NIRSA Foundation scholarships and travel stipends could not be awarded without the dedication of volunteer NIRSA members on the Scholarship Committee and Travel Stipend Committee. Serving on these committees is a great opportunity for anyone wishing to both learn more about the scholarship and travel stipend application review process and donate their time as a volunteer leader. Committee applications for the 2018–2019 leadership year are due by February 15!
“This is a perfect way to serve NIRSA and its members,” says Shomari Kee, Chair of the 2017–2018 Travel Stipend Committee and Associate Director of Programs at Florida Gulf Coast University. “Reading the applications which articulate the resolve and perseverance of the membership in the face of fiscal restraints among their institutions is an impactful experience for committee members. You develop a greater appreciation for the scholarships and stipends the NIRSA Foundation provides.”
Through scholarships and travel assistance stipends, which are presented by CORE Health & Fitness, the NIRSA Foundation will provide nearly 110 opportunities for NIRSA members to attend national NIRSA educations events in 2018.
“That value is irreplaceable,” says Jen Gudaz, EdD, Chair of the 2017–2018 Scholarship Committee and Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Physical Education & Recreational Services at Cornell University. “We work in a field that is constantly facing budget cuts and losing our professional development budgets.”
For both Shomari and Jen, reviewing applications submitted by NIRSA members is a rewarding experience. The applications reveal members’ campus rec origin stories. To Jen, “it allows a look into how others have found successes and joys in our field” and demonstrates the impact campus rec has had on their lives.
“These committees give a sense of appreciation for professional development opportunities, the value of financial resources, and our outstanding members and their determination to excellence,” Shomari says.
Apply by February 15! Appointments will be made in Spring 2018 and announced after the 2018 NIRSA Annual Conference & Campus Rec and Wellness Expo taking place in Denver, Colorado from March 4–7.
For more information about the committee application process and NIRSA leadership opportunities, please contact NIRSA Leadership Programs Coordinator Lani Beavers. For more information about the NIRSA Foundation, please contact a NIRSA Foundation Board member or NIRSA Foundation Coordinator Kelley Hungerford.
Kelley Hungerford is currently the Assistant Director of Expo & Corporate Relations at NIRSA.
