Scholars are spread out. I go to a pretty unimpressive generic state school, and there are 4 scholars here with me. Many other local scholars stay close to home. JKCF is about non-trad students, many of whom have families, small children and local connections, and leaving home for some Ivy League institution is not and never was an option.
JKCF is not about going Ivy League. It’s not about needing to be pre-med, pre-law or any “prestigious” major. It’s not about being a traditional cookie-cutter honors student. They are not investing in a school or major. They are simply investing in people. Going to a school is not as important as the REASON you go to the school. In your explanation, if you state “I selected Harvard because it’s the best,” it’s not nearly as compelling as “I chose this mid-tier school because they have an amazing creative writing program that caters to screenwriting” or “I chose this crappy state school because they work with the Atlanta Children’s hospital, which is the only children’s hospital in the country with a progeria specialist, a disease I am passionate about learning to treat,” or “I selected the local state school down the street because it is only 10 miles from my daughter’s school and will allow me to stay close to her.” I was also afraid going to a low-rated school would hurt me, but it was the best option for me at the time, and JKCF was cool with that.
In terms of the 2015 wait, my complaint last year (as we were told Mid-March and I only found out at the end of April) was that the website FAQ ought to be updated or status communicated. Remember, last year there were no semi-finalist announcements, EVERYONE waited until the end of April for results. So this year is definitely an improvement as most applicants were allowed to move on with their lives and not hedge their bets by receiving an early rejection notice.
I think no promise/status of anticipated date at this point means JKCF is not treating your future lightly. They are agonizing over their decisions knowing the impact of the outcome. They don’t want to force themselves to cast aside any student without really trying to get a full understanding of their status and potential. It’s easy to be frustrated, but instead be grateful that a group is so willing to endure 3467543 calls a day and take their time to make the best decisions possible.
Most of you seem to have told a compelling story and talked about yourselves much more openly than I have. I sit here reading this thread day after day thinking about how many people that were rejected that were probably more deserving than I am. I’m not trying to be self self-deprecating here but I’ll be honest I am probably the biggest POS here, or at least I was at one point in my life. So I’m going to talk about myself a little just to get things off my chest and because sometimes it feels good to not be so confidential.
I just recently looked back at my high school GPA, which I hadn’t paid attention to back then. It was around 2.7 something. I was more concerned with skateboarding and getting messed up back then. I never even considered taking the SATs or the ACTs.
After high school I continued to drink until drinking stopped me by way of a fatal motor vehicle collision. My stupidity took another person’s life. Something for which there is no way to repay your debt to society. I was sentenced to 9 years in prison of which I served just under 8 and the rest was on parole. I was actually still in parole while I applied for this scholarship.
Anyways while still incarcerated I heard of a program to train low risk inmates to become wildland firefighters. I didn’t qualify because of the severity of my crime, but I did not let that deter me. I knew it was what I had to do because the only way I see to make up for what I did is to become someone who can make a difference. I was so persistent that the prison system changed the wording of their rules to allow me to be in the program. I worked full time doing forestry and firefighting for basically nothing for almost 3 years before I was released from prison. Once I got out I immediately signed up for FAFSA and the local community college and here I am.
Of course this was the majority of scholarship essays. I basically have no story other than how I was a fraking idiot and now I’m trying harder. So if you ever think to yourself “I’m not really qualified for this scholarship,” or “why did they choose me,” just remember that your doing much better than I ever did (probably, I don’t know all of your stories) and you most definitely deserve this more than I do. Don’t get me wrong I’ll take the money and put it to good use but the whole time I’ll be thinking if it would have been better in another’s hands.
As for waiting to hear the announcement for the scholarship, if there is one thing I have learned over the years it is how to be patient. Nothing at this point will make much difference with the scholarship. I’m also pretty relaxed because I already accepted NAU and signed up for classes in the Fall. Most of it is already covered and the rest I will figure out if I don’t get the JKC scholarship. If you would like to purchase the full text of my stupid life story it is available in most (none) Barnes and noble locations.
Dude, that’s a great story - don’t sell yourself short. We have all been through problems of all sizes, dragged through copious amounts of manure, and been in situations where we should’ve given up. Self-inflicting or not, we have all overcome something. There is nobody here that deserves anything more than anybody else. That’s just not how this world works. If anything, I would argue you have two of the biggest challenges to overcome:
Your past self (emotionally)
The direction of your future (there is no greater obstacle than finding success while being labeled as a felon)
And it seems like you’re doing fine in both ends. You have my respect and, if all the stories written about here were a level in a video game, yours would be the final boss.
Anyways, I did like what you said about how you’ll “figure it out” if you don’t win the scholarship. I think it’s important that all of us note that it’s not the end of the world if we aren’t selected. There are other ways to pay for school. Yes, loans suck, but it will at least give you the option to do accomplish what you set out to do.
Also, @astrojess, there are better ways to write what you meant to. Yes, you are absolutely correct. But the tone of that paragraph is incredibly condescending and pretentious. Just saying. (Couldn’t hold my tongue any longer, sorry.)
@ForestryGuy, let me know if you need a ghostwriter/business partner. Not only will I help you write “The Epic of A Dude Named Forestry,” but I’ll also lobby to get us in every 7-11 AND Chipotles in America.
@ForestryGuy everything @Jouuuu said - and - one of the things I did for the last couple of years is work with prisoners. Don’t sell yourself short, for reasons only you know you did what you did. Drinking from what I have seen, is never a sign of being undeserving but perhaps an underlying belief that you are. We are all dealt different cards and some of us fall into those behaviors because we have no support at all. So for you to have accomplished all of that says a lot about you.
I think for a lot of us, even while seeing how hard working we are - we still want that validation from the bigger forces (jkc) - it’s hurtful not to get it. But you’re not a POS - just wanted to say that. Coming from someone who has talked to thousands of prisoners - you’re probably more courageous than you will ever know.
I honestly believe that since I didn’t get the emails I’m out. So for now I just want yo support the rest of you and see how this all plays out. For me this has been painful but also a gift in giving up control over things out of my hands. Emotional Olympics?
@Jouuuu I agree about the tone thing. I think we all are anxious and even people who reprimand others - are dealing with their anxiety - but in that way. This is hard.
@ForestryGuy believe me, you wouldn’t be the first scholar that made a mistake or spent time. the foundation should invest in your education and continue to support students like you that are positioned in closed margins, who have very limited access to power and social capital. this scholarship is about comparing excellence with opportunity, and closing the gap between them. the bigger the gap, the more need there is for organizations like JKCF to intervene on your behalf.
i’m rooting for you. i can think of a few scholars with similar backgrounds to yours that have enriched our community and their campuses, whose commitments to higher ed are beyond compare.
that said… uh, i need a joke to offset this seriousness like uh, any good puns?
Hello guys, I have been thinking on the delays that the foundation have been having during the last weeks and how the deadlines for schools are approaching. Regarding myself, what I did was to make the deposit for my third choice school, and now I’m waiting to see the results from JKC. I know that some of you may find some objections to this; however, if I end up being accepted to my first choice, and I go there is because ,in part, I got a positive result from the foundation ,in which case, the money from my deposit to my third choice school would seem as a fair sacrifice.
The best thing I can advise you right now is to secure or ask from an extension from your schools given the fact that final notifications don’t seem to be any close.
@optimisticky That’s actually the only reason I really applied for this scholarship is because I had looked up instances of ex-felons being awarded it in the past.
No pun but this one always cracks me up
“I asked a librarian if they had a book on Pavlov’s dog and Schrödinger’s cat. She said that it rang a bell but she didn’t know if it was there or not.”
You also have to imagine that stupid smiling meme dog with a stuffed animal telling it. That really helps.
@ForestryGuy I have a profound degree of respect and scholarly admiration for you. People like you are seriously gonna have cataclysmic impact on this world for the better. Keep up the legitimate work and keeping this thread alive!
I called the foundation this morning even though some of you think it makes us look bad. I asked if not receiving the transcript update email means I’m out. The rep said “not necessarily” and that if I don’t get any emails from JKC by the end of this week “definitely give us a call”.
Not sure what the email would be about and if I should even expect one by the end of the week. Or if “not necessarily” is good.
Nonetheless we had a pleasant conversation and he didn’t seem to be bothered by the call, especially after explaining my situation. He even advised me to call again. So here’s that.
@ForestryGuy i can’t tell you how many times i’ve heard that one. i mean, my facebook feed is populated by science dweebs who loooovee shrodinger jokes.
i hope you all hear decisions very soon and never have to endure another group project for the rest of your lives!
@szafir I also called in the morning and the female rep. told me it’s not a bother to call, that’s what they are for. I ask if a semi-finalist didn’t receive yesterday’s e-mail asking for an update on transcripts and school’s acceptances. did it mean that those students who did not receive it are out. She told me that it does not mean your out they are just reaching for people to clear some information.
@XennyX unfortunately it was not my pun, I just used it without proper citation.
I also received a reply to my email on the question of whether already accepting a school means you are out and it does not. @optimisticky was correct and I will never doubt him/her (swol girl?) again. Unless of course you really are illuminati in which case I will question every aspect of your existence.
@ForestryGuy if you could please share what the responds of the e-mail said if it’s not nothing personal. I believe those who did not received it would appreciate
Hey guys, I have been stalking the post like everyone else. For the recent inquiry about the latest email, I emailed JKCF and here’s the response:
“This is email is to ask for more info regarding grades. This is email was sent to the students who either participated in fall classes and didnt have the grades available or to students who may have finished courses and now have higher grades than previous. If you received the email then you will need to respond to it with the asked information.”
after that, I asked her if I can send JKCF the information even though I didn’t received the email. Her response is, “Sure that would be fine”.
That seems a bit silly. Didn’t we all participate in fall classes and have either completed/about to complete said classes that will affect our grades? If that was really the case, shouldn’t every semifinalist get that email?
Hey guys. I figured I should get back on here and clarify. I was reacting to a message someone wrote on here (can’t remember who) who was also bringing up the barrage of phone calls. I wasn’t saying that IIIII think it seems entitled, I was saying it could be viewed as entitled. I’m personally tired of this rhetoric calling us all lazy and entitled. It’s BS. We are the future of this country and to lump us all in one category, “entitled”, is just ridiculous. I just don’t want us to come off that way because someone else thinks that. I’ve mentioned all of the new news I get from here and the people around me at school have been saying that everyone needs to stop bothering them. So that’s where all of that was coming from.
Glad to hear though that they accept people from all universities. I’ll be attending UCLA in the fall, which is a great school, but def not Ivy League or anything. Especially because I wrote Columbia as my top choice and I didn’t end up even applying there.
@ForestryGuy don’t get down on yourself for your past. Sounds like you were young. Definitely commend you on your honesty. I have some stuff too in my past and I’ve always looked back on this quote and used it in all of my essays, “Sometimes the wrong choices, bring us to the right places.”