Scholarships awarded to academic probation students

By Daniel DeMarco |Assistant Features Editor|

Academic probation often leads to academic failure.

Last quarter, 41 students proved that they can raise to the occasion and work to new opportunities.

“Hard work pays off. When one applies themselves anything can be accomplished,” said Wesley House, one of the two students rewarded with a $500 scholarship.

Wesley House and Jeannette Jacques were the students awarded with the scholarship for their work in Fall quarter 2013.

Jacques said she is paying for school all on her own without loans or financial aid and that the scholarship was a “good opportunity for me to get rewarded for all the hard work I put into Fall quarter.”

House is pursuing a B.A. in Psychology and earned a 3.66 GPA for the quarter, while Jacques is pursuing a B.A. in Criminal Justice and earned a 3.9 GPA.

Both students made the Dean’s List as well.

The scholarship is meant for students that are on administrative contract with the office due to academic probation stemming from their cumulative or CSUSB GPA dropping below a 2.0.

Students must meet certain requirements with their contracts for the office. or they will face consequences which may include registering to one of the office’s University Studies courses or even be dropped from classes and dismissed from the university.

To be eligible for the scholarship the student must earn at least a 3.2 GPA for the quarter and apply for the scholarship which includes writing an essay about the student’s “resiliency.”

The scholarship was originally called the Academic Resiliency Scholarship, but is now called the Dianna J. Pelletier Resiliency Scholarship.

It is in honor of an academic advisor at CSUSB that passed away in 2012.

“Preference goes to students who do not receive financial aid and we try to give at least two scholarships per quarter,” said Matthew Markin, one of the academic advisors involved in the selection process for the scholarship.

“This is something our staff looks forward to every quarter as we all participate in reviewing the applications and essays from students. We take into consideration the student’s GPA, classes taken, and their individual circumstances that originally placed them on probation,” continued Markin.

Out of those who were on administrative contract in Fall 2013, 41 students earned a 3.2 GPA or higher for the quarter.

House said, “Because I worked hard the previous quarter I met the qualifications for the scholarship and I believe I had a good motivational story to all students but especially to the students who are also parents.”

Jacques believes she got more out of the experience and the scholarship than just money for school.

“When you mess up your first chance and you’re put on academic probation, you feel bad about yourself and it’s easier to quit. When you realize people still believe in you, your motivation increases,” mentioned Jacques.

Jacques has made her education a priority in her life now and has a message to those in the position that she once was.

“Evaluate yourself. Ask your yourself if you are ready to make all the sacrifices necessary to have a good GPA? It’s not easy and you have to study a lot. You miss most of your social events. If getting your degree is important to you then you better be ready to prove it,” said Jacques.