We’re so proud to offer such a wide variety of scholarships, especially those outside of the realm of academia. Here is a spotlight on Sarah Govender, an outstanding scholar from Marshall University who saw how a small change in her community can make a massive difference.
Food. Clothing. Shelter. These are the true basic necessities we all need for survival, while it’s easy to forget in the age of the iPhone. Children, especially those attending school, need proper nutritional fuel to thrive & learn. Imagine the stress of not just school, but wondering where food, clothing & shelter will be each day. This question plagued Sarah Govender, an NSCS member from Marshall University. Sarah created a plan to she feels will enrich the lives of children in homeless shelters & used that plan to apply to the NSCS Engaging Race Award.
There are countless, wonderful organization who’s mission it is to take care of American’s homeless youth- Sarah wants to expand those. She tells us that “there are some experiences homeless kids do not get to experience. A birthday party is one of those experiences. I personally cherish the memories of my parties when I was younger. I think it is important for these kids to experience a birthday party, at least once as a child”. Sarah’s creation is birthday celebrations for children at the homeless shelter will bring so much extra job to their lives. Sarah currently works with the local city mission which presents annual Halloween costumer drives, as well as Halloween and Easter parties, and an Easter egg hunt. Adding birthday parties to this group of events will allow the children to experience something more personal. She has further plans that incorporate holiday parties with Santa, tutoring services, and day trips into the current program.
These kind of innovative efforts are what we at NSCS pride our students on & are thrilled to offer the funding to maintain their vision. NSCS offers $10,000 total in scholarships for members to fund a service project. Engaging Race students are eligible for this exciting scholarship through presenting a creative pitch for their own original, service initiative.
In order to measure success, Sarah is “looking for a huge smile on these kids’ faces that will tell us that we have done something great and given these children an everlasting memory”. This is a great way to measure accomplishment as Sarah’s efforts will impact these children’s’ lives more than she knows!
Sarah cannot wait to being implementing her plan through working with the local city mission and shelters. We cannot wait to hear about the celebrations!
To apply for The Engaging Race Award & all other open NSCS scholarships, please click here.