Dear Last Dollar Scholarship Committee
I would like to be considered for Last Dollars scholarship because my future educational and career pursuits would be greatly enhanced by it. I am planning on becoming a vocational pastor working primarily with inner city students, which requires a lot of tuition dollars that I am unsure of how I will be able to afford. I have already been blessed with several grants and loans , which is aiding me in finishing my undergraduate time at VCU with a double major in Psychology and Religious Studies in the spring of 2012. Immediately after undergrad, I am planning on enrolling in a four year seminary to earn my Master’s of Divinity.
My family works hard to support my educational ambitions and every grant I’ve received has been extremely helpful. Whenever I receive a scholarship we move as much money as we can from the undergraduate funding to the prospective seminary savings. The Last Dollars scholarship will enable me to continue on the path towards my goal of serving others.
This money will be going toward what I believe is much bigger than simply education, but to the encouragement of the next generation to do bigger and better things. Having grown up in inner-city Richmond myself, I am fully aware of the struggles these children have. However, I am also just as aware of their potential. From some people we are encouraged to tap into our talents and passion to create social change for the better, while some pessimistically show us the “reality” of where we come from and who they thing we are. I vividly remember a conversation with my high schools sports director; he told me that black inner city kids would only embarrass themselves playing soccer against the more affluent county teams, he had no real interest in providing the money for us to have acceptable field conditions and equipment. As captain of the team, I shared this news with my teammates. At first we were incredibly discouraged but we decided to do everything in our ability to have a functioning soccer team. We cut our field’s grass ourselves; we paid for our uniforms and necessary practice equipment out of pocket. When we took to the field we impressed and earned more respect before our peers than anyone ever expected to give.
Through Christian ministry I hope to tear down the low expectations put on the inner-city children of the next generation, and help them realize their full potential even greater than me and my high school soccer team did. This scholarship would be a great aid in the pursuit of this dreams, I hope you’ll be a part of it coming true.
Sincerely,
Jamal Jones
