NE Campus students learned how to stay on track academically and prepare for upcoming scholarship season during the GoalKeeper Mindset Mondays workshop Nov. 17.
The session, led by NE instructor Janjura Williams, focused on checking students’ progress toward their academic goals while introducing strategies for finding and securing scholarships. Williams said the GoalKeeper series connects each event to the next so students repeatedly build the same core skills.
“Our previous event was Protect Your GPA, and this one was about asking, ‘Did you make it, and how do you know?’” Williams said. “From there, we roll right into scholarships because this is the season to start applying.”
Williams explained that many students are unaware of how early scholarship deadlines open or how many scholarships go unused each year. She encouraged students to apply even if they are unsure they will qualify.
“A lot of people don’t realize how many scholarships go untouched,” Williams said. “You just have to know what makes you different and be able to write about it.”
NE Campus student Mehrangiz Paiman, who is part of the Intercultural Network, said her experience applying for scholarships showed her how competitive the process can be.
“So many scholarships exist, but I didn’t get any of the ones I applied for,” Paiman said. “People always talk about certain scholarships, but they don’t work for everyone.”
Student Freddy Espinoza said financial pressure makes scholarships crucial, and balancing school and applications can be difficult.
“I understand the need for skill and experience, but sometimes I can’t subsidize my hours for an unpaid internship,” Espinoza said. “Scholarships make a huge difference for students who are trying to stay focused.”
Intercultural Network member Ronnie Warren, who has served on scholarship review boards, told students that strong personal writing plays a central role in winning awards.
“My first line has to hook them,” Warren said. “Somewhere in the letter, I always ask directly for the money and explain what I’ll use it for, and the rest is just telling my story.”
Warren also cautioned students not to rely on generative AI to write their scholarship essays.
“Educators on scholarship boards are looking hard for AI usage because they don’t want to give money to applications that aren’t authentic,” Warren said. “Ideas are fine, but the writing needs to be your own.”
Williams closed the session by urging students to prepare early, request recommendation letters weeks in advance and to check TCC’s scholarship listings regularly. She said the GoalKeeper events are designed to give students confidence both academically and financially as they move toward future semesters.
