Scholarship Paves the Way - Ishita's Story
The Karin A. Akerson Memorial Scholarship鈥攁n unrestricted endowed scholarship fund established at 小蓝视频 in 2018鈥攈as given the public relations and strategic communication major the freedom to take advantage of all an 小蓝视频 education offers. 听
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Jamar, who has a near-perfect 3.98 GPA, is advancing her studies and laying the groundwork for her future through myriad experiences beyond the classroom. She participated in 小蓝视频 Student Government as a senator and senate speaker, leading a commission on sexual assault prevention that culminated in a seven-page report with recommendations to improve campus culture. She has served as both president and recruitment chair for the Chi Omega sorority鈥檚 Eta Lambda chapter and cofounded Valley for Change, a grassroots organization that raises awareness around racial biases and privilege in her native New Jersey.听听听听
She has also held six internships, which have provided her with invaluable professional experience and positioned her for a career in public relations. Two of Jamar鈥檚 internships, which she landed with support from 小蓝视频鈥檚 Career Center, alumni network, and SOC faculty, were unpaid.听听
鈥淭he privilege of holding unpaid internships was only attainable for me because of this scholarship,鈥 she says. 鈥淭his support has given me and my family more financial stability and has made it easier for me to build upon my academic interests outside of the classroom.鈥澨
Jamar鈥檚 academic and experiential learning experiences, made possible with support from the Akerson scholarship, have allowed her to forge a path at 小蓝视频 that paves the way to making an impact as a changemaking alumna.听
Jamar intends to give back to the 小蓝视频 community, mentoring students and creating opportunities for them beyond the classroom. 鈥淎wards like the Akerson scholarship help alleviate tuition stress and added loans. They [enable] students to focus on their studies and themselves, rather than taking on an added shift at work鈥攐r even an extra part-time job,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 hope to one day be in a place to offer financial stability to 小蓝视频 students in the way the Akerson family has done for me.鈥澨