Jason Hawkins’ Scholarship

The family of Jason Hawkins values access and opportunity and seeks to honor those who have positively contributed to Eleanor Roosevelt High School and their community. In memory of Jason Hawkins, an Eleanor Roosevelt High School alumnus from the Class of 2005, they are committed to supporting first-generation students in their pursuit of higher education, helping them build a brighter future for themselves and those around them.

In partnership with The Excellence in Education Foundation for PGCPS, Inc. (EEF-PGCPS), The Pull Up Foundation and Prince George’s County Public Schools, the Jason Hawkins Estate has established a scholarship program to award a total of $25,000 to graduating seniors who exemplify a dedication to making a positive impact on others. The Jason Hawkins Scholarship will grant $5,000 each to five (5) Eleanor Roosevelt High School students who plan to continue their education at a post-secondary institution.

Application Requirements

• The student must be a PGCPS 2024-2025 graduating senior at Eleanor Roosevelt High School.
• The student must be a first-generation college student, defined as a student whose parent(s) or legal guardian(s) have not earned a bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university.
• The student must have attended PGCPS continuously from ninth through twelfth grade.
• The student must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8 for all high school coursework.
• The student must be well-rounded, demonstrating participation in at least two years of an extracurricular activity in high school or involvement in a service-learning activity with a community organization (exceeding the required 24 service-learning hours) while making a consistent, positive impact on others.
• The student must submit an official transcript reflecting current grades and service-learning hours.
• The student must provide documentation of acceptance into a post-secondary institution.
• The student must complete a Reviewr online application form (see link on page 2) and attach all required documents listed on page 2.

Essay

• Students must submit a well-structured, typed essay of 500 words or fewer addressing one of the following prompts:
  • Describe a challenge in your community and propose steps to address it.
  • How have you contributed to your local community, and how will this scholarship support your future community service efforts?
  • Describe your community and your role within it.

Evaluation

• The evaluation process will include a thorough review of all submitted application materials by the Scholarship Review Committee. Finalists will be notified by May 19, 2025.
• The application must include all of the following components to be considered complete:
  • Completed Reviewr online application form: PGCPS Jason Hawkins’ Scholarship 2025
  • Official transcript.
  • Post-secondary institute acceptance letter or official email.

Instructions for Submission

• All materials submitted with the application will become the property of EEF-PGCPS and will not be returned to applicants.
• The completed application and all required documents must be submitted by March 14th, in accordance with the timeline below. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.

Timeline

Please direct any questions regarding the application platform to (insert link) or general questions to rachelle.jamall@pgcps.org.

Essay Guidelines and Rubrics

• Students must submit a well-structured, typed essay of 500 words or fewer addressing one of the following prompts:
  • Describe a challenge in your community and propose steps to address it.
  • How have you contributed to your local community, and how will this scholarship support your future community service efforts?
  • Describe your community and your role within it.

• Please also keep in mind the following criteria:
  • The applicant’s name and address must appear on the top-right corner of each page of the essay.
  • The essay must be typed (double-spaced) in either Times New Roman or Arial (font size 12).
  • The essay must be two to three pages in length and must be written using MLA style.
  • The essay should be submitted single-sided, not double-sided.

Each applicant’s essay will be scored using the rubric below:

Writing Rubric for Scholarship Essay

Total Score: ____ / 12

Scoring Guide:

• 10-12: Outstanding essay with strong writing skills and insightful content.
• 7-9: Solid essay with minor weaknesses in writing or content development.
• 4-6: Developing essay that needs improvement in organization, development, or clarity.
• 3 or below: Weak essay with significant issues in language, structure, and expression.