The National Children’s Cancer Society Opens Applications for 2016-17 College Scholarships for Pediatric Cancer Survivors
St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) January 08, 2016 -- College-bound young adults who have overcome pediatric cancer can now apply for scholarships for the 2016-17 school year from The National Children’s Cancer Society (NCCS), a nonprofit organization that supports children with cancer, their families and survivors.
Applications for the NCCS Beyond the Cure Ambassador Scholarship Program are available online at https://www.thenccs.org/scholarship. The scholarships are offered annually to eligible childhood cancer survivors who are under the age of 25 and were diagnosed with cancer before the age of 18. Students must be a citizen of the United States who are living and attending school in the country, and must be accepted into a post-secondary school for the fall semester. The applications must be postmarked by March 31.
Adam Rose, a survivor of childhood leukemia, is a four-time recipient of a Beyond the Cure Ambassador Scholarship. A mechanical engineering major at Kettering University in Flint, MI, Rose will start his senior year in January and plans to attend law school after graduating next December.
“In addition to the financial help, which has been a huge benefit, the NCCS also has given me the opportunity to connect with other college students who are survivors,” Rose said. “It’s a great organization and I hope to stay involved with them after I graduate.”
The NCCS asks scholarship recipients to contribute 15 hours of community service to the organization. Mentoring younger children with cancer is one avenue many of them choose. Students also help the NCCS with special events, including conferences for survivors.
Rose has been mentoring a young boy with brain cancer for almost three years. He said they share a passion for racecars, and he’s helped the boy, now 11, overcome some of his fears.
“Even though our cancers were different, we still have gone through a lot of the same things,” Rose said. “I could really connect with him and help him through procedures that he was worried about, which has been a nice thing for him and for me.”
Beyond the Cure coordinator Pam Gabris said many scholarship recipients not only mentor younger children, but also are majoring in careers that will allow them to work with pediatric cancer patients.
To help the college students connect with one another, she sends them a monthly email that poses a question about college life or another common topic so they can share input and ideas.
“The scholarship program provides a real community, one that brings young adult survivors together even if they live in different states and attend different schools,” Gabris said. The students’ participation also helps the NCCS understand how they can better support survivors, she added.
Rose said he enjoys connecting with the other scholarship recipients. “You might think your problems are specific to you, but through the email community I’ve found that others are having the same issues. It’s a great way to have discussions, and many times someone else has a solution.”
The Beyond the Cure Ambassador Scholarship Program was established with the support of the BNSF Railway Foundation, the Energizer Charitable Trust and the Engelhardt Family Foundation. To date, the program has awarded more than $650,000 in scholarship money to childhood cancer survivors throughout the country.
About The National Children’s Cancer Society
The mission of The National Children's Cancer Society is to provide emotional, financial and educational support to children with cancer, their families and survivors. To learn more about the NCCS and its support services, visit thenccs.org. The National Children’s Cancer Society is a 501C(3) organization that has provided over $62 million in direct financial assistance to more than 38,000 children with cancer. To contact the NCCS, call (314) 241-1600. You can also visit the NCCS on Facebook.
Lori Millner, The National Children's Cancer Society, https://www.thenccs.org/, +1 314-446-5247 Ext: 247, [email protected]
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