Japanese American Service Committee Scholarship

Japanese culture and tradition place great value upon education. It is a value that has become firmly rooted in the heritage of Japanese Americans and the mission of the JASC. Service to our community and others is an integral part of the JASC. Without it, education becomes an impersonal intellectual exercise instead of a tool to improve ourselves and our world. The JASC believes that an important part of a good education is learning both the value and enjoyment that comes from civic, charitable, and community activities and participation. Such efforts not only help others but serve to remind us of the importance of striving to advance broader societal goals regardless whether one derives any personal gain other than the satisfaction of bettering the world in which we live.

As a part of its efforts to preserve and promote our Japanese heritage and to advance the commitment to community service, the JASC administers an annual scholarship program to support members of the Japanese American community to pursue education beyond high school. These JASC scholarships are intended to provide financial assistance to promising students who have demonstrated both academic excellence and service to the Japanese American community.

We thank the many families and individuals who have donated to fund the scholarships and recognize the people who whom our scholarships have been named, both current scholarships and past: Sam Fukaye Scholarship, Fred Toguri Scholarship; William T. Yamamoto Scholarship; Frank T. Kambara Scholarship; Jean E. Taketoshi Scholarship; John (Jun) Iwaoka Scholarship; Dr. Newton K. Wesley Scholarship.

ELIGIBILITY

In order to be eligible to receive a scholarship from the JASC, applicants must meet each of the following requirements:

1. High school applicant’s family must have a current JASC Family membership; college applicant must have his/her own current Student or Individual membership.
2. Applicant must be a high school senior and enroll on a full or part-time basis in an accredited school of advanced learning within one year of being selected as a scholarship recipient OR be currently enrolled as a student in a college or university.
3. Applicant need not be of Japanese ancestry and need not be a citizen of the United States.
4. Applicant must submit a written Application based on the Criteria listed below along with a current transcript from his/her high school or college/university.
5. Awards to high school students are contingent upon the applicant timely providing the JASC with a notice of acceptance by an accredited school of advanced learning.
6. Past recipients of scholarship awards are not eligible to apply.

REQUIRED COMPONENTS

1. Grades, Coursework: Official transcripts from high school or college
2.  Extracurricular Activities: Level or degree of the applicant’s participation, length of time the applicant has been involved in the activity, leadership, and accomplishments in the activity, etc.
3. Community Service: Service to Japanese American organizations, level of participation, length of time involved, level of involvement, leaderships, and accomplishments, etc.
4. Essay: A one-page essay on either of the following topics:
   • How can JASC be relevant to the applicant’s life? or
   • How has the JASC contributed to the applicant’s sense of self or personal growth?
5. References: A letter of reference from each of the following:
   • A teacher/professor from applicant’s school; and
   • An adult (not a family member) familiar with the applicant’s service and participation in the Japanese American community;

CRITERIA

The following criteria will be used in evaluating scholarship applications

1. Service to and participation in JASC and other Japanese American community events, programs, and projects.
2. While grades are not always indicative of ability, good grades or steady improvement of grades over the course of high school, suggest the student takes his/her education seriously. Grades will be considered as a measure of the student’s interest and seriousness. The student’s coursework and course levels will also be reviewed as an indication of interests and motivation.
3. Extracurricular activities are an important part of growing up and toward that end will be considered in evaluating an applicant. Considerations will include the level or degree of the applicant’s participation, length of time the applicant has been involved in the activity, leadership, and accomplishments in the activity, etc.

Deadline: Application and transcript must be submitted by 5:00 PM, Thursday, April 26, 2018,
Japanese American Service Committee
c/o Scholarship Committee
4427 North Clark Street
Chicago, Illinois 60640

Decision of the Scholarship Committee is final, and applicants will be notified on or around May 30, 2018. Award recipients are expected to attend the award ceremony at JASC on June 25, 2018, families are invited.

Contact JASC with questions: Shalini Sivaram ssivaram@jasc-chicago.org 773.275.0097 x243