Scholarship Appreciation Time

Posted November 28, 2017 by Giuliana Gilbert-Igelsrud

I’m extremely thankful to have a merit scholarship from SLIS. Every semester (when I take at least 9 units) I receive $6,000 from Simmons; that’s $24,000 over four semesters, which is nothing to scoff at. As a scholarship recipient, I have been tasked to write a short thank you letter; I thought I might post it here.

The cost of higher education has absolutely skyrocketed in recent years, and the only reason I have been able to afford Simmons (and with relatively low financial stress) is the SLIS Merit Scholarship. Simmons was one of two schools I applied to that offered me any financial aid, and by the time I received my acceptance letter, had become my top choice. I was thrilled to see that my academic efforts had paid off, literally!

I cannot overstate how much I value the unique experience I’m having at Simmons. I’m from California, and I went to UC Berkeley for my Bachelor’s degree, so you can imagine how different it has been living here and attending Simmons. I never truly understood why it was called “New England” until I moved here! Part of why I chose Simmons was to live somewhere that would feel different; I had lived in the same area my whole life, and wanted to expand my horizons. Boston has certainly delivered on that front. At Simmons specifically, I am frequently impressed by how responsive and engaged the faculty are, and I appreciate their dedication to providing courses that meet the needs of the students. Simmons was by far the smallest school I applied to for my MLIS, and I am grateful to be part of a close-knit community.

The SLIS Merit Scholarship has cut my loans by more than half, which means I don’t have to work as much and have more time to pursue my personal and professional interests while in school. I’m involved in student leadership, and plan to become more engaged in student programs, conferences, and events. I’m even able to keep up with my casual interests like music and video games! Finances are one of the major sources of stress for students today, and my lifestyle, academics, and mental health have all benefitted from the relief the scholarship brings.