The Woman’s Club of Medford Alice Mietz Annual Scholarship for female students in the 08055 zip code is open for applicants until March 20. The scholarship, in honor of Mietz, focuses on applicants who show service to their community.
Senior high school students were given the opportunity to apply for the Alice Mietz Scholarship at the beginning of February. This scholarship, named after one of the original members of The Woman’s Club of Medford Alice Mietz, focuses on service to one’s community.
Requirements for the scholarship include: applicants must be a female high school student residing in the 08055 zip code, must be pursuing a higher degree of learning (college or trade school) and must have at least a 2.8 GPA. An unofficial copy of their school transcript must be included along with a completed essay portion; the applicant’s name must not appear on the essay as voting is anonymous.
The Woman’s Club of Medford checks the applications for volunteer and school activities. They also analyze the response to the essay question: “Explain how your experience volunteering and participating in community service has shaped your perspective on humanity.”
The essay prompt this year relays a similar message as previous years, but with a different approach. Chair of the scholarship committee, Karen Monaghan, stated that the essay prompts do change according to what is going on during the year. The 2021 essay prompt focused on COVID, asking the applicants “What did you learn about yourself during this difficult pandemic period that you will carry forward throughout your life.”
Once the winner is decided, the student will receive the $1,000 scholarship and will be honored at an award ceremony at their school. The winner will also be recognized by the Woman’s Club of Medford on a separate occasion in which members of the club present the check to the student, who then reads their essay to everyone at the club’s induction ceremony in late Spring.
Monaghan mentioned how the scholarship accepts applicants who display all kinds of service, not just volunteering at their school.
“We want to try to get young women who really serve. Whatever that may be, that may even be service to their family, let’s say their parents are working and they have to provide childcare for the younger siblings,” she said.
To learn more about the scholarship, check with your local guidance counselors or visit https://medfordwomansclub.com/ or contact Karen Monaghan directly at kmonaghan5@comcast.net
