Women's essay contest offers scholarship opportunity for H.S. seniors 

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, First Lady Pamela Northam, and the Virginia Council on Women announced recently that the application process for the 11th Annual Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics, and Healthcare essay contest is now open.

The council will award scholarships to qualifying high school seniors who identify as female and plan to pursue a STEAM-H career at a community college, four-year college or university, trade or technical school, online, and/or through certificated STEAM-H oriented courses.

The 11th annual contest will award one merit-based and one need-based scholarship in each of five geographic regions across the Commonwealth. Merit-based scholarships will be awarded based on the quality of the essay submitted. Need-based scholarships will be awarded based on the quality of the essay submitted and the individual’s self-identified financial need.  Award amounts may vary and are determined by the Council annually.

To be eligible, students must identify as female, be a Virginia high school senior, and hold at least a 3.0 GPA for the merit-based awards and a 2.5 GPA for the need-based scholarships. Entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. January 3, 2022.  Essays will be judged by a panel of Council members and individuals who represent STEAM-H fields. Winners will be notified in March 2022, and scholarship awards will be presented in the spring of 2022.

For applications and guidelines, visit https://www.women.virginia.gov/steamh-essay-contest/.