By Unigo
We’re excited to announce the
winner of the $1,500
Unigo Fifth Month Scholarship. The question was, “
Write a letter to the number five explaining why five is important.” Check out Jackson N.’s winning essay and scholarship tips.
Want to be a featured winner? Check
Our Scholarships for a new scholarship every month.
Winning scholarship essay
Remember when everyone was lined up? A couple scrawny freshmen but mostly upperclassmen leaning in that brick hallway. I got last pick so I was stuck with you, the one nobody wanted. Not to be disappointed, I guess a number is a number. But you were my number. You were the number on my back. I wore you on my jersey for four years. We shared the rain, sweat, and blood of high school soccer. You were with me for thirty-six goals, every win, and every loss. We beat under the sun together until you were cracked and faded. We bore the trials of mud and snow. You became my reputation. Other coaches would know me by number. Watch out for number five. Somebody mark number five. My sister would make signs that read “Strive to be as good as Five.” I had pride in you. You were me.
And now I still know you. You give me songs from the Jackson Five, the Guardians of the Galaxy Soundtrack, and memories of summer. Without you there is no Cinco de Mayo or parties in Spanish class with my favorite teacher. There is no five more minutes of playing video games with my little five-year-old brother before bed. There would not be five brothers bound together in my family. You are a strong number.
You and I are connected in my past and memories of you drive me towards the future.
Scholarship tips from our winner
How to win scholarships
I have used multiple free scholarship search tools in the past and found this scholarship while using Unigo’s
Scholarship Match. These tools are great for getting a personalized list of eligible scholarships. I search for scholarships at the beginning of the month, as many have end of month deadlines, and apply for two or three.
How to write a winning scholarship essay
Once I find a scholarship I like, I spend time brainstorming how I am connected to that subject and what approach I should take in my response. When writing my essays, the key is to make the subject personal, have fun with it, and write about a subject you can get passionate about.
