International Studies & Programs

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Mastercard Foundation Scholars Alumni educate prospective students on college application process and scholarships

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Published: Wednesday, 03 Nov 2021 Author: Global Youth Advancement Network

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On Saturday, October 16, 2021, The MSU Mastercard Foundation Scholars Alumni Association hosted a webinar to educate prospective African students on the college application process and available scholarship opportunities that can support their studies in North America.  The webinar, which is part of a series of give-back initiatives being planned by the association, was organized in collaboration with two Africa-based organizations, Star Leadership Academy and Young and Dynamic.  The former is a one-year program for academically gifted youth which aims to equip them with the tools to transform their communities, while the latter is an online platform that aims to develop leadership skills in young people, while building their knowledge and skills in entrepreneurship, advocacy and life skills. Both organizations helped provide many of the attendees with internet access to facilitate their participation.

Alumni advised attendees to begin their scholarship search early and to contact university admissions officers or financial aid officers to inquire about securing additional funding.
 

The webinar, which drew over 150 attendees across several countries in Africa, was moderated by the President of the MSU MCF Alumni Board, Claire Gapare and facilitated by three alumni of the MSU MCF Scholar’s program: Aminatou Seydou, a graduate student in International Development at Sciences Po, France, Mike Kamwana, Software Engineer at Microsoft, and Derrick Dwamena, graduate student in Bioethics and Science Policy at Duke University. During the session, Aminatou Seydou discussed how to choose schools, as well as the college application process in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom. She also advised attendees to apply to schools that meet their individual needs because, "the best schools might not be the best for you.” Derrick Dwamena described the scholarship process and shared a scholarship database. He advised attendees to begin their scholarship search early and to contact university admissions officers or financial aid officers to inquire about securing additional funding.  Mike Kamwana shared his personal application experience and offered to cover the cost of standardized testing of five participants. He urged them to engage in extracurricular activities to strengthen their applications. However, he cautioned against engaging in too many of them since  “by being the master of all trades, you risk being master of none.”

In her closing remarks, Claire Gapare announced the alumni association will provide college application assistance which will allow participants to meet with alumni scholars to get help with their essays or ask questions about the application process. View the presentation here and watch the video on our Facebook page. Thank you to our alumni association for staying engaged and sharing their knowledge!