The scholarship can be life-changing as amounts range from $2,500 for one-year awards to $20,000 for multi-year awards. 

The window to apply this year is closing soon.

The application will be available for the 2023-2024 academic year through Jan. 19, 2023, at 5 p.m. Eastern.
 
The deadline for a recommendation letter is one week earlier: Jan. 12, 2023, at 5 p.m. Eastern.

UOG scholars share life-changing assistance

Ike Solomon and Edina Lee are among the 2021 APIA Scholars scholarship recipients from UOG.

“(The scholarship) eased my worries and gave me time to consider what I can do for my future to continue my educational journey,” Lee is quoted in an APIA Scholar highlight on Twitter.  

Solomon is also featured in an APIA Scholar tweet, saying in part: “I was privileged enough to not have financial issues in the back of my mind knowing that this scholarship helped tremendously.

From DC to UOG

A delegation from APIA Scholars, billed as the nation’s leading nonprofit devoted to the academic, personal and professional success of Asian and Pacific Islander American students, visited the University of Guam on Jan. 4.

APIA Scholars President and Executive Director Noël Harmon, and board member Nancy Lee, were among the visitors who met with UOG leadership Jan. 4.

“We are really honored to be here. Your hospitality has been amazing,” Harmon said.

She said the visit will help the nonprofit better understand how to help UOG and UOG students.

Established in 2003, APIA Scholars has assisted more than 7,000 Asian and Pacific Islander students through more than $100 million in scholarships awarded. Some of the nation’s Fortune 100 companies are among its funding supporters.

In addition to supporting UOG through scholarships, APIA Scholars also announced – in September 2021 – a partnership with UOG and seven other colleges and universities for a research program focused on strengthening the capacity for postsecondary institutions serving Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students.

Born in Guam, board member holds senior role in Disney

For APIA Scholars board member Nancy Lee, the Guam visit brought special meaning as she was born on the island and attended what was then Cathedral Grade School while her parents ran a coffee shop.

She said she keeps a lot of memories about Guam and views the island as paradise.

Nancy Lee has achieved success far from her Guam childhood to Wall Street where she managed certain merger-and-acquisition transactions, including Disney’s 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm Ltd. and its legendary Star Wars franchise in a $4.05 billion deal. She’s currently Senior Vice President at The Walt Disney Co. and Chief of Staff to the Company’s Executive Chairman.

This is Lee's second visit to Guam since her family left the island when she was 9 years old.

Asked what helped her achieve a high level of success, Nancy Lee mentioned her immigrant parents from South Korea gave her a solid foundation.

She also counts “a little bit of luck” as part of her success. 

She went on to earn a bachelor’s from the University of Chicago, an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, and a JD from Georgetown University Law Center.

“Having the best support system that I could possibly have – people who will be there for you and believe in you regardless,” was also crucial, she said.

What also drives success is a sense of self-worth even when hurdles stand in the way, she said. “Know that you’ll be OK, that you’ll be resilient, and you’ll be successful and capable of doing something cool,” she added.

How to apply

The APIA Scholarship Program application must be completed online and submitted electronically once all the required questions have been answered. 

The 2023-2024 APIA Scholars scholarship application must be submitted at: https://apply.mykaleidoscope.com/scholarships/apiascholars.