Nevada Joint Union High School District

Scholarship Opportunities for Students:

 📝 Start Your Scholarship Writing Responses

• Begin drafting your four required scholarship application responses.
• Prompts are available on the District Scholarship Application tab.
• Starting early gives you time to revise and improve!

✉️ Letters of Recommendation: Request two letters:

• One from a community member
• One from a staff member

📅 Important Dates

✅ Junior and Sophomore Scholarship Prep To-Do List 

📚 Academic Preparation

• Do your best in your classes - not all scholarships are GPA-based, but putting in effort and showing growth matters. 
• Build strong relationships with teachers; they can offer guidance and write recommendation letters later.

🧠 Skill Development

• Practice writing essays through English class or journaling.
• Work on time management - balance school, activities, and responsibilities.

🌟 Extracurricular Involvement

• Join clubs, sports, or organizations  - depth and leadership over time look great.
• Track activities and achievements  - keep a running list for later use.

💖 Community Service

• Find a volunteer activity you care about and stick with it.
• Start logging hours and impact  - time, duties, lessons learned, etc.

👩‍💼 Personal Branding

• Start a resume or brag sheet  - list honors, awards, work experience, etc.
• Identify passions and strengths  - what do you care about? What comes naturally?

📚 Scholarship Awareness

• Start a scholarship folder (digital or paper) with:
  • Interesting scholarships you hear about
  • Deadlines (set reminders for future years)
  • Essay prompts (some repeat yearly)
• Look into local scholarship foundations or programs now  - they often support students early.

💬 Mentorship and Support

• Meet with your Brandy Sanders, the District Scholarship Coordinator, and let her know you're interested in scholarships.
• Ask older students about their scholarship experiences.

💻 Online Presence (Optional but Helpful)

• Create a professional email address.
• Clean up social media - scholarship committees may check.

✍️ Personal Writing Practice

• Draft reflections on:
  • Your background and goals
  • A challenge you've overcome
  • What do you want to study or do with your life
• These will evolve, but they will help with scholarship essays later.

🔍 Financial Aid Basics

• Learn about FAFSA and financial aid terms early.
• Talk with family about college costs and expectations.