Welcome Back!
Hello everyone! I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday, and are excited to begin the second semester! I had a nice and restful break, and I am now back in the office ready to hear all about the exciting NSCS events that are going on for the rest of the year. Here are some important upcoming events that you should all be aware of as we enter the new year. Don’t come back from break and forget about upcoming deadlines, and be sure to take advantage of the wonderful NSCS opportunities that we have to offer!
NSCS Exemplary Scholar Award (deadline January 6)
NSCS Inspire Integrity Award Nominations (deadline January 15)
NSCS- Ernst and Young Book Scholarship (deadline January 31)
NSCS Scholar Abroad Summer 2008 (deadline February 15)
NSCS Scholar at Sea Summer 2008 (deadline February 15)
Geico Achievement Award (deadlineFebruary 15)
Go to: (http://www.nscs.org/scholarships/index.cfm) for more information about each of these great opportunities.
Thurgood Marshall Academy: Winter Performance!
I was very lucky to have the chance to attend the Winter Performance at Thurgood Marshall Academy in Anacostia area of Washington DC this Monday night. The academy is a public charter school that is focused on challenging students in the Anacostia neighborhood to succeed in high school and go on to college. It is a beautiful school, and their staff seems very dedicated to putting in the extra effort and providing students with resources to succeed that they would not be receiving at other public schools. The Winter Performance was great! There were three acts: music dance, and theatre. The first was a performance of “Fallin” by Alicia Keys, which was put on by a small student band and two vocalists. The next was a step performance by the TMA dance team, and the third was a TMA- interpreted dramatization of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”. The entire show was great- the students were incredible talented and had obviously put in a ton of work. I had a great time and would love to visit the school more- it seems like a great place to volunteer and get involved! Here’s the website if you’d like to learn more:
www.thurgoodmarshallacademy.org
NSCS Benefit of the Week: Ernst and Young Book Scholarship!
Hello NSCS Members!
I hope you all had a great weekend and are ready for the holidays! I have some exciting information for you on how you could win a scholarship to help defray the cost of books for the Spring Semester. Here’s the info! Good luck!
NSCS-Ernst & Young Book Scholarship (Spring Semester)
NSCS Employer Partner Ernst & Young will award five book scholarships for the spring semester
(3) $250.00 Awards
Open to all NSCS members working towards an undergraduate degree
(2) $500.00 Awards
Open to NSCS members working towards an undergraduate or M.S. degree in accounting or business.
Scholarships will be awarded based on the response to several short-answer questions
Deadline Thursday January 31, 2008.
Requirements (Applicants must meet these requirements to be considered)
- You must be an active NSCS member
- The award money can only be used for the spring 2008 semester
General Scholarship – (3) $250 awards
- This is open to all NSCS members working towards an undergraduate degree
Accounting Scholarship – (2) $500 awards
- You must be working towards an undergraduate or MS in accounting or business
How to apply for the NSCS-Ernst & Young Book Scholarship ( Spring Semester)
Log in to access the NSCS-Ernst & Young Book Scholarship. When completed, please mail the application form to:
The National Society of Collegiate Scholars
NSCS-Ernst & Young Book Scholarship
11 Dupont Circle NW
Suite 650
Washington DC 20036
Deadlines
- Application opens Saturday December 15, 2007
- Application is closed Thursday January 31, 2008
- Winner is announced Friday February 15, 2008
NSCS Staff Party!
The NSCS staff loves to celebrate, so with the holiday season upon us, we headed to Lucky Strike in D.C. for some bowling, food, and gift giving. We had a great time bowling (some of us got a bit competitive). I experienced a little bit of beginners luck withe my first game, but it wore off very quickly in the second and third. We had some real winners among the group, though! It was very nice to relax and have fun with each other since we don’t get a chance to spend much time together outside of the office.
After the bowling, we played a gift- exchange game (the one where you pick numbers and get to steal the gifts you want). I ended up with a gift card to Subway, so I felt pretty lucky. There were some pretty interesting gifts, including a dog- clothing knitting kit, a dancing stuffed animal, and a Hillary Clinton nutcracker. We have a creative staff.
I hope all of you NSCS members are doing well and are ready for a great break and holiday season!
A New York Weekend
This weekend, I got to visit New York City with my friend Kelly, who is visiting from Kansas! We took the Greyhound bus up on Saturday, and spent two days touring the sites! We went to Rockefeller Center, Times Square, Central Park, Ground Zero, Soho, and Chinatown. It was a very full two days, and we had a great time! I love New York, and it was especially beautiful with the holiday decorations! We got to see the huge Macy’s store and the skating rinks in Central Park and Rockefeller Center. We also met Ice-T ( rapper and Law and Order detective extraordinaire), and our photo went onto the jumbo- screen in Times Square! It was my five minutes of fame 
Lighting of the National Christmas Tree!
Last night, I had one of the most exciting experiences that I’ve had since moving to D.C. I went with several of my friends to the Lighting of the National Christmas tree at the White House! Fellow NSCS staff members Stephanie, Alicia, Arianna, and Phil along with one of my friends from the University of Kansas all headed out in the freezing cold weather to see the show. There were several musical performances and of course, a short speech by Mr. George Bush himself! It was very cool to finally see the President after searching for him for the several months that I have lived here! He rode over to the tree (the long block and a half) with his parade of secret service vehicles in tow, and he and Laura Bush lit the giant tree. It was such a once in a lifetime D.C. experience- I feel very lucky to have gone, depite the fact that I had to thaw out for several hours from sitting in the cold for so long! Here’s a picture of George (he looks very small):
More pictures to come soon!
NSCS Benefit of the Week: Exemplary Scholar Award!
Hey everyone!
If you are a member of The National Society of Collegiate Scholars, it is already clear that you’re a great student and leader. We are offering an award to those college students who stand out even among even the very impressive NSCS membership! It’s called the Exemplary Scholar Award, and all undergraduate, active members are invited to apply! So, I’m sure you’re asking, “What do I get if I win”?. The recipient will receive:
- National recognition as one of the most outstanding members of NSCS, including:
- Press release to campus newspapers
- Press release to hometown newspapers
- Letter to University President
- Announcement and recognition on NSCS Web site
- Announcement at NSCS Convention 2008 in Orlando, FL
- Announcement at NSCS chapter meeting
- An inscribed plaque
- $500 scholarship
Pretty great, huh? So apply now! Applications are due January 6th. Here’s the link for more information: http://www.nscs.org/scholarships/exemplaryscholar.cfm
Good luck!
Meet the NSCS Staff! Spotlight on: Stephanie Benes
Hey NSCS members! From now on, I will be featuring NSCS staff profiles on Mondays so that you all can have a change to get to know the people who work in the National Office! This week’s staff spotlight is on Stephanie Benes, one of the other Scholar Ambassadors. Stephanie is from West Bend, Wisconsin and attended the University of Dayton where she majored in Communications and Psychology. Her role in The National Society of Collegiate Scholars office is to work with chapters to come up with creative ideas and plans for the year, provide support and assistance, and travel around for chapter visits and inductions. Here are Stephanie’s responses in a random Q & A session:
What’s your favorite color?
Periwinkle Blue
What’s the coolest place you’ve ever been?
I’d have to say Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii, it was really cool to see the lava flowing down the volcano and into the ocean
Where do you like to go to think and reflect?
I like to go hiking in the mountains on a sunny day
What’s your favorite food?
That’d have to be gooplaté – my mom made up the word to describe our left-over Mexican food and I’d have to say it’s one of my favorite foods to eat!
What is your favorite movie? That’d be Keeping the Faith and any other Edward Norton movie, he’s my fav.
Who would you most like to meet?
Amy Van Dyken – six time Olympic Gold Medalist – I’ve been a fan of hers since I was young and she inspired me with my swimming, so it’d be neat for get a chance to meet her.
What’s your favorite sound?
Waves crashing – I just love to hear the ocean!
What’s the best book you’ve ever read?
My favorite book is Franny and Zooey by JD Salinger
If you could attend any event in history, what would it be?
I’d have to say the first Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens.
If you were the leader of the free world, what’s the first thing you’d do?
I would definitely do some healthcare reforming
Where would you most like to go that you’ve never been?
I’d love to go skiing in the Swiss Alps or even just go to Europe in general
TGI (NSCS) Fridays: Inspire Integrity Awards!
Hello NSCS members!
I wanted to let you all know about a wonderful opportunity for all of you to recognize your favorite faculty members for all of the amazing things that they do on campus. The Inspire Integrity Award will be given to the nominated faculty member who stands out as someone who exhibits a high level of personal and academic integrity inside and outside of the classroom. The recipient will recieve a $3,000 personal stipend and a $2,500 award to go towards his or her university’s scholarship fund. Nominations are due on January 15, 2008, so don’t hesitate to get your submissions in as soon as possible! You can apply by logging into the National Society of Collegiate Scholars website (www.nscs.org) and clicking on “Apply for Opportunities” Further instructions and criteria can be found at: http://www.nscs.org/scholarships/inspireintegrity.cfm
We are looking forward to reading your nominations!
My Meet and Greet with Paula Deen!
Last night, I was very excited to have the chance to attend a book signing with one of my favorite Food Network stars, Paula Deen. Books a Million, which is located right under the NSCS office in Dupont Circle, had a big event, and I was right there in line early with all the other Food Network obsessed fans. I got my new recipe book signed, and got to talk to Paula for a minute and listen as she spoke to all of us during the signing. She was very sweet- I had a great time! And to top it all off, they were handing out some of her delicious chocolate cookies, so I had something to occupy myself with while I waited. Here’s Paula with her husband signing my book:
