The Stress of Scholarships

Triton Seniors Begin the Process of Applying for Scholarships

Ms.+Piecewicz+holds+up+the+2020+scholarship+packet.

Hubbard-Brucher

Ms. Piecewicz holds up the 2020 scholarship packet.

The smiling face of Mrs. Rebecca Piecewicz is one of the first things students see when they walk into the guidance office. She is always ready to help with whatever needs the students here at Triton have. Right now she is especially ready to help Triton seniors navigate and complete their scholarship applications.

The smiling face of Mrs. Rebecca Piecewicz is one of the first things students see when they walk into the guidance office. She is always ready to help with whatever needs the students here at Triton have. Right now, she is especially ready to help Triton seniors navigate and complete their scholarship applications.

The first step is to not freak out.

— Rebecca Piecewicz

,” said Piecewicz. “Just read the instructions and then relax.” Students often become intimidated by the packet of scholarships they are given because there are 40 plus scholarships. Some also require extra things like essays along with the standard recommendations and high school transcript.

Many seniors are in the midst of applying and getting accepted to college. But with the rising costs of attending a four year college or university, many students have to seek financial aid from other places besides their school of choice. Luckily many places locally offer scholarships to Triton students. 

  Head of Guidance Mrs. Meghan Ober recently gave a presentation about the many scholarships offered by organizations and businesses in the area. There are currently 39 scholarships available to students and many which do not require essays. There are some related to sports, others that are only offered to students in a specific town, and others based on the area of study the student wants to go into.  

“The scholarship I am most interested in is the Massachusetts Shellfish Officers Association (M.S.O.A) 2020,” said senior Mackenzi Kimball. “It caters to the exact major I would like to pursue.” Kimball wants to be a marine biologist  so this scholarship would be perfect for her to receive.

Scholarships aren’t just given to the kids who attend prestigious private schools either. As explained in the article from the Washington Post “Get Real on Scholarships,” by Michelle Singletary, “As for banking that a private school education will catapult your kid into the front line of scholarship money, don’t count on it making that much of a difference. Students from private high schools win just slightly more scholarships and other merit-based aid than students attending public high schools.” Anyone can get a scholarship as long as they are qualified, so worrying about people from private schools snatching them all up should not be of concern. 

“I think it’s great that so many of the local businesses here have scholarships available for Triton students,” said senior Bridget Tucker. “It really makes me feel good to know that they want to give back to us.” Tucker will be attending Salem State University in the fall and although she is not applying for many scholarships, she is happy to hear about the abundance of scholarships that are available to her peers who may need them.

Some students might find the idea of paying for college may seem impossible but there are ways to get the money to get you to where they want to go. All they have to do now is apply. So get out there and get those scholarships seniors they are there for you.