The Amputee Coalition of America (ACA) is now accepting applications for the second annual Christina Skoski, MD Scholarship until March 15. The fund will once again award a one-time, $1,000 scholarship to a student with limb loss who has a special desire to learn and exhibits potential for success. The scholarship is only open to undergraduate students who will be entering or who are already attending a 4-year college.
To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be amputees and have a minimum high-school grade-point average (GPA) of 3.5 and a minimum ACT score of 30 or SAT score of 1340. They must also submit a letter of recommendation from a high school adviser. Additionally, the student or his or her parent/legal guardian must be a current member of the ACA. All majors are welcome.
Applications will only be accepted by online submission through the ACA Web site at amputee-coalition.org/scholarship. The scholarship recipient will be announced no later than May 31.
The 2009 recipient of the scholarship was Susannah Engdahl, a straight-A student who was born missing portions of both feet and arms.
“I was honored to be the first recipient of the Christina Skoski, MD, Scholarship,” she said in a news release. “It was particularly helpful for me as a first-year student because it allowed me to focus on adjusting to college-level academics without also having to worry about money.”
Skoski, a longtime member of the ACA and its medical advisory committee, is a staunch advocate of higher education as a way for amputees to gain greater self-sufficiency, overcome life’s obstacles, and advance causes for people living with limb loss.
“Because of my education I’ve had a wonderful career, which afforded me a fulfilling, successful and interesting life,” Skoski said in a press release. “I hope this scholarship will encourage young amputees to set high goals and pursue their dreams, whatever their interests.”