There are 19,354 cities in the United States, according to the U.S Census Bureau. Of those cities, there are only twenty-two cities that have women with higher paying jobs than men, according to The Huffington Post.
One reason students go college is in hopes of pursuing a promising career. Specialized scholarships can help facilitate that and are widely provided in most academic systems. The 1,000 Dreams scholarship “provides one-time educational assistance for currently enrolled high school or college-aged women,” according to 1000dreamsfund.org. This includes assistance for needs including but not exclusive to: educational conferences, instructional programs related to creative or artistic pursuits, graduate exam application fees, textbooks and tuition.
Founder of the scholarship Christie Garton was inspired by her own life-changing extracurricular experiences she had in college, according to PRNewswire.com. Garton said the the scholarship will “level the playing field” in having more young women reach their awe-inspiring dreams.
Plattsburgh State English and Theatre Department Professor Julia Devine writes grants for PSUC and thought the scholarship would be beneficial for women.
“It looks like a great opportunity,” Devine said. “I would encourage eligible students at SUNY Plattsburgh to apply. It’s a chance to win $1,000 to help young women achieve their dreams. Not many opportunities like this exist. Go for it and apply.”
Devine said to tell a good story in an engaging and positive manner when applying for scholarships. She also said students should be specific on why they need the funds in the first place.
“I think it’s a good opportunity. It’s not like college is getting cheaper anymore. Personally, it’s a bit harder for me, because I don’t know the statistics,” PSUC English major Tyler Monacchio said. “In all fairness, guys have had education longer, so I figure it’s more than fair and there are plenty of other scholarships if people are really willing to look.”
According to a study by the American Association of University Women, women typically struggle with paying off loan debt because men and women aren’t paid the same amount for the same job. In the study, 53 percent of women compared with 39 percent of men were paying more than what a typical woman or man could reasonably afford to pay toward student loan debt.
“Shouldn’t we be both paid the same? If that’s not going to change, at least make it easier to pay off debts in other ways. Loans will definitely bring down you opportunities right from the start,” Monacchio said.
PSUC President for the Center for Womyn’s Concerns Steffaney Wilcox said the fund was an excellent idea.
“It’s already hard for women to go to college because they are considered a minority and because they are not always told they can go into programs, like STEM,” Wilcox said. “Now it’s on the upswing, but it hasn’t been that long since women didn’t go to college.”
Women fill close to half of all jobs in the U.S. economy, but they hold less than 25 percent of STEM jobs, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Wilcox was fascinated with the idea that the 1,000 Dreams Scholarship could not only go toward tuition, but trips, electronics, as well as the other fundamentals included in education. After seeing the benefits of the scholarship, Wilcox said she would apply for the scholarship herself.
Women who are attending high school, or a two-year or four-year college or university in the United States are eligible for assistance. The students must also demonstrate financial need. To apply, students must have at least one or two letters of recommendation and an essay explaining how the grant would be used.
If you’re interested in applying, check out: www.1000dreamsfund.org.
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