Benigno and Corazon Aquino Scholarship
Every spring, the Boston College Benigno and Corazon Aquino Scholarship recognizes a BC junior with a strong academic record who has been actively engaged in Asian American issues and service to the Asian American community on or off campus. These community and service involvements may take many different forms, and are not in any way limited to participation in specifically Asian clubs or activities. The scholarship is an important way in which Boston College recognizes the achievements of all of our students who are engaged in Asian American issues, and we have found students gain a lot from going through the process of applying.
A selection committee composed of faculty, staff, administrators and the previous scholarship winner reviews all applications. Finalists are selected on the basis of two main criteria:
- Leadership and participation in activities, on campus or off, that serve others, and that help strengthen the Asian American community and its contributions to the larger American society.
- Academic accomplishments as evidenced by strong grades, an ambitious selection of courses, and the integration of academic interests with personal goals.
We will celebrate all the finalists and announce the winner of the scholarship at a banquet on May 2, 6–8:00 p.m. at the Faculty Dining Room in McElory Hall. All finalists, including the winner, will be presented with a book and a BC Bookstore Gift Certificate worth $1000. The winner will also receive a scholarship of at least $25,000 for their senior year and the finalists will also win a small scholarship.
We will also be holding an info session about the scholarship on March 13, 3–4:30 p.m. at the Thea Bowman AHANA & Intercultural Center Conference Room (Maloney 455).
How To Apply
Applications are due on March 20th, 2023 @ 5:00 p.m. (EST). You can apply through a Google Form. The application is very simple, so please consider applying if you qualify.
To be considered, you must be:
a full-time Boston College junior a citizen or permanent resident of the United States
in good academic standing with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0
active in community service to the Asian American and wider communities on and/or off campus
engaged with Asian American issues and/or the Asian American community
The requirements for the preliminary application are:
A digital copy of your degree audit.
A one-page resume of significant honors and awards, extracurricular and service activities, and employment on and off campus, in which you have participated since you began college.
A response to the following questions:
Reflecting on your academic experiences at BC, please describe the intellectual question you are most passionate about. (Limit: 300 words)
Describe the extracurricular activity you have been involved in that has had the greatest impact on others. (Limit: 300 words)
Briefly describe the leadership roles that you have played in college, on and off campus, the nature of your activities, and amount of time (hours/weeks) you devoted to each. (Limit: 250 words).
(optional) Is there anything about your background or life experiences that you think the committee should be aware of in considering your application? (Limit: 250 words)
An acceptance of a Statement of Certification and Release
The strongest of the preliminary applicants will be notified by March 28th, 2023 that they have been selected for a committee interview. Interviewees will be asked to submit a supplementary essay (800-1000 words) on what Asian American issues are most important to them and what solutions they would propose to BC to address these issues. This essay will be due April 10th, 2023.
Interviews will be held on April 17th, 2023 and the finalists will be selected from those interviewed.