Senior Cynthia Babakhanian received a scholarship on Nov. 2 for $750, the second highest scholarship awarded from the National College Resources Foundation (NCRF).

Babakhanian applied online to the STEAM Expo Scholarship Committee, where she had to write an essay about why students should pursue a career in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics). Babakhanian found about the scholarship offer when she went to the Counselor’s Corner on clarkmagnet.net. “It seemed easy enough, and I just did the essay once I went to the Counselor’s Corner,” Babakhanian said.

According to head counselor Karine Turdjian, seniors need to be aware of scholarship opportunities and financial aid. Turdjian said that essay competitions are a great way of receiving scholarships; however, she said that she is also well aware of how students tend to get lazy when applying for scholarships. “Students may become lazy when writing an essay for scholarships,” she said. “If there is 500-word essay, they often say what’s the point.”

Turdjian said that seniors should not let the opportunities of scholarships go by. “I always preach to my seniors about reaching out and seeing and hearing about scholarships,” Turdjian said. “Many scholarships help in providing financial aid for colleges and it is very important for students to be aware.”