always wanted to ask Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, a French Impressionist painter, about his subject choice. At a time when prostitution was looked down upon, a man of wealth and social status as himself painted in brothels more than anywhere else in Paris. What did he see in them?

Here’s a bit more about our winner:
I like to think of this as my eternal status: [ Genevieve Morton] wishes to tell you something remarkably deep and beautiful, to give you some simple words with extrordinary impact, to tell you something shes always wanted you to know, that will change your life today.

Here’s a few of our favorite runners up:

If given the opportunity, I would enjoy asking my favorite music producer, Quincy Jones, a question. I would inquire of him, how did he keep his creativity free from patterns and confinement? I believe creativity is unlimited, and Quincy Jones is an example of that. -Anthony C.

If I could ask one person one question, it would have to be directed to Robert Frost concerning his poem “The Road Not Taken.” I would like to ask him what road he was crossing at the time he wrote this, and how the present version of himself believes his choice worked out. -Megan R.

I would ask Oscar Wilde about his novel “A Picture of Dorian Gray.” I would ask him whether Dorian’s wish for the portrait at the beginning to be less than perfect represents humanity’s desire for the imperfect because we are unable to achieve. -Elisabeth L.

Genevieve scored some serious loot and so can you! Apply for our Weekly “Three Sentence Essay” Scholarship and you could earn a $1,000 towards your college tuition costs. Drop some knowledge, fill out the application, and send it off—it’s the easiest grand you’ll ever earn.

Congratulations to Catherine Mitchell, our latest Double Your Money Winner! Catherine successfully applied for and won the Burger King Scholars Award for $1,000, and because she found and applied for this scholarship on Zinch, we are staying true to our word and matching it.

We asked Catherine a couple questions about herself and this is what she had to share.

What is your strategy behind applying for scholarships?
I keep on top of deadlines and work on scholarships even if their deadlines are months away because those deadlines always arrive sooner than expected.

How are you more than a test score?
A test score, a simple number, will never be able to describe my personality and determination. It does not explain the number of sleepless nights I have had while working to pay for my food, clothes, and school supplies. A test score will never be able to reflect my passion for serving my global community. I am so much more than a number on a paper. It is my struggles, achievements, challenges, and successes that have made me who I am today. I am more than a test score.

Isn’t it great that Catherine can now walk away with $2,000 all because she found and applied for a scholarship through Zinch? Are you going to be our next Double Your Money winner? Make sure that don’t miss out on your big chance—read all the details here.

Congratulations to our latest Double Your Money winner, Ryan Humble! Ryan won the Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship for $1,000, and because he found and applied for it on Zinch, we’re matching that one thousand bucks dollar for dollar.

As usual we wanted to hear from Ryan what his strategy is for finding and applying for scholarships as well as learn a little more about him. Check out what he had to say.

What is your strategy behind applying for scholarships? Carefully reviewing the requirements, gauging if I have enough of the right things that the scholarship is looking for, then filling out the form completely. Community service and volunteer activities really seem to be the key for me.

How are you more than a test score? Many of these scholarships really want a total person. My volunteer and charity activities mean a lot to me as I get a great deal of satisfaction in helping others. It is an honor to win any scholarship. ALWAYS write a thank you note when you win!

If you think it must be too good to be true that Zinch would actually pay you the exact amount that you have just won from another scholarship provider then go find out the truth for yourself on our scholarship search page. There you can find all details on how you can double your money too!

Congratulations to Megan Blissick, our Student Athlete Scholarship winner! For her hard work in the classroom—and on the track and field—Megan has earned herself a $500 scholarship; we wanted to get to know our latest winner a little better, and here’s what she had to share.

How has being an athlete pushed you to succeed as a student?

If you looked at just the numbers, I’m no stand-out student. Caucasian female, 3.77 GPA, 2210 SAT. Thousands of other students are out there with the same or better numbers than me. However, if you spent just one day with me, you’d realize that there aren’t enough numbers to sum up my life. I’m a choral running geek that takes pictures, models in the fashion show, tutors after school, and participates in math league competitions. I run year around, and love every minute of it. Places like Zinch take the time to commend students for not being test scores, but for being real people.

Megan scored some extra college funds and you can too! Visit our scholarship search to land some dough towards your education.