O'Hagan Family Foundation Mentoring Young Lives Scholarship

Goals and Requirements

The O'Hagan Family Foundation Mentoring Young Lives Scholarship provides financial assistance to Wilkes Honors College students who demonstrate a commitment to service as mentors to young students in Palm Beach County.  The goal of this scholarship is to develop well-rounded, skilled, and committed individuals who are motivated to provide guidance and direction to young people in need  Preference will be given to applicants with financial need who demonstrate a commitment to community service and academic excellence.  These scholarships shall be awarded to students in good standing without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, or handicap. 

Scholarship recipients will be required to arrange to serve as a tutor or mentor and complete a minimum of 25 hours per semester (fall or spring) for each semester in which the scholarship is received. Awardees are also required to write a letter of appreciation to the benefactor of this program. 

 

Details of the Scholarship

Students who have completed at least one semester of study at the Wilkes Honors College may receive up to an additional $2,000 in scholarship funds over their existing WHC merit based scholarship, to be applied toward their tuition and fees. There are a limited number of scholarships available. The awards are distributed during the fall and/or spring terms. 

Applications submitted by the deadline must indicate interest in a full year or one term of participation. 

 

Responsibilities of the Recipients

Each recipient of the scholarship will serve a minimum of fifty hours (annually) of active mentorship with students/youth in Palm Beach County.  The time commitment is extended over the designated academic terms and may include such activities as discussing topics of interest with the children, academic project support, assisting with homework assignments in appropriate ways, reading, and similar constructive activities in conjunction with a mentoring plan. 

Students will arrange to be a tutor or work with youth and provide their own transportation. The Honors College can provide assistance in finding a mentorship opportunity. Contact for assistance in finding an opportunity: Dr. Tim Steigenga.

Qualifications and Guidelines for Applications

  • Be a full-time Wilkes Honors College student in good standing who has completed at least one semester at the Wilkes Honors College at the time of application and be at the sophomore level or higher. Preference will be given to students with financial need who demonstrate a commitment to community service and academic excellence.

  • Provide evidence of a commitment to community service

  • Achieve and maintain a cumulative Wilkes Honors College GPA of 3.0 or above

  • Submit scholarship application materials (see below) to the selection committee by the deadline

  • Complete all screening processes and background checks required for contact with school children by the State of Florida and/or the selected school if applicable

Application Requirements:

  • A brief (not to exceed 300 words) cover letter detailing your proposed mentorship activity with students/youth in Palm Beach County, and your interest in service as a mentor. If you do not have a specific mentorship activity in mind you can indicate that you will want the Honors College to place you in a mentorship activity.

  • At least one letter of recommendation that addresses the candidate's suitability to serve as a mentor.

  • A resume detailing community service, employment history, academic achievements, skills and interests, and honors and awards. Resume must have up-to-date contact information (mailing address, phone, email) and should be no longer than 2 pages.

  • Optional: two-page (maximum) document explaining special circumstances or financial need

 

Please email or hand-deliver your complete application to:

O'Hagan Scholarship Committee c/o Dr. Timothy Steigenga

FAU Wilkes Honors College 

HC 112

5353 Parkside Drive

Jupiter, FL 33458

tsteigen@fau.edu