Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season, how are y’all doing? What’s new?
Hey there! I am sure this will pick up closer to the end of Jan. and after. 
Things are well over here. I am just working on scholarship applications and considering additional schools to apply to. My teaching has ended until the second week of Jan. so I have a lot of free time.
What about everyone else?
Hello everyone! I applied to this scholarship as well! Are we allowed to write here our statement? O wanted to know what you all think about my essay. I have been lately feeling like I focused too much on my past and also I didn’t include a fundraiser that I successfully ran last December. The goal of my fundraiser was to bring Christmas to impoverished neighborhoods in Veracruz! Which is where I am from. I’m the president of PTK at my school and I have also participated in several honors projects and won awards at my community college.
@fluffycotton hi! I suggest that you should not upload your essay here just to protect yourself from being plagiarized by others in the future. My advice for you would be to just be confident in yourself and the work you submitted! I am sure you will be fine 
@JellyPeeps I’m basically doing the exact same thing, time has flown by! We should be hearing from JKCF very soon regarding semifinalists. How are you doing now, though? Happy new year by the way!
@fluffycotton I agree. Do not upload your essay here. You never know what could happen with the info!
@kb199977 I am getting excited and nervous about the semifinalist announcements! I am knee-deep in finishing scholarship and school applications. Hopefully, this will be my last batch until grad school!
How is it going your way?
@JellyPeeps im not finished with private school apps yet, but I’m really excited for this round because I’ve worked so hard this year and will try my best to put my best foot forward in the applications! As for JKCF, I’m pretty nervous to see what happens but we all just gotta wait
Did you apply for the PTK competitive national scholarships?
@kb199977 I did not apply for any of the PTK national scholarships. From what I could tell, I was not eligible for them because I am not a current student. But I found a bunch of other things I am eligible for and am going to make sure all of those get in.
I am super excited about JKC this year. I am trying to stay calm and not get to stressed or nervous and just focus on the excitement. At this point, we have done our best, put in our applications, and just see where it shakes out. We have a couple weeks left. Then, once annoucements are made, this post will blow up. LOL.
Hey guys! Tomorrow is the date they emailed semifinalists last year! Although they said they might notify semifinalists as late as early- to mid-feb. I am getting super excited! I think I have said that in my last 5 posts, but no one is listening yet anyway.
Ha ha ha ha ha!
@JellyPeeps i was thinking the same too, but I was also thinking that maybe more people applied this year for the transfer scholarship, so maybe we will hear a bit later from JKCF? Who knows tho. If semifinalists emails come out today, it should be within a couple of hours or less from now lol
@kb199977 They also changed some of the criteria for this year, which could delay announcements. In years past, people applied in high school all the way through college, so some applicants might apply 2, 3, or 4 times. The problem with this is (as it was explained to me) that people were applying before they were ready to apply to college or before they were ready to transfer. So someone might win in 2020, but not be ready to transfer until 2021 or 2022. So, they are trying to make sure people are applying only when they are ready to actually go to school. In my case, I emailed them to ask if I could apply a second time after I had to defer my start to 2020 (from 2019).
So, this year, because of that, I think they are giving more attention to the timeline of applications. In any case, good luck to everyone. I hope today (or the next couple of days) brings good news to everyone!
Also, every year this scholarship is becoming more well known, so I am sure there are more applicants every year!
Hey guys! I’m an applicant too! Here is my info:
Stats
College GPA: 4.0
Volunteer Hours (approx): 400+ with homeless families and am a volunteer mentor for youth with disabilities
Other stats: survivor of child sex trafficking, 2nd Place winner of PTK Catalyst Prepared Speech Competition 2019, served as PTK secretary
Subjective
Essays (Personal opinions/critiques): I spoke to my experiences as a child sex trafficking survivor and how I am motivated to heal others.
Refs: The department head wrote a stellar recommendation, and my advisor.
Hook (if any): Escaped sex trafficking at 21, Mentors youth who also were trafficked, tons of community engagement.
State or Country: Colorado
Ethnicity: White
Sex at Birth: Female
To be honest, my app isn’t as strong as I was able to make it. I was rushing to meet the deadline. I don’t have high hopes of getting it, but being a semifinalist would be nice!
Hey, I read your comments last year! Good luck to you!!
@iggywiggly You seem to have a compelling story from what you have shared here! Don’t count yourself out. I felt that way last year and was a semifinalist. I ended up getting into my first choice Ivy and my first choice public school, and I definitely feel that my semifi status helped that. As soon as it was announced, I started unsolicited getting invitations to apply to Ivies and highly selective schools. The whole process is exciting regardless. But whatever happens, it sounds like you are doing amazing things!
Thank you! It’s stressful to not have the semifinalist list published yet. I called and asked the foundation if I could edit my application and the gentleman said yes, if I am selected as a semifinalist. I have since made a BOMB personal statement that I think will get me further.
In any event, I’m really rooting for you this year. It was interesting to read last year’s thread. I hope we both get good news soon!
@iggywiggly thanks for sharing a bit about yourself, I can tell you’re an awesome person, Student, and candidate!
Thank you! That means a lot coming from a semifinalist last year! I’m worried since I was rushing and taking 20 credits during the application process that I didn’t put in enough effort to really shine to the selection committee.
Regardless, I’m a strong believer in fate and I think that if it is meant to be, it will happen for me.
I wish the best to you!
@kb199977 so I take it you have applied to the PTK Scholarships this year? Have you heard anything?
I got the semifinalist e-mail a couple weeks ago.
I just wanted to wish everyone the best!!!
I have been agonizing in private, not really sharing with anyone what I am so anxious about.
I don’t expect to win, but I would love to be a semifinalist.
I am not a active with student government, I belong to 7 different honor societies…but I am a mother to two special needs babies. I rarely have time to take a relaxing shower.
I have an 3.94 GPA and have a compelling story, but I am 53 years old with two babies…so, I don’t think they will see me as a major contributor.
Anyway, best of luck to all…
I will check back and see how we are all doing.