Mars High School Endowment Scholarship

Hello. My name is Teah Amato and I am a 15 year old sophomore. I am asking the community to help raise money to start an endowed scholarship fund for my school, Mars Area High School in Mars, Pennsylvania. I originally was looking for a scholarship for a college summer program that I am interested in. Through the course of my research, I came to realize that there are limited options for college scholarships for students at Mars Area High School. Most were specific to other high schools in the area. Your donation will help set up an endowed scholarship fund for Mars students. Your donation will not only help one student but will help a new student each year for as long as the scholarship exists. I realize the magnitude of this goal. I also realize it will be impossible for me to reach this goal without the help of my local community, but also the global community as well. By donating you would be helping to provide this amazing opportunity to Mars High School and its future generations of students.  I understand I will have to rely on the generosity of people who have never even heard of Mars, PA. Please know that your donation, no matter how large or small, will provide scholarship opportunities for many years after your donation was made. Here are some specifics about the endowment: 1. Once the goal is reached, the endowment will be turned over and managed by either the Mars Planet Foundation or the Pittsburgh Foundation. 2. The goal is to raise enough money to fund a $1,000 scholarship for a graduating senior who has been accepted to college or trade school. 3. A scholarship board will be made up of juniors and/or seniors at Mars Area High School that will be responsible for reviewing applications and awarding the scholarship. This will provide the students a leadership opportunity and introduce them to the importance of giving back to the community. Teachers, administrators, and/or foundation members will also be a part of the decision making board to provide oversight and direction. 4. The scholarship will be open to any Mars student that has a GPA of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 grading scale) and has been accepted to a post-high school program to further his/her education. In addition, an essay will have to be written explaining how he/she will use his/her future career to give back to the community. Scholarship board members will be ineligible. 5. The scholarship recipient will be selected in an objective and non-discriminatory basis. 6. While this cause grew out of me looking for scholarships for myself, I will be ineligible and 100% of this money will be used to set up an endowment fund for other Mars students. Thank you very much for your consideration and generosity.