T-L Photo/KIM NORTH
SYDNEY KLOSS, third from left, is the 2017 recipient of the Bridgeport Rotary Scholarship. The Bridgeport senior will attend Duquesne University in the fall and major in physical therapy. Pictured are, from left, incoming Bridgeport Rotary Club President Kelly Kotur; Kloss's grandfather, Jack Kloss; Kloss; and Bridgeport Exempted Village Schools Superintendent Zac Shutler.
Jonathan Steigleman, 18, a senior at Anchorage Christian School has received an scholarship to play the video game "League of Legends" at Southwest Baptist University. (Bill Roth / Alaska Dispatch News)
Gone are the days when hardcore gamers were relegated to their parent's basements, sipping energy drinks and munching on Hot Pockets while smashing away on their keyboards until the wee hours of the morning.
Nowadays, the best high school gamers can receive college scholarships to play at a highly competitive level and get an education at the same time.
This fall, Anchorage Christian senior Jonathan Steigleman will become what is believed to be the first Alaska gamer to attend college on a scholarship for competitive gaming — known as "esports" — when he joins the "League of Legends" team at Southwest Baptist University in Missouri.
"Every night when I'm going to sleep I get excited (thinking about it)," Steigleman said. "I'm going to college to play a video game and do what I love.
"It's going to be amazing."
Paid to play
When Steigleman first told his dad about a potential esports scholarship, his dad didn't believe it.
"He's like 'Yeah right, you're not going to get a scholarship for playing a video game. That doesn't happen,' " Steigleman said. "When I actually got the scholarship offer, I think that's when it hit him that it was actually happening."
Not only was it happening, but Steigleman had his pick of "League of Legends" scholarships from three schools, including Robert Morris, the first university to start a esports program in 2014.
"League of Legends," also known simply as "League" or "LoL," is a game that pits two teams of five players against each other in an online battle arena, where the goal is to destroy the other team's base. Each player controls his or her own fantasy-type character, called a champion, with its own set of attacks, abilities and roles.
Steigleman will play the role of "jungler," which is a position that assists the other four players on the team, sort of like a point guard in basketball or a libero in volleyball.
Steigleman said he was first introduced to the game by a friend in middle school, but it wasn't until later, when he picked it up again on his own, that he became hooked. Before long, he was playing every day and improving by watching professional players online and researching intricate parts of the game.
Eventually, he wasn't just watching professional players, he was actually playing with them — like an amateur basketball player getting into a pick-up game with Michael Jordan or LeBron James.
"The first time I played with (a pro), it was pretty surreal," Steigleman said. "It was like, I don't feel like I'm that good, how can I be playing with pros right now?
"It probably motivated me more than anything to just play more. These are people I've been watching play the game and win money, so it was pretty exciting."
Steigleman said one of his most exciting moments was when he hit what's called the diamond league, putting him in the top 2 percent of players in a game that features tens of millions of players every month.
Still, his dad wasn't impressed.
"I found my dad and told him (and) he was like, 'OK, I don't know what that means, but congratulations,' " Steigleman said.
Southwestern Baptist coach Chris Allison said he liked Steigleman's ability to think outside the box when he watched him play online during the recruiting process, which was part of the reason he offered him a spot on the team.
"The way he does things is not the way I see everyone do it," Allison said. "He's largely self-taught, so he just has a lot of raw ability in the game."
Growing scene on campuses
Two years ago, Allison was trying to figure out ways to reach new groups of students on the Southwest Baptist campus. He heard about a few universities with gaming programs and wondered if it was something that could work at SBU.
So he started SBU's eventual esports program in an old closet on the corner of campus.
"We pulled together some funds and renovated an old closet and installed eight Xbox Ones and created our first Xbox arena on campus," Allison said.
The new program drew students — about 8 percent of SBU's undergraduate population — who were not participating in other campus clubs or intramural sports.
"That's where the data started to point that we might want to invest in this path," Allison said.
The game scene, with classic games like the first-person shooter franchises "Halo" and "Call of Duty," has had professional players and teams for more than a decade. But it wasn't until the last few years that a handful of universities decided to explore the growing industry of competitive gaming.
Last fall, Southwest Baptist became the 15th school in the nation to offer scholarships for esports. Allison said that number is growing.
"I think right now that number is up over 30 schools that have officially launched programs with scholarships available, (and) last I heard projection was over 60 for next fall," he said.
Allison said college enrollment is down nationwide and schools are looking for ways to boost enrollment. One way to do that is to delve into a world that attracts millions of people.
Steigleman plays the video game "League of Legends" at home. (Bill Roth / Alaska Dispatch News)
But is it a sport?
Allison said one of the most common questions he's asked is whether esports should be considered a sport or not.
His answer? It's not a sport, it's esports.
"Some people like to say 'electronic sports,' but we don't really say "electronic mail" anymore," Allison said. "It's just email. It has it's own identity.
"Eventually esports will have that for all people as well."
Traditional sports audiences and esports audiences may be different, but some organizations are investing in both. ESPN's website has a section devoted to esports and the NBA announced plans to launch an NBA 2K esports league for the popular basketball video game next year.
The NACE provides a spring playoff tournament, with the top winners advancing to Riot Games' University League of Legends (uLoL) tournaments, Allison said.
Putting down the headset
Gamers aren't successful without some focus on nongaming activities in their lives, Allison said. Part of Southwest Baptist's esports training routine includes physical activity three days a week.
"We want to make sure that students are taken care of not just for the esport itself, but physically and mentally and they're prepared on all those fronts," Allison said.
Steigleman said his biggest hobby outside of gaming is singing. He is a tenor in the ACS choir and plans to join the college choir as well.
He also enjoys working with computers — he built his own computer as a sophomore — and plans to study computer science in college.
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Two Cranston students are among six high school seniors who will head off to freshman year sharing $100,000 in college scholarships from the Rhode Island Foundation.
Taleen Donoyan and Diana Iglesias will receive the four-year, renewable scholarships the Foundation's Roger Williams Initiative, which honors the state's founding farther. Conceived of and funded by philanthropists Letitia and John Carter, the annual program will begin accepting applications from next year's senior class in October.
"Roger Williams believed in the importance of learning from those around him. Thanks to the foresight of the Carters, we are able to inspire students and their parents to think big about what's possible for their future," said Neil Steinberg, the Foundation's president and CEO.
More than 120 students applied for this inaugural round of scholarships. The six recipients were selected based on financial need, appreciation for Roger Williams' values and record of academic achievement and community service.
"It is clear from the quality of the applications that these students see Roger Williams as a set of living ideals and not just an historical figure. We hope our support helps these six young people achieve great things," said John Carter.
Donoyan plans to attend the University of Rhode Island.
"The Roger Williams Scholarship has not only provided me the opportunity to become more confident about being able to comfortably accomplish my goals in higher education, but has molded me into a more confident individual having my accomplishments and achievements be validated in such a rewarding and honorable way," she said. "I am very optimistic for what my goals in Nursing hold and the Roger Williams scholarship is another helping hand to guide me towards a successful career and college experience, and for that I am very thankful."
In her application, Donoyan had this to say about the impact Roger Williams still has today.
"Roger Williams' drive, determination and resilience gave him the all the power and means to achieve his goals and become a pioneer and advocate for freedom and tolerance in religion, culture and simply matters of conscience and new ideas. In my life, whether in school, outside of school, in my community and beyond, these traits that Roger Williams exemplified through his achievements have helped me to develop my own methods of success and have helped mold my character into the independent, ambitious and passionate Rhode Islander that I am today," she wrote.
"As a first generation citizen of immigrant parents from Syria and Lebanon, I have been told the stories of my parents' journeys to America in order to escape a life of war and begin building a new life in what they saw as the promised land. I have been brought up in a family of determined and driven people - people who appear as any average folk, but in reality have endured hardship, resistance and brutality, just as Roger Williams himself experienced in his journey in establishing the Providence Plantations, in hopes of revolutionizing peoples' thoughts on new and different religion, culture and lifestyles," Donoyan wrote.
"Much the same, Roger Williams, having been banished from the Massachusetts colony in 1635, did not throw away what he had learned in his years as a minister and reformed theologian. Instead he used it to his advantage, maintaining his integrity and pushing through adversity- having no land accept his beliefs, he established his own colony, offering refuge to those who had endured his same fate and were drawn to his "new and dangerous ideas," she added.
Iglesias plans to attend Providence College.
"The Roger Williams scholarship has impacted me tremendously. It gave me a boost of confidence, knowing that I can attend a college and not have to worry about financial circumstances, and I can attain my goal of majoring in the business field," she said.
In her application, Iglesias had this to say about the impact Roger Williams still has today.
"It is still so surreal to me, so many intelligent students at my school competing, and with my devotion I achieved it all and managed to get through all my four years of high school, like Roger Williams' devotion led him to many of his achievements," she wrote. "I had implemented Roger Williams' characteristics of diligence to continue striving for my aspiration and goals, because I am proud to be an educated Latina, proving to many individuals that we can all achieve our dreams if we put our minds to it, just like Roger Williams."
Joining Donoyan and Iglesias as this year's scholarship recipients are Kelsey Dellinger of North Kingstown, Fatou Dieng of Woonsocket, Ngan "Kim" Le of Woonsocket and Night Jean Muhingabo of Providence.
In addition to the scholarships, the Roger Williams Initiative includes a free online education hub offering activities and discussion starters on Roger Williams and his teachings for elementary, middle and high school educators to use in their classrooms. The site - findingrogerwilliams.com - also offers researchers a comprehensive collection of verifiable information about Roger Williams, his life, legacy and character.
"By providing access to resources and opportunities inspired by our state's founder and his teachings, we are promoting a sense of place and awareness for all Rhode Islanders," said Jessica David, the Foundation's senior vice president for strategy and community investment, who led the project.
The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. In 2016, the Foundation awarded a record $45 million in grants to organizations addressing the state's most pressing issues and needs of diverse communities. Through leadership, fundraising and grantmaking activities, often in partnership with individuals and organizations, the Foundation is helping Rhode Island reach its true potential. For more information, visit www.rifoundation.org.
ROGER THAT:
Cranston residents Taleen Donoyan and Diana Iglesias are among six high school seniors who will head off to freshman year sharing $100,000 in college scholarships from the Rhode Island Foundation.
As New Mexico's higher education officials near a deadline for deciding whether to roll back scholarship assistance for tens of thousands of college students, lottery officials said Thursday they're transferring less money into the fund that supports the program.
Transfers of lottery proceeds through April are lagging by nearly $8 million compared to the same time last year. Projections show the overall return to the scholarship fund by the end of this fiscal year is expected to fall short of last year's levels by about $9 million.
New Mexico has struggled in recent years to find a solution to solvency problems with the program. Legislators during their regular session did not pass any measures that would affect the program's long-term bottom line, leaving higher education officials to sort out how to stretch the funding.
Some have warned that the scholarships might only pay 70 percent of tuition starting next fall.
State officials are still crunching the numbers and the Higher Education Department said Thursday it will make a decision by June 1.
Tuition and demand for the financial aid have outpaced revenues from lottery sales since 2009, forcing lawmakers to be creative.
When ticket sales did not provide enough funding, legislators turned to liquor excise revenues but now that funding is being phased out and the urgency is growing as the state grapples with a budget crisis.
New Mexico is among several states that offer scholarships paid for with lottery revenues. However, the state is among one of the poorest in the nation and a place where higher education is seen as a luxury by some who have a difficult time meeting eligibility requirements and rounding up needed financial aid.
Advocates are worried that any decrease in the scholarship awards could result in fewer students pursuing degrees. More than 30,000 students now receive the scholarships.
Lottery Chairman Dan Salzwedel is blaming what he called artificial barriers for keeping the lottery from maximizing sales.
Pointing to an existing requirement that 30 percent of lottery sales be funneled to the scholarship program, he and others have suggested that repealing the requirement would free up more money for higher prize payouts, which would boost sales and result in more proceeds for scholarships.
Lottery officials said similar moves have helped scholarship programs in Arizona, Colorado, Texas and Oklahoma.
"The dynamics are simple. Without legislative relief from the mandate, my worst fear is that next year we will be reporting another decline in lottery transfers," he said.
Annual revenue for the scholarship fund plateaued at $46 million last year, while tuition costs for eligible students are closer to $60 million a year, according to state higher education and lottery officials.
Fred Nathan, executive director of the Think New Mexico nonpartisan policy analysis group, said revenues fluctuate each year.
"So it is not surprising that they are down from last year's record high," he said. "The 30 percent requirement is the only accountability measure that ensures that dollars for scholarships are maximized."
Before the requirement, Nathan said less than a quarter of every dollar bet on the lottery went to scholarships.
The figures released Thursday also show that monthly proceeds this fiscal year exceeded last year's levels only twice in a 10-month period.
Lottery officials also are warning lawmakers who meet next week for a special session that doing away with the lottery's gross receipts tax exemption could further harm the scholarship fund.
Newcastle University demonstrating its commitment to the Indian students has announced exclusive scholarships for India in conjunction with British Council under the GREAT scheme. Newcastle University is offering their GREAT Scholarship Scheme to five Indian students and invites graduate and post graduate students from India for a scholarship award of £5,000 payable towards the first year of tuition fees. The students need to meet the conditions of the offer for a place on one of the courses in Newcastle University.
In order to be eligible to apply for the scholarships the candidate must satisfy the following conditions:
For under graduate students:Must be a Indian national and have been assessed as international/overseas for fees purposesMust hold an Unconditional offer on any Undergraduate degree programme at Newcastle city campusMust intend to register to start your studies during the 2017-18 academic yearShould be self-funded student and not in receipt of other University or external awardsMust have achieved an overall of 80% in standard 12th OR AAB in A levels OR 36 IB points
For post graduate students:Must be a Indian national and have been assessed as international/overseas for fees purposesMust hold a Conditional or Unconditional offer on any master's degree programme at Newcastle city campusMust intend to register to start your studies during the 2017-18 academic yearShould be a self-funded student and not in receipt of other University or external awardsMust have an average of 70% or above in your Bachelors degree. If you are yet to complete your degree we will assess you on the basis of your results to date, providing you have achieved an average of 70% or above and you are expecting to maintain/ increase this in your final semester/year. Students with CGPA scores can also apply if your percentage equivalence is 70% and above.
The candidates have to submit their application online before May 30th, 2017 to qualify for the scholarship.
For more information, please contact:Preety Bansal, County Manager India, Newcastle University, UKEmail: india@ncl.ac.uk
Community is our life at CMX. We always want to give back and encourage everyone to be part of our community and we especially love seeing all of you at CMX Summit, our 2-day annual conference happening September 19-20 in Los Angeles.
While we're implementing many improvements to bring everyone together—from having one unified, annual conference to moving the location to LA for growth opportunity—we realize not everyone can afford to attend CMX Summit. Some of you may have been laid off recently. (I was in that boat last CMX Summit.) Some of you may work for tiny startups or nonprofits or are students just getting your feet wet in the world of community management. Or some others of you may also be from historically underrepresented groups who may not want to take a personal, monetary risk on CMX Summit.
That's why we're so excited to be able to offer the CMX Summit Conference Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship. We believe in taking actionable steps toward building diverse, accessible, and inclusive communities and conferences. And this is one of them!
Our scholarship program is here to encourage and recognize people of all races, ethnicities, genders, ages, abilities, religions, sexual orientations, military service, and more. To help break down the barriers that prevent underrepresented groups from participating at CMX Summit, we're offering scholarships to members of underrepresented groups in the community management industry. We will be providing 20 scholarships this year.
Let's give a round of applause to one of our sponsors, Shopify, for supporting this scholarship and making it possible for us to give scholarship recipients travel funds. All credit goes to Shopify, who, during our chats, specifically asked about inclusion and diversity programs they could support. We love partners who have strong values that go beyond just talk, but actually manifest themselves in action.
Since we're investing in LA as the new home of CMX Summit, half of our scholarships are set aside specifically for residences of the greater LA area. Please note, though, that LA recipients will have a reduced travel budget.
Okay, the scholarship goods!Costs will be reimbursed by CMX, and recipients will need to keep expense receipts up to reimbursement limits.
RequirementsSome of the fine details: Applicants may not be awarded a CMX Summit's scholarship more than once. Scholarship recipients are responsible for arranging their own travel and lodging. Recipients are responsible for their own financial reporting. Due to limited availability, only one scholarship may be awarded per company. As cisgender women represent over 60% of attendees at CMX Summit, they are not considered an underrepresented group in our industry (kind of refreshing, isn't it?).
ApplicationAll applications must be submitted by Friday, June 16 at 5pm PDT for CMX Summit 2017.
We're thrilled to to have these scholarships on offer. We will notify everyone who submits an application of our decision either way. If you have any questions or pontifications, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected]
HARRISONBURG — Giving back comes naturally for Zack Noftsinger.
The 18-year-old Spotswood High School senior earned the rank of Eagle Scout for helping Hope Distributed, a local nonprofit that provides food, clothing and furniture to those in financial need.
He helped with a food drive and landscaping and installed gutters at its facility on Boyers Road.
"I'm always putting others ahead of me in the name of love," said Noftsinger, the son of Cindy and the late John Noftsinger. "I have a compassion for my community."
For his efforts, he received a $5,000 scholarship from the Rotary Club of Harrisonburg. He plans to attend James Madison University in the fall, majoring in business and public administration.
He was among eight students from Harrisonburg and Rockingham County to receive scholarships during the club's meeting Monday at the Elks Lodge in Harrisonburg.
In second place, Ninoska Bertran, 18, a senior at Harrisonburg High School, received $3,500.
"With an unparalleled love for humanity, Ninoska is constantly working to serve the underprivileged," said Tom Mendez, her Rotary mentor.
Bertran plans to attend Blue Ridge Community College to pursue a career in international business or marketing
Finishing third and receiving $2,500 was Peter Miller, an 18-year-old senior at Broadway High School.
In a letter of recommendation, one of Miller's teachers wrote: "Peter makes his classmates feel valued and pushes them to think differently and work hard. As a result, it is obvious that his classmates hold him in high esteem."
Miller, the son of Tom and Barbara Miller, plans to attend Christopher Newport University as a premedicine student with a major in biology.
This year, the club awarded $16,500 in scholarships, with each student receiving at least $1,100.
Over the last 30 years, the Rotary has handed out more than $200,000 in scholarships, which are given to those who excel in community service.
This year, the civic group received 23 applications.
Those selected had more than 20,900 combined hours of community service throughout their high school careers.
"We believe these students will certainly continue to serve wherever their paths take them," said Courtney Teague, co-chairwoman of the club's scholarship committee.
