Hello everyone!
Our application due date for our 2020-2021 Scholarships and Fellowships is approaching! Applications will close at midnight on May 1st, 2020. You can view and apply for our scholarships and fellowships at: https://labor.washington.edu/scholarships-and-prizes
Award Recipient Feature!: Rhiannon Rasaretnam
Rhiannon Rasaretnam speaking at the March for Our Lives gun control rally in 2018 following the mass shooting at Parkland.
The daughter of two immigrants, Rhiannon is an inspiring young activist. In her junior year of high school, she founded a club called Activists for Change which focused on providing a safe discussion space for students to talk about current events while also advocating for fair and respectful policies in their school. In 2018 she helped organize the March for Our Lives in Seattle and used the event to not only draw attention to the horrors of mass shootings in schools and on campuses but also to address the everyday gun violence that some communities of color face. She has also worked with the labor movement in Seattle principally through the Union Summer internship with the Washington State Labor Council. While at the University of Washington one of Rhiannon’s goals is to challenge the University’s investment in prisons through their contracts with correctional industries.
Rhiannon currently organizes with UW United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) and Huskies for Opportunities in Prison Education (HOPE).
How to Improve your Scholarship Application: Demonstrate an understanding of purpose/framework
The most well-received scholarship applications come from students who demonstrate an understanding of the purpose and framework of the scholarships (i.e. know exactly what you’re applying for, and the history of the award). This is especially relevant if you are applying for the Martha H. Duggan Fellowship in Labor Studies, the LERA/Bassett Scholarship in Labor Relations, or the Domingo Viernes Scholarship in Labor Studies. These scholarships have additional (optional) essay questions where you can elaborate in detail your connection to these particular awards - through the work you are engaged in and the connection you share with these people/organizations and their values. If there is another award that you share a strong connection with, that does not provide an optional essay response, feel free to express that in the “special considerations/additional information” section.