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Johnnie M. Parris Public Service Scholarship

Funded by
user profile avatar
Johnnie M. Parris Foundation
$760
1 winner$760
Awarded
Application Deadline
Nov 1, 2023
Winners Announced
Dec 1, 2023
Education Level
Undergraduate
1
Contribution
Share
Eligibility Requirements
Field of Study:
Education, Political Science, Social Justice, Law
State:
FL
GPA:
2.5
Ethnicity:
African American
Education Level:
Undergraduates
Field of Study:
State:
GPA:
Ethnicity:
Education Level:
Education, Political Science, Social Justice, Law
FL
2.5
African American
Undergraduates

While representation has been increasing in recent decades, underrepresented minorities still face inclusion issues in many public service sectors. As a result, this leads to an unequal distribution of political leadership in the shaping of the country.

In government, for example, underrepresented minorities in the House of Representatives are based on the proportion of the U.S. population that is African American, yet there is only one Black governor, and only three ever elected in US history. There are only three Black senators. Similarly, just 5% of all lawyers are African American even though 13.4% of the population is Black. In order to boost representation in the key field of public service, more support is needed for underserved populations.

Any African American from Florida that is an undergraduate holding a 2.5+ GPA and looking to pursue a degree in education, political science, social justice or law can apply to this scholarship.

To apply, please discuss why you chose your major and your future career goals.

Selection Criteria:
Impact, Essay, Drive
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Published July 28, 2023
$760
1 winner$760
Awarded
Application Deadline
Nov 1, 2023
Winners Announced
Dec 1, 2023
Education Level
Undergraduate
1
Contribution
Share
Essay Topic

Please discuss why you chose your major and your future career goals.

400–600 words

Winners and Finalists

December 2023

Winners
Taylor Morancy
Florida International University
Hollywood, FL
Finalists
Eriel Henton
Tallahassee Community College
Tallahassee, FL
Alise Fortune
Brown University
Sarasota, FL
Jason Worthen
Palm Beach State College
West Palm Beach, FL

May 2023

Winners
Janaysa Dorcin
American Senior High School
Miami, FL
Finalists
Kaitlyn Brown
Medical Academy for Science and Technology (m.a.s.t.) @ Hom
Miami, FL
Patrice Donald
Miami Carol City Senior High
Miami Gardens, FL
Chyna-Lee Hunter
Robert Morgan Educational Center and Technical College
Homestead, FL
Katty Larkin
Florida International University
Lauderhill, FL

Winning Application

Taylor Morancy
Florida International UniversityHollywood, FL
Everyone has a purpose or “calling” in life. We all just “unlock” it at different times than others. My calling began with an error on my course selection sheet in tenth grade. I accidentally signed up for a class called Constitutional Law. I always liked law, but I never thought I would take it in high school. This was during eLearning, so I thought I was going to dread having the class but to my surprise, my teacher made me find my love for law. He looked quite scary until he spoke, and I believe that despite COVID-19 ruining my sophomore year, I had a positive outlook on it and on what I wanted to do with the rest of my life because of him. I always wanted to become a lawyer; I never knew what type of law I would pursue but I knew I always wanted to become an attorney. I always loved to think outside of the box and find solutions to problems that my teachers and friends would find quite complex. However, during my senior year, I had to choose a major for college and I didn’t know what to pick since all I knew was law. My friends describe me as someone who is very helpful and who likes to speak up for others and I did research on majors to find out that Public Policy is the best major for me. I like to serve others and I can help provide solutions to communities that are facing complex issues. Fortunately, I was an overachiever in high school, and I was able to take AP/AICE/Dual Enrollment/Honors and every rigorous course I could find in order to transfer 50 college credits to Florida International University. This left a lot of space on my schedule for college which gave me an opportunity to take several other classes and programs. Currently, I am a double major in public policy and political science on a pre-law track. I added political science because of the complementary skill it provides to public policy, and I want to pursue government. My pre-law track contains a pre-law certificate that will have me take rigorous courses that will prepare me for law school. Going to law school isn’t the end goal for me. I participated in a summer legal program with the University of Miami and I kind of know what to expect in law school. I want to work as a lawyer but utilize my law degree as leverage as a method of going into politics. I do not care where I end up: city government, state government, or federal government. All I know is that I want to make a difference somewhere. I have participated in advocacy where I went to the Florida State Capitol with students from all over Broward County, FL and we advocated for higher teacher pay and students utilizing their 100 work hours to get Bright Futures. The sky is the limit for my future goals because I am a very busy person and I like to have a multitude of tasks to complete. I despise having nothing to do and if I have free time, I will occupy myself with a hobby. My hobbies are currently: reading, basketball, football, video games, and volunteering. I am currently volunteering with ReadingPals and I will help children K-5 learn to read and become adequate readers. Ultimately, my major, being an attorney, and being a politician “called” me. I believe that the sky is the limit for where I am going, and I hope to inspire others to make changes.
Janaysa Dorcin
American Senior High SchoolMiami, FL

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FAQ

When is the scholarship application deadline?

The application deadline is Nov 1, 2023. Winners will be announced on Dec 1, 2023.

How will scholarship application information be used?

Your privacy is a top priority on the Bold.org platform, and you can find our privacy policy in full here. You may opt out of communications from Bold.org at any time, and unless we’ve first notified you and gotten your consent, you’ll never receive communication from any third parties related to personal information you give us.

What is the scholarship award?

Award amounts per winner are designated by the donor. Check the award amount for a detailed breakdown.

When will the scholarship winner be chosen? How will they be notified?

The winner will be publicly announced on Dec 1, 2023. Prior to the announcement date, we may contact finalists with additional questions about their application. We will work with donors to review all applications according to the scholarship criteria. Winners will be chosen based on the merit of their application.

How will the scholarship award be paid?

Award checks will be sent to the financial aid office of the winner's academic institution or future academic institution in their name to be applied to their tuition, and in the name of their institution (depending on the school's requirements). If the award is for a qualified educational non-tuition expense, we will work with the winner directly to distribute the award and make sure it goes towards qualified expenses.

How will my scholarship application be verified?

Before we award the scholarship, the winner will be required to confirm their academic enrollment status. Depending on the circumstances, verification of Student ID and/or their most recent transcript will be required.

How should I get in touch with questions?

If you have any questions about this scholarship or the Bold.org platform, just email contact@bold.org and we’ll get back to you as quickly as we can.

Does the scholarship have terms and conditions?

Yes. The terms and conditions for this scholarship can be found here.

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