Head shot photo of Abigail Mosqueda. Photo taken by Ariana Guzman, ’27.
For five and a half years, Abigail Mosqueda has been the College and Career coach at South Salem High School. As a College and Career coach, the main focus of her job is to help students in their post-secondary plans.
Looking for and applying to scholarships, Mosqueda advises students to apply to as many scholarships as possible, as there is no limit, as well as reuse essays for other scholarships.
“Students can always go to the ‘College and Career Center’ website,” Mosqueda said.
Narrowing Down the Scholarship Search
When applying for scholarships, some will have people write an essay on a certain topic. When coming up with that topic, Mosqueda advises students to think about the bigger or more impactful moments that have happened in their lives.
“Think about what you are passionate about, what interests you or what has impacted you. The essays are so the reader can know more about you. Do not just pick a topic because you think they want to hear about that,” Mosqueda said.
When it comes to applying for scholarships, students may come across essay-based ones. The committee will have a certain topic that the scholar will need to write about in order to be fully eligible for the scholarship. With this, people can find it challenging to narrow it down to one specific topic or event in their lives to write about.
“Narrow it down to two or three topics, and then start creating bullet points on things you would talk about for each topic. By seeing the lists side by side, you can see what you would have more to talk about. Always have someone proofread and edit your essay,” Mosqueda said.
Mrs. Woodall
Taya Woodall has been teaching for six years, teaching World Social Studies, Sociology and AVID.
“It has been so fun to be able to loop with my AVID students, meaning that we are together all four years of their high school experience,” Woodall said.
With teaching AVID, Mrs. Woodall gets students ready for life outside of high school. Teaching them how to manage time, how to make a resume, apply to college as well as how to find scholarships and how to apply.
“I would suggest starting early and staying organized. Be sure to make a spreadsheet or checklist to keep track of deadlines, requirements, and essays. Definitely do not wait until senior year to get started; there are a lot of scholarships that open up sooner than students realize. Most importantly, believe that you are scholarship worthy! There is money out there for students of all backgrounds, interests, and experiences,” Woodall said
Best Places to Find Scholarships
When finding scholarships, students may not know what to look out for to know if it is a reliable and real scholarship.
“Students should be cautious of any website that asks for payment or credit card information, or if they promise a guaranteed scholarship. You should never have to pay to apply for a scholarship. I would suggest sticking with well-known, school-recommended, or verified non-profit websites. If there is any doubt, check with a counselor, the college and career specialist, or an AVID teacher,” Woodall said.
Some trusted, easy-to-use sites include fastweb.com, goingmerry.com, scholarships.com, BigFuture.com (College Board), and cappex.com. Students can also look into local community organizations. With those organizations, there is a larger chance of winning because there are fewer applicants.
“There are thousands, millions probably, of scholarships that are out there. I would suggest looking at scholarships that best fit you! Look for scholarships that align with your interests or career goals, background or heritage, extracurricular involvement, and/or community service or leadership experiences,” Woodall said.
Writing Based Scholarships – How do they help?
Writing an essay-based scholarship, the writer should try not to hold back on being themselves. When scholarship committees are reading the essays, they are trying to learn who the writer is, what they have done and what they would bring to their community
“When it comes to writing a scholarship essay, the first thing I would suggest is to be yourself! Write using your authentic voice and do not try to sound overly formal. Be sure to answer the prompt clearly and adhere to the word count they give you. Students should also show growth. Scholarship readers love to see how you have learned from challenges or experiences. Proofreading is incredibly important, too! Have a teacher, peer or mentor read your essay before you submit it. Finally, find your ‘why’, your story, and get comfortable with it. Be sure to evoke some emotion. Make your reader laugh, cry…feel something for them to remember you by,” Woodall said.
Highlighting the importance and impacts that students go through can help move the reader and help them understand the person the writer is.
“Students should think about the moments that shaped who they are, big or small. Some good ‘go to’ prompts to answer include: When was a time I overcame something difficult?, What am I most proud of?, or What have I learned about myself from a challenge, success, or experience? Do not overlook the little things! Sometimes, everyday stories like helping a family member, volunteering, or balancing work and school show a lot of growth and character,” Woodall said.
