Applications now open for the GEJ Scholarship for alumni in higher education 

We are excited to host Virtual Alumni Week next week. Today, we wanted to let you know about an opportunity for CRS alums in higher education: the GEJ Scholarship which is dedicated to the memory of George E. (“Freddie”) Jonas (GEJ), founder and benefactor of Camp Rising Sun. 

Applications for the scholarship are now open and will close on June 15th. The scholarship is available for all alumni of Camp Rising Sun, including former summer staff pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees. The selection committee values intellectual ability, character and future promise of fostering the values of Camp Rising Sun. In the past, scholarship awards have ranged from $1,000 to $5,000. 

Before you get started with the application, consider what recent scholarship recipient Joshua Kalenga (‘14) shared with us. As a recent camper entering college he recommends “using the application to reflect on your experience at Camp and on your life in the years since. Of course, you are applying because you need financial aid, but try to make it less about the scholarship and more about thinking about what Camp has meant to you and what you hope it will mean to you in the future.” Following this approach made him realize “the ways in which Camp had impacted his life that he had not been aware of before.”

A good GEJ Scholarship application will be complete and convey clearly and specifically the impact of the CRS experience, and also provide clear goals for the future and a pathway towards them. 

As part of Virtual College Week, we are hosting a workshop to tell you more about the scholarship, give you application advice and answer your questions on Thursday, May 21st at 3PM EST. We will be joined by Peter Giacone (‘83), GEJ Scholarship Committee Chair, Monica Janvier (‘15, ‘16) recent scholarship recipient. Please register here to join us. 

Apply for the GEJ Scholarship here and learn more about other scholarships here. 

We look forward to seeing many of you in the Virtual College Week session next week!