Rotary Club of Mount Pleasant
Alan Hamilton Memorial Scholarship
THE PROGRAM
The Rotary Club of Mt. Pleasant is a service organization that annually awards a scholarship to an outstanding student / citizen who resides in the East Cooper area.
The scholarship is limited to recent high school graduates and intended for undergraduate studies at accredited four-year colleges or universities. Scholarships are awarded without regard to race, color, creed, religion, gender or disability.
THE HISTORY
Our club has been awarding 4-year scholarships to local youth for more than 20 years. Members of our club volunteer to serve on the selection committee annually.
Alan Hamilton was a devoted committee member for years until his unexpected death in 2012. Alan was a kind and generous husband, father and Rotarian. To honor Alan’s contributions to our club and the Mt. Pleasant community, we renamed the scholarship in his honor.
SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS
The award is $1,500 for the first year of study and may be renewed in the amount of $2,000, $2,500 and $3,000 for successive years in which the student maintains a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher. A student’s GPA must be documented by provision of a transcript to the Scholarship Committee following each spring semester. If a student does not maintain a 3.0 GPA they will lose the balance of their 4-year award period. The committee reserves the right to review each case and the circumstances leading to the ineligibility and may elect to instill a probationary period or a reinstatement opportunity if the student successfully meets the eligibility requirements for two semesters.
ELIGIBILITY
Applicants and award recipients must be a graduating senior, a full-time resident of the East Cooper area, and a citizen of the United States. Applicants must also carry a total four-year GPA of at least 3.0 based on a 4.0 scale.
RECIPIENT SELECTION
Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of academic achievement, leadership and participation in school and community activities, honors, work experience, statement of educational and career goals, and recommendation from a faculty representative of the applicant’s high school. Our bias is towards applicants choosing to attend public colleges and universities located in South Carolina, but this is not an absolute factor. Three or more scholarship finalists will be selected for a short, individual interview with the scholarship committee to determine the most qualified applicant.
APPLICATION PROCESS
TYPED applications must be e-mailed to mtpleasantrotary@gmail.com. Handwritten or paper applications will not be accepted. A brief note of recommendation from the applicant’s high school faculty representative and an official grade transcript should accompany the application. Applications are due by April 1st. Interviews of the finalists will be held in late April. The scholarship recipient’s check will be presented at a Rotary Club of Mount Pleasant meeting in June.