Foresters Financial is accepting applications for the 2017/2018 academic year of the Foresters Competitive Scholarship Program to support up to 250 community-minded students like Ashtyn Shaw, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma at the age of 15.
The renewable scholarships are worth up to $8,000 each to eligible Foresters members, their spouses, and dependent children and grandchildren who wish to continue their education.
Ashtyn, who is majoring in human relations with a minor in nonprofits at the University of Oklahoma, was awarded a scholarship from the program.
“The Foresters scholarship made it possible for me to go to the university of my choosing,” Ashtyn said in a press release. “Foresters helps pay for my education, but at the same time it makes sure that I can focus solely on my education.”
Ashtyn founded the charity Amazingly Small Heroes Project (the A.S.H. Project) to send volunteers to a children’s hospital in Fort Worth, Texas, to cheer up kids who are battling serious diseases and their families by dressing up as princesses and superheroes.
“My goal is to show the children that a child fighting for their life is just as beautiful as any princess and just as brave as any superhero,” Ashtyn said. “To the kids, these characters are real, so to see their heroes take the time to visit them and tell them that they’re strong, beautiful and more than just a kid in a hospital – that’s an experience they’ll remember.”
In the last five years alone, 5,500 new and renewed Foresters Competitive Scholarships were awarded internationally, an investment worth more than $11.7 million.
“Foresters is proud to present academic scholarships to students who share our values of doing more,” said Cheryl Neal, Foresters’ chief marketing and innovation officer. “Our 2016-2017 scholarship winners carried out an average of 800 hours of community service – a truly impressive achievement! Through our investment in their academics, we hope to help these students focus on their future and continue to make a positive impact in their communities.”
Applications are open until Feb. 28, 2017. You can find more information about eligibility requirements and selection criteria on the scholarship’s webpage.
Foresters Financial is an international financial services provider of life insurance, savings, retirement, and investment solutions.
