NJTESOL/NJBE, Inc.

AN AFFILIATE OF NJEA, TESOL, AND NABE

Announces

The Héctor R. Villafañe Memorial Scholarship for College Bound Hispanic Students

SPONSOR

The Héctor R. Villafañe Memorial Scholarship fund is offering one $1000 scholarship for a Hispanic student who is or has been enrolled in ESL or bilingual classes at the secondary level. We request that you distribute the information to the guidance departments in the high schools in your district, as well as to eligible students. Please encourage them to apply. This scholarship is specifically targeted for the Hispanic populations we serve. Héctor R. Villafañe was a strong advocate for bilingual education as a means of empowerment for Hispanic students and actively inspired and mentored young people to achieve their higher education and professional goals.

ELIGIBILITY

The applicant must be:

a graduating senior who plans to attend a post-secondary institution in NEW JERSEY.
a New Jersey resident
a Hispanic student who is currently receiving bilingual and/or ESL instruction in New Jersey or who received bilingual/ESL instruction in New Jersey within the last two school years (2010-2011 and/or 2011-2012)
Referring teacher must be a member of NJTESOL/NJBE, Inc.

CRITERIA

The application consists of five items. Each of the five items is considered carefully in selecting the scholarship winners. Forms for Parts I-IV are attached. Item five must also be included in order to complete the application. Follow the directions explicitly. Incomplete applications will not be considered. ALL documents MUST be submitted in the same envelope in order to be considered.

*The complete essay MUST reflect the students’ own efforts without editing by others.

The application packet must include the following items, which will be considered in the selection of the two scholarship winners:

Checklist

Part I: Scholarship Application Form (completed) ________

Part II: Biographical Statement (handwritten) _______

Part III: An Essay titled: What does ‘Siempre para adelante’ mean to you? ________

Typed, double-spaced, 500 words or less.

Part IV: A recommendation from an ESL or BE teacher who is a member ________

of NJTESOL-NJBE, Inc.

5. Part V: Current N.J. high school official transcript with ESL and/or _______

Bilingual classes highlighted.

DEADLINE ***Scholarship applications and all required materials must be RECEIVED BY March 1, 2012. No exceptions. Applications without all of the required information will not be considered. Do not send the required materials separately. All required materials MUST be received together. Any incomplete or late applications will NOT be considered.

Mail to:

Tina Kern

34 Colonial Woods Drive

West Orange, NJ 07052

NJTESOL/NJBE, Inc.

The Héctor R. Villafañe Memorial Scholarship

PART I. PLEASE PRINT ALL INFORMATION IN THIS SECTION.

Name ___________________________________________________________Phone _____________________

(first) (last)

Address __________________________________________________________ Zip______________________

Date of Birth ________________________ Parent/Guardian Name__________________________________

Native Language/Country ___________________________________ Sex: Male ___Female ____

Years in which you received Bilingual/ESL services: From _______________ to __________________

High School ______________________________ School Address ___________________________________

Principal _________________________________ Phone _____________________________________

Counselor ________________________________ Phone _____________________________________

Have you applied to any colleges or universities? …………… Yes _________ No __________

If ‘yes’, which institutions: _________________________________________________________________________

Have you been accepted at any post-secondary institution? Yes _________ No __________

Where do you plan to attend school in September? ______________________________________________________

How long have you been in the United States? ___________

When did you first attend school in the U.S? Year: __________ Grade ____________

List all ESL/EFL Classes you took in your country: _______________________________________________________

List extra curricular activities in the space below. Use additional paper, if necessary.

ACTIVITY	GRADE LEVEL	YEAR

List membership in any local or national honor societies:

Society: ________________________________________________ Year _________

List interests and/or hobbies: ____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

List work experience or volunteer work. Include month and year. (Use another sheet of paper, if necessary.)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Please list local newspapers for press release: ___________________________________________________________________________________________

NJTESOL/NJBE

The Héctor R. Villafañe Memorial Scholarship (continued)

.

PART II: BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT: The answer to the following question must be handwritten clearly by the student applicant and limited to the space provided below.

Why do you think you should receive this scholarship? Explain. Give reasons to support your answer. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PART III: INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ESSAY

(TO BE TYPEWRITTEN ON A SEPARATE PIECE OF PAPER)

Applications will be judged anonymously. All identifying information must be written on the back of the essay, NOT on the front. Please use a separate sheet of paper to compose your essay around the question: “What does ‘Siempre para adelante’ mean to you?” Limit the essay to 500 words. Although you may discuss and brainstorm the topic with peers and teachers during the pre-writing stage, your final draft must be yours exclusively.

The selection committee will base the evaluation of your essay on the message contained in your writing and the unique form in which YOU express it. In summary, the committee wants to consider an essay for which you can claim ownership because it contains your true feelings and thoughts. The essay must be your work with no editing by others.

**Please complete the following certification**

I, ____________________________________ certify that the essay and open-ended question are my own work with no editing by others. We give permission to NJTESOL/NJBE to edit and publish the essay with the applicant’s name and photo if this association deems it appropriate. To the best of my knowledge, all the information contained in the information packet is accurate.

_____________________________________________ _______________________________

Signature of Applicant Date

________________________________________

Signature of Parent/Guardian

NJTESOL/NJBE, Inc.

AN AFFILIATE OF NJEA, TESOL, AND NABE

PART IV: The Héctor R. Villafañe Memorial Scholarship Recommendation Form

To the student: Fill out your name and school below, and ask one of your ESL or bilingual teachers who is a member of NJTESOL/NJBE to complete this recommendation form.

STUDENT NAME: _______________________________________________________________

School: ________________________________________________________________________

To the teacher: The student from whom you received this form is a candidate for a $1,000 scholarship offered by our association. The selection committee would appreciate your candid response to the following questions. Please place the recommendation in a sealed envelope, write your signature over the seal and return it to the student. The student needs to include it with his/her application materials, all of which MUST be received by March 1, 2012. Applications received after that date, and incomplete applications will not be considered.

Why do you recommend this student for this scholarship? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

*Teacher’s Name Email: ________________________

Signature Date _________

Address Phone # ______________

Part V. Transcripts (include in application packet).

All Bilingual/ESL Courses MUST be highlighted.

*Referring teacher MUST be a member of NJTESOL-NJBE, Inc.