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New PALCS Scholarships for Class of 2026!
The PALCS Shining Stars Scholarship recognizes a graduating senior who has demonstrated exceptional resilience, personal growth, and perseverance in the face of challenges, while maintaining a commitment to their education, school, and community.
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for the scholarship, you must:
Be a graduating junior or senior in the Class of 2026 at The Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School.
Be attending a U.S. institution in Fall 2026
There is no GPA requirement, and students pursuing both traditional four-year, community college, and technical/trade pathways are encouraged to apply.
Essay Prompt (500–650 words)
In a narrative essay, tell your story in 500-650 words. How have you demonstrated exceptional resilience, personal growth, or perseverance in your life?
Answer the following questions in your essay (not all have to apply):
What challenge(s) have you faced?
How have you continued to grow in your education, school, and community? Think about growth in your engagement, growth in grades, and growth in your own behaviors and decision-making.
How have you continued to participate in school? Think about your participation in virtual lessons and student activities and clubs.
How have you advocated for yourself with your teachers, counselors, or learning coach?
How have you contributed to your community through service or volunteer work?
And finally, how have you impacted others through your honesty, empathy, and respect? How have you been a positive role model for your peers, school, or community?
Once they have been collected, the essay submissions will be read and scored by a committee of counselors and teachers at PALCS. The student selected for the 2026 Shining Star will receive a $1,000 scholarship that will be sent to the college/university where the student is attending.
Things to remember:
Your story carries more weight than the quality of writing.
Your essay should be revised and edited, but focus on telling your story.
The committee wants to see how you rise above the rest in your determination to succeed.
DO NOT USE AI. Your story should be your story. The committee wants to hear your voice to tell your story. Any AI usage could disqualify you from being selected.
The scholarship will be open for submissions starting on Tuesday, February 24.
Submissions are due by 11:59 PM on Tuesday, April 21, and a decision will be shared out by mid-May.
Rubric
Rubric
Content: Shining above the rest.
The narrative clearly explains the challenge(s) the student had to face, including what happened and how the challenge affected them. The narrative clearly explains how the student overcame or persevered through their challenge. The narrative includes details about the student’s resiliency and commitment to their education and their personal growth. The narrative explains what the student learned and how they applied, or are continuing to apply, that lesson in their life.
Resilience
The essay clearly and insightfully explains resilience using strong, specific examples. Evidence is well-chosen and thoroughly analyzed to show how the character responds to setbacks and grows from challenges.
Personal Growth
The essay clearly demonstrates personal growth with a thoughtful explanation of how experiences lead to change. Reflection is insightful and well connected to examples.
Perseverance
The essay thoroughly explains perseverance over time, using strong evidence to show sustained effort despite obstacles. Analysis clearly connects actions to the trait.
Commitment to Education
The essay clearly explains commitment to education using specific examples (effort, seeking help, goal-setting). Reasoning is strong and well supported.
Character and Integrity
The essay thoughtfully analyzes character and integrity using strong examples of honesty, responsibility, empathy, or respect. Explanation shows deep understanding.
Impact on Others
The essay clearly explains how actions impact others in a meaningful way, supported by strong examples and thoughtful analysis.
Essay Writing Skills: Shining above the rest.
The essay itself is well-developed, well-organized, and clearly edited. The essay demonstrates control of the writing process, and it directly answers all relevant questions provided in the prompt. Overall, the essay provides enough organized content so the reader understands what the student faced, how the student overcame the challenge(s), and how the student has supported others.
The student develops their narrative with examples of resilience, describing how they have or how they are moving forward in the face of challenges. The student describes their positive mindset, their progress toward being more positive, or the lessons they have learned about moving past difficult challenges.
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