CHEROKEE CHAT: Scholarship Preparation 101

Before you ever actually apply for a scholarship, there is significant work to be done by the student and their family support group.

First, academics should be the focus of school and not sports or other extracurricular activity if it means sacrificing college prep coursework, a high grade point average and ACT and SAT scores.  Academic results bring guaranteed scholarship dollars in many cases not to mention access to better institutions of higher learning.

Second, have your student learn how to complete forms themselves, write essays, practice reading comprehension which includes following instructions on written forms and learn basic research skills.  If the parent or grandparent is completing applications for the student, the student is not learning necessary skills for college or the workforce.  You do not want to work with the person whose parents did their homework for them.  Right?

Build a solid network of professionals who are not family.  Engage in paid or volunteer work experiences with this professional network, so you have a number of individuals who can write you great recommendation letters when you need them your Senior year of High School or even before Senior year.

Practice interviewing skills before you need them including answering a phone professionally, creating an adult voice mail minus the rap music, writing old school business letter formats in emails, communication etiquette, habitual hand-written thank you notes and cleaning up your social media as if it was the front page of the newspaper.

Draft a resume.  Determine what areas need work and begin gaining experiences in the areas where you are weak or have opportunity to be stronger.  Every month, update your resume and add to it as you accomplish things and before you forget details.  Create a running resume with all activities, results and more, so you can quickly tailor a shorter resume to the specific opportunity.  One page is still key.

If you are unable to make it to the Rogers County Building at 416 South Brady in Claremore on November 1st from 1pm to 4pm, please email me for the handouts.  Facebook messages, phone calls and text messages are not email.

To receive daily scholarship opportunities by email, email Cara your name, city and state at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and asked to be added to the OPC AISES listserv.

To receive Cherokee Nation daily news and event information by email, email Cara your name, city and state at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ask to be added to the Cherokee Nation News listserv.

If you have questions, issues or concerns about the Cherokee Nation government, please email me at  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or write me at P.O. Box 2922, Claremore, OK 74018. 

For daily news and event notices, ask to be added to my Cherokee Nation News and Events email listserv.  You may, also, find me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google+ and Twitter.  Lee Keener is at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

To contact the Tribe, call (918) 453-5000 or visit www.cherokee.org.

Cara Cowan Watts is an elected Tribal legislator within the Cherokee Nation for portions of Rogers and Tulsa Counties.

 

Cara Cowan Watts

caracowan.com

 

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