Penn World Awards - $100,000 to a vet student!

[Okemu]

The Penn Vet Student Inspiration Awards will be given annually to two current Penn Vet students. Each of the two $100,000 awards is designed to inspire ambition and reward –
• Enterprise
• Creativity
• Vision
• Talent

http://www.vet.upenn.edu/worldaward/

I've never heard of awards like this, or even scholarships that award this much. Note that the money is unrestricted funding, so it doesn't go directly to a school or tutition (although we all know that $100000 just makes a [large] dent in debt, especially for Penn students) - you can do anything you want with it.

What do you think? Would this affect your decision about where to go to school? What would you do if you won?

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[hoodle]

Wow. no, that award certainly wouldn't impact my choice of vet school, but it sure is impressive. wow.

 

[cyrille104]

Haha, ok, we missed something here. The money isn't for your debt.

"The committee’s decisions will be based on 1,000-word essays outlining how applicants will use the funds to fulfill a life-changing dream in veterinary medicine."

"In addition, Commerce Bank will provide free financial planning services for the recipients of the $100,000 Student Opportunity Awards."

"Applicants selected as finalists for the Penn Vet Student Inspiration Awards will defend their proposals in interviews with the awards committee. A letter from the student’s faculty mentor must accompany each application."

So it's basically a grant to fund a project you want to do. You have to write and defend a proposal, commerce bank has to help you fund the project, and you need a professor to vouch for you.

In other words, a proposal that says "I want to make a dent in my debt" is not gonna fly.

 

[sundoggie]

Regardless..that is still an impressive award to be giving to TWO different students. Great way to get some dreams to come true (career-related that is)!

It wouldnt have necessarily influenced my choice of schools, but I already PICKED Penn..so yay!!

 

[tapir]

Here's an article from the DP (UPenn paper):
http://media.www.dailypennsylvanian...et.Creates.New.Leadership.Award-2878339.shtml

The 'currently enrolled students' bit makes it sound as if it isn't recurring.

 

[hoodle]

07/04/25/News/News-Brief.Penn.Vet.Creates.New.Leadership.Award-2878339.shtml[/url]

The 'currently enrolled students' bit makes it sound as if it isn't recurring.

I interpret that as "sucks for you if you graduated already". I don't think it necessarily implies anything about the award's longevity - but I suppose I could be wrong. Wouldn't they be making more of a big deal about it if it was a one-shot enterprise?

 

[PAThbrd]

Its an annual recurring thing. They announced it on Monday at a big teaching awards/party thing. It was pretty exciting. The Hills do a lot of stuff for the school.

 

[tapir]

PAThbrd, thanks for the info! Do you have a sense from the presentation of what types of projects they have in mind (benchwork, clinical adventures, a business idea), or is it truly open?

 

[PAThbrd]

It sounded like it was pretty open ended. They didnt really go into much detail beyond what they have on the website right now. The applications and such are supposed to be up in June so Id imagine one would have a much better idea of such things then.

 

[KittenKiller]

<drools all over the application>

how's that for a proposal?