Students benefit from grad-led Hollings Scholarship info sessions
Benefitting from a series of in-person information sessions geared towards helping students apply for the NOAA Hollings Scholarship Program, we’re happy to announce that multiple UW students from the College of the Environment have been granted the award this year.
Marine Biology students Jenna Callan and Kathryn Whitmer, Oceanography student Annabel Wade, and Atmospheric Sciences student Vlad Munteanu, are some of the 120 students who were awarded the Hollings Scholarship this year from thousands of applicants nationwide. The scholarship includes academic assistance for two years of full-time study and a 10-week internship at a NOAA facility during the summer, aiming to increase undergraduate training in oceanic and atmospheric science.
The information sessions, held for the first time in 2022 by SAFS graduate students and former Hollings Scholars, Markus Min and Emily Bishop, were crucial in providing information, insight, guidance, and assistance to undergraduates. Recorded and hosted online, students were also able to benefit virtually if they couldn’t attend in person, and reference in the future when working on their applications.
“The graduate students’ help was invaluable. Their tips and guidance were key to making major improvements to my application and getting accepted! Liz, Zoe, Markus, and Emily gave me great essay feedback based on their extensive experiences, and I couldn’t be more grateful for their time and attention.” – Annabel Wade (UW Oceanography)
Taking place in four parts, these in-depth workshops are an important way in which the Marine Biology and SAFS community come together to provide guidance and support for students interested in enhancing their academic journey.
Beginning in November and running until January, the series included:
- Explaining what the Scholarship is, how to apply, and a Q&A with current Hollings scholars
- Application tips and best practices for essay writing
- Mentoring partnerships with grad students to review and edit application essays
“The information sessions greatly helped me in writing my essay, answering general questions I had about the scholarship, and encouraging me to apply in the first place! With the Hollings scholarship, I look forward to learning and gaining experience in marine sciences. I am very grateful for everyone involved in the information sessions, especially the grad students who helped guide me when writing my essay.” Kathryn Whitmer (UW Marine Biology)
For all workshop participants, the focus extends beyond the Hollings Scholarship and builds on transferable skills such as resume writing, asking for letters of recommendation, and writing personal essays. All of these lessons are invaluable for students applying for other scholarships throughout their academic journeys and for their future careers.
“I feel that the information session with the grad students was extremely helpful in understanding what portions of my application for the Hollings Scholarship I could elaborate and what areas I may want to cut back since they may not have been as relevant. They helped me to focus my essay based on the experience they had with similar processes and it was beneficial to receive outside input on how they thought my application could be improved overall.” – Jenna Callan (UW Marine Biology)
As a first-time initiative in the 2022-2023 application period, the Hollings Scholarship information sessions will return this year in the fall to help the next round of UW applicants. Similar workshops for other scholarship programs are held during the year within the UW Marine Biology and SAFS community, such as the NSF GRFP workshop, now celebrating its 12th year and five awardees in 2023.