San Diego County Scholarship Program

Scholarship Sponsored by AFCEA San Diego Chapter

Here’s a clearer, teacher-friendly version of the scholarship announcement. I’ve organized it so you can read the eligibility rules, deadlines, and application checklist at a glance — and I added a few practical tips to help applicants submit a clean, on-time packet.

Overview
- The San Diego AFCEA Chapter awards three scholarships of $2,000 per year. Each scholarship is renewable annually for up to four years, for a maximum award of $8,000 total (undergraduate study).
- Each $2,000 scholarship is awarded to one competitively selected student who will attend an accredited four-year college or university in the United States.
- Scholarship recipients should demonstrate strong academics, leadership, extracurricular involvement, and community volunteer service.

Important dates and contact
- Application deadline (email): June 3, 2024. Applications received after this date will not be considered.
- Selection notifications: by July 15, 2024.
- Checks distributed: by August 14, 2024.
- Submit your completed application (one PDF file) by email to: Gloria McKearney, Scholarship Chair — gloria.mckearney2@gmail.com

Eligibility (read carefully)
- U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident.
- Resident of San Diego County.
- High school senior (note: for the AFCEAN-Dependent scholarship, a full-time college student may apply).
- Planning to attend (and eventually enroll in) an accredited four-year college or university in the United States.
- Intending to major in a STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math).
- Record of leadership and community service in school, church, or the community.
- Cumulative unweighted GPA: the eligibility section of the application states 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale. (The first paragraph of the original text listed a 4.0 minimum — if your GPA is between 3.5 and 4.0 and you meet the other criteria, proceed with the application; if you’re unsure, confirm with the Scholarship Chair.)

Required application materials — submit as ONE single PDF
1. College/university acceptance letter.
2. Financial Aid Award letter from your chosen college/university.
3. SAT or ACT score report (single testing date). Many colleges are test-optional; test scores will be considered but are not required.
4. Current transcripts (may be unofficial — a copy or printout of an online transcript is acceptable). Include any college courses you are currently taking.
5. Letter of recommendation from someone who can speak to your leadership and community service (teacher, counselor, coach, research advisor, or school administrator).
6. List of other scholarships/awards you have received.
7. Essay (maximum 500 words) on this prompt: “How do you see your career in STEM making an impact on America’s workforce values and future?”

Submission instructions and tips
- Put everything into a single PDF file and email it to gloria.mckearney2@gmail.com by 11:59 PM on June 3, 2024.
- Make sure your packet is complete before you send it — you are responsible for the completeness and timeliness of your submission.
- Suggested file name and email subject to help reviewers: LastName_FirstName_AFCEA2024.pdf and “AFCEA Scholarship Application — LastName, FirstName.”
- Proofread your essay and have someone else read it, and confirm recommendation letters are signed or on official letterhead if possible.

Quick checklist before you hit send
- [ ] Acceptance letter included
- [ ] Financial aid award letter included
- [ ] SAT/ACT (if available) included
- [ ] Current transcript included
- [ ] Recommendation letter included
- [ ] List of scholarships/awards included
- [ ] 500-word essay included
- [ ] All documents combined into one PDF
- [ ] Email sent to Gloria McKearney by June 3, 2024

If you want, I can help you format the single PDF, review your essay, or draft a polite reminder email to a teacher for a recommendation.