About the scholarship

SeReT foundation aims to encourage the youth (of Eritrean descent) to discover their potential, promote academic excellence, and cultivate their core identity. Our community also values education and celebrates exemplary successes. A scholarship is a great way to further those values and instill them in the youth. As professionals, members of SeReT Foundation embody those ideals, and the scholarship is intended to serve as a showcase to the youth and the community. 

The target of the scholarship program is for high school juniors (aka rising high school seniors). The scholarship will be competitive, and students will be asked to submit their work for evaluation. The program is expected to impact participants by stirring their eagerness and creativity to submit superb work and instilling a sense of pride and honor to recipients/winners.

The program will start as a pilot with a smaller budget and defined target group, but it will be gradually scaled up.

Scholarship Competition Themes

You are advised to choose one of the topics provided below and compose an essay or create a short video documentary using biblical, professional, and cultural references. It should be contextualized to reflect personal and/or personalized experiences, challenges, and successes. Your personalised story should be presented creatively to inspire, motivate and challenge others.  Essays can be 1000 words maximum. Video entries can be 5 to 10 minutes maximum.

1. Finding your purpose in life

The Bible says in Psalm 57:2 “I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.” Finding your purpose is one of the most important discoveries to make in life. However, finding your purpose and living it is not easy and requires concerted effort. There are many resources and approaches you can use to find your purpose in life. Essentially, finding your purpose in life begins from figuring out about yourself and your calling on earth. This means, you have to find out your strengths and weaknesses as an individual and be able to recognize yourself who you are as a Christian. Aligning your strengths with your calling as a believer helps you become really good at what you aim to do in life. How you go about identifying your weaknesses and strengths is challenging but definitely worth doing. It is also vital to recognize that commitment and due diligence to your calling and purpose in life is equally important as finding your purpose. The student is expected to develop an essay or short documentary to showcase the importance and ‘finding your purpose’ in life and how to go about finding your purpose and what tools and approaches can be used to achieve it. Personal examples and demonstrations are highly encouraged and valued.

2. Embracing/Celebrating your uniqueness

The Bible in Jeremiah 1:5 says that “before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” We all have our own gifts and peculiarities as individuals. We are special in the eyes of God. Identifying and embracing your uniqueness (be it personal, family background, the faith you subscribe to, your heritage, ethnicity and/or race) is one of the most important things in life. Leveraging your uniqueness to your advantage is also as important as understanding and embracing it. In fact, it is the foundation of everything else you would like to do and achieve in life. However, embracing your uniqueness is easier said than done. It requires hard work and diligence and being intentional about achieving it. It requires personal effort as well as seeking help from others including family and friends. The key is in embracing your uniqueness and being able to leverage it to your advantage. The student is expected to develop an essay or short documentary to showcase the importance of ‘Embracing your uniqueness : personal, your family, your faith, your heritage, your ethnicity/race, your gifts and strengths’ in life . Personal examples and demonstrations are highly encouraged and valued.   

3. Making the best of available opportunities

Colossians 4:5 “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. ” Life is about making decisions! To be successful in life requires making the best decisions and taking advantage of available opportunities the best way we can. We ought to make the best use of our time and resources to advance our calling as Christians. To be able to make the best of available opportunities involves figuring out what you want and how you would go about achieving it. It also involves out of the box thinking and venturing out with confidence, as you put your trust in the Lord. The student is expected to develop an essay or short documentary to showcase the importance of ‘making the best of available opportunities’ in life and how you would go about using it. Personal examples and demonstrations are highly encouraged and valued.

4. Overcoming adversity

1 John 5:4 “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” Challenges and adversities are common in life. Successful people know and anticipate that adversities are inevitable in life. We are expected to recognize and overcome adversities and hardships through faith. They cultivate and develop a mindset to turn life’s challenges into learning experiences and as stepping stones towards higher goals and objectives. The student is expected to develop an essay or short documentary to showcase the importance of ‘overcoming adversity ’ in life and how you would turn it to your advantage and help you ‘fail forward’ as the author John Maxwell would call it. Personal examples and demonstrations are highly encouraged and valued.

5. Aiming higher and working your way up

Matthew 6:33-“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”  As the author Brian Tracy said, “goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement.” If you aim higher and follow through with commitment, you will increase your chances of success. Les brown also inspired us to “shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” If you aim higher and follow through with commitment, you will increase your chances of success. Les brown also inspired us to “shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” The student is expected to develop an essay or short documentary to showcase the importance of ‘aiming higher and working your way up ’ in life. Personal examples and demonstrations are highly encouraged and valued.

6. Serving others in need

1 John 4:19 teaches us that “our love for others is our grateful response to the love God first demonstrated to us.” Success in life is measured not only by how much we have individually gained, but by how useful and helpful we are to those in need around us. Life is as much about giving as it about receiving. Think of the many people who have served you and reflect on what motivates them to serve. You may not repay them back, but there are great opportunities to pay it forward. What inspires you for services, what are the unique ways you could serve others, and what are the challenges to be aware of? The student is expected to develop an essay or short documentary to showcase the importance of ‘serving others in need ’ in life. Personal examples and demonstrations are highly encouraged and valued.

How to apply

Please click the button below to apply.

About Mentorship

SeReT Foundation mentorship program is designed to connect Eritrean youth who are interested in pursuing higher education with Eritrean professionals in the community. The rationale for the program stems from the need observed in the Eritrean communities in North America.  Many youth of Eritrean descent struggle to find suitable college programs and/or do not excel in their studies despite their potential. On the other hand, there are many professionals in the community who are willing to share their expertise and experiences with the younger generation and guide them in educational and career choices. SeReT Foundation’s mentorship program will create a platform where the mentees can get access to the mentors who can inspire, support and guide them as they navigate their paths towards academic excellence and career development. For the mentors, it will be a great opportunity for service, and you will become change agents in the community.

The mentorship program has several components, and it will cater to the needs of each target group. The mentors will guide rising high school seniors through the college application process, such as essay editing and college/major choices. They will serve as coaches for college students to successfully navigate the challenges they face in college and encourage them to deepen and embolden their Christian faith. Mentors will also support those who are looking for resources to continue their education and/or develop new careers.

Mentee

If you are interested in being a mentee, please click the button below to apply.

Mentor

If you are interested to be a mentor, please click the button below to apply.