Four Tips for Submitting the Best Bill Moon Scholarship Application

The NATSO Foundation is currently accepting applications for the 2016 Bill Moon Scholarship until May 15, 2016. A travel plaza/truckstop industry employee or the legal dependent of an employee are eligible. Five $5,000 scholarships will be awarded this year. For students, the process of submitting scholarship applications can seem daunting. To help those applying for The Bill Moon Scholarship, the NATSO Foundation has compiled four tips to help students strengthen their applications.
More
 

The NATSO Foundation is currently accepting applications for the 2016 Bill Moon Scholarship until May 15, 2016. A travel plaza/truckstop industry employee or the legal dependent of an employee are eligible.

Five $5,000 scholarships will be awarded this year.

For students, the process of submitting scholarship applications can seem daunting.

To help those applying for The Bill Moon Scholarship, the NATSO Foundation has compiled four tips to help students strengthen their applications.

  1. Nail down the right recommendations. The best recommendations come from teachers or work supervisors with whom you’ve formed a relationship and who know you well. A teacher should be able discuss and demonstrate your ability to handle and connect with the academic material, while also shedding light on how you add to the learning environment both in and outside the classroom. A supervisor should also be able to discuss and demonstrate your ability to handle and connect with the duties of the workplace, again while also shedding light on how you contribute to the greater community you are a part of. Generally, recommendations from family friends should be avoided. Although these people might know you very well, these recommendations tend to carry less weight as the person may not have worked with you as your supervisor.

  2. Give those writing your recommendations the tools to succeed. After you’ve secured the people who are going to write your recommendations, give them the information they need to write a strong one. Provide them with a resume of your accomplishments and also give them background information on the Bill Moon Scholarship and the qualifications the scholarship review committee is looking for in applicants. Then, follow up with them later to see if they need any additional information.

  3. Stand out in the essay. The personal essay is your chance to let the scholarship committee know what makes you unique. Make sure your essay answers the question, but use examples to illustrate your point. For example, saying you’re a hard worker is less persuasive than sharing a story that demonstrates how you went above and beyond to complete a task, whether for school or work. When drafting your essay, stay focused on the questions and answer genuinely. Often times students write what they think the committee wants to hear, rather than answering the question with something that had real significance for them. Once you are done, proofread and ask someone else to proofread your essay. A second set of eyes is always helpful.

  4. Submit new information if reapplying. Candidates are more than welcome to re-apply for the Bill Moon Scholarship each year, but be sure to send in new recommendations and answer the new essay question with a new essay. 

Download the Bill Moon Application for 2016.

Subscribe to Updates

NATSO provides a breadth of information created to strengthen travel plazas’ ability to meet the needs of the travelling public in an age of disruption. This includes knowledge filled blog posts, articles and publications. If you would like to receive a digest of blog post and articles directly in your inbox, please provide your name, email and the frequency of the updates you want to receive the email digest.