Deadline: May 10, 2019
Patrick and Amelia Williams Opportunity Fund Guidelines
The Patrick and Amelia Williams Opportunity Fund was established by Junior Gaspard in 2018 in honor of his grandparents, Patrick and Amelia Williams, whose work ethic, determination, and expectation of excellence led to educational opportunities for multiple generations. The Patrick and Amelia Williams Opportunity Scholarship’sgoal is to provide opportunities to youth who have met obstacles but persevere despite these challenges and see educational pursuit as a means to achieving personal/professional success that can then be shared with the next generation.
Award Cycle: The Patrick and Amelia Williams Opportunity Fund will award two (2) scholarships per year at a maximum of $5,000 per award. Applications may be submitted to the Foundation beginning April 1 of each calendar year; applications must be submitted by May 10th. Applicants will receive notice by June 1 as to the status of their application. All applications are reviewed by the Foundation’s Grants Review Committee.
Qualifications: To qualify for a Patrick and Amelia Williams Opportunity Award, applicants must:
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✓ Reside on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
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✓ Be a senior in a St.Croix public high school or incoming freshman matriculating into college/university
from a public high school
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✓ Have attended a public junior high school on St. Croix
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✓ Provide proof of acceptance to an accredited college/university
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✓ Demonstrate specific, long-term goals and financial need
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✓ Indicate and maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale
Review Process: All applicants that satisfy the above requirements are considered with priority given to applications that demonstrate:
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✓ Meaningful community service/volunteering or work experience (reflected in letters of reference and personal statements)
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✓ Participation in extra-curricular activities (e.g. clubs, after-school programs, etc.) or description of socioeconomic circumstances that prevented the ability to join
Attachments: This completed application MUST INCLUDE (*clear copies acceptable):
_______ Birth or baptismal certificate
_______ High school and junior high school transcript/report card
_______ Acceptance letter to college/university
_______ Two letters of reference (one must be an academic reference; professional reference also preferred)
_______ Two (2) 500-word essays: (1) describing a time the applicant showed perseverance and overcame adversity and how this experience shaped the person he/she is today; and one (1) describing the greatest impacts
that obtaining a college/university degree will have on the applicant’s life
This completed application and all the above documentation should be mailed or delivered to:
St. Croix Foundation: Patrick and Amelia Williams Opportunity Fund 1023 Market, 2nd Floor
Christiansted, USVI 00820
For additional information, please contact the Foundation at 340-773-9898.
