The Foreign Service Journal, November 2016

58 NOVEMBER 2016 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS Apply Now for AFSACollege Scholarships The American Foreign Service Association is now accepting applications for college aid for the 2017-2018 academic year. Children of AFSAmem- bers are eligible to apply for the following awards: For Incoming or Current College Undergraduates • Need-based Financial Aid Scholarships: AFSA will award approximately 60 financial aid scholar- ships ranging from $3,000 to $5,000 each, depending on the family’s assets and income, to attend an accred- ited two-year or four-year higher education institution stateside or overseas. The deadline for applications for need-based scholarships is March 6, 2017 . For Graduating High School Seniors • Academic Merit Awards: AFSA will present 13 $2,500 merit awards and three $1,000 honorable mentions for academic accomplish- ments. A $500 best essay award will also be bestowed on a student from this pool of applicants. • Art Merit Awards: AFSA will present one $2,500 art merit prize and up to three $1,000 honorable mentions for artistic achievement within the following catego- ries: visual arts, musical arts, performing arts or creative writing. • Community Service Award: Students can also compete for a $2,500 award for distinguished contribu- tions to their community through service and volun- teerism. The deadline for submitting an application for an AFSA merit or community service award is Feb. 6, 2017 . If eligible, students can apply for all four awards. Applicants must be tax- dependent children of AFSA members who are active- duty, retired, deceased or separated Foreign Service employees with the State Department, USAID, FCS, FAS, BBG or APHIS. Not all who submit applications will receive aid. Applications must be submitted via our website www.afsa.org/scholar. During the last 25 years, the AFSA Scholarship Fund has granted more than $4 million in scholarship aid to 2,200 children of Foreign Service employees, thanks to many generous donors. No AFSAmembership dues support AFSA scholarship activity. For more detailed infor- mation regarding eligibility requirements or to explore other scholarship resources, please visit our website at www.afsa.org/scholar or con- tact Lori Dec, AFSA Scholar- ship Director at scholar@afsa. org or (202) 944-5504. n —Jonathan Crawford, Senior Scholarship Associate ALLPHOTOSCOURTESYOFTHENAMED INDIVIDUALS. This year, we asked AFSA scholarship recipients to submit a photo of themselves on their first day at school, for a chance to win a $50 gift card. Here we feature some of the best photos and congratulate the winner, Christopher Martinez. Well done to all the 2016-2017 scholarship recipients. Top (from left): Jacqueline Burdan, John Cabot University, Italy; Kirsten Christensen, Florida State University; Karl Keat, University of Virginia. Bottom (from left): Noah Patton, Selkirk College, Canada; Helen Reynolds, Carnegie Mellon University; Christopher Martinez, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico.