Scholarship Hunt!

Well after a particularly non-productive and relaxing day yesterday, I am back at work for the week and I spent the majority of my morning break reviewing scholarship and grant possibilities at the Sallie Mae website. The site has proven a great resource so far and I plan on saving the main page to the folder of links on my web browser titled "Academia" when I return home tonight. It looks like it should make ample information conveniently available for review on loan resources as well as having a very thorough search tool for scholarships and grants that seems to have a rather comprehensive selection of non-loan financial aid resources.

On the negative side, there are indications that I found on the site that as somebody who already has an undergraduate degree [B.A. in Cultural Studies & Comparative Literature], regardless of how unrelated it is to my intended field of study, I am very probably ineligible for grants from the state of Minnesota.

On the positive side was a scholarship for persons pursuing education for careers with agriculture and food production sponsored by relatively healthy prepackaged food company Annie's. The majority of their food is vegetarian in nature, but not necessarily vegan, so as somebody interested in working with food supply animals (dairy sheep, goats and cattle anybody?), I think I stand a chance of being awarded this scholarship at some point in the future even if it isn't available to me until I'm into Veterinary School. As somebody who is interested in sustainable agriculture and is motivated to work with food supply animals in order to help provide them with the healthiest and happiest lives they can while providing of themselves for the sustenance of humanity, whatever form that takes (If it is not obvious I am not a vegetarian or a vegan, and I have reflected on the ethics relating to that choice, especially as somebody pursuing a future in animal medicine, but I believe that's a topic better explored in a dedicated fashion in a future entry, rather than as a tangent here.), the idea of having a link to an organization like this is very appealing and exciting to me.

I plan to see what I can do to begin actually applying for some of these when I get home tonight. I should reign myself in a little bit I suppose though; I haven't even gotten my financial aid award notice from the institution I am planning to attend yet, and for all I know I've been awarded a scholarship or something already. I'd hate to make redundant efforts with time and energy I could be investing on other things. I just need to take a long, deep breath with respect to that and be patient. I'm a bit anxious about the whole money component of going back to school right now, and I may well be until I get that award notice and figure out what to do with respect to work. In truth there isn't much I can do right now besides wait where all that is concerned. Until next time: *deep-breath*