WDAD SHARKS SCHOLARSHIPS!
The Sharks Executive Board is proud to announce, that due to the success of last year's Swimathon, the Sharks will be awarding SENIOR SWIMMER SCHOLARSHIPS! As of 4/23, (2) $500 scholarships have been approved for 2024. If this year's Swimathon is as successful or better, additional or increased awards may be possible - SO LET'S RAISE SOME MONEY FOUR OUR DESERVING SENIOR SHARKS!
The general structure and guidelines for the awards were approved in April, with more specific criteria to be determined and approved in upcoming May and June meetings, and then to be published on this site.
Process
Each respective year, applying seniors will typically submit 3 required documents to the executive board (see current year/season section of site for current details):
1. A Sharks Scholarship Application
2. A list of academic and extracurricular achievements
3. An essay
After applications have been received, the executive board will submit to the coaches a list of all applying seniors. The coaches will respond by presenting to the board an evaluation/score for each applicant's participation and effort over the course their Sharks career - i.e. "Sharks Dedication"
The executive board will make its own evaluation/score for each applicant's participation and effort in supporting the team outside of the pool - i.e. "Sharks Spirit"
The executive board will then assign each applicant a random number, attach their anonymous information and scores to that number, and then present it to an appointed, independent scholarship committee comprised of parents who do not have children currently eligible for the awards.
The scholarship committee will anonymously evaluate and score each assigned number's achievements and essay, review and combine all scores to determine each number's total score; and then present to the executive board those numbers achieving the awards. The executive board will determine the names of the scholarship winners attached to the deserving numbers, and the scholarships will then be announced and awarded at the End of Year Banquet.
Eligibility
FOR 2024, ALL SENIOR SWIMMERS ARE ELIGIBLE
Beginning in 2025 and thereafter, eligible seniors shall have a minimum GPA of 2.5
Beginning in 2025 and thereafter, eligible seniors shall be on the Sharks a minimum of 2 years, with the exception of swimmers having recently changed residence.
Beginning in 2026 and thereafter, eligible seniors shall be on the Sharks a minimum of 3 years, with the exception of swimmers having recently changed residence.
General Criteria Structure
For each and every season, each applying senior swimmer will be given a cumulative score, based on the following structure:
YEARS ON SWIM TEAM - 1pt for every year the applicant was a member of the swim team, whether as a Shark, Frog, Water Rat, or Wahoo (Adjustments to be made for those applicants having changed residency within the previous 10 years)
Maximum 14pts - Minimum 3 pts required to be eligible (beginning in 2026)
ESSAY - Scholarship committee’s anonymous, collective evaluation of applicant’s submission of a 250-to-1000 word essay answering the question: “How has being a member of the swim team effected your life in a positive way?”
Maximum 10pts - Minimum standard of 2 pts required for award
SHARKS TEAM SPIRIT- Executive Board’s collective evaluation of applicant’s participation and effort in supporting the team and positively effecting it’s esprit de corp as a whole during the applicant’s entire Sharks Swim Team non-competitive career
Maximum 25pts - Minimum standard of 10pts required for award
SHARKS DEDICATION - Coaches’ collective evaluation of applicant’s participation and effort in practice, development, competition and teammate support during the applicant’s entire Sharks Swim Team competitive career
Maximum 25pts - Minimum standard of 10pts required for award
ACADEMIC/EXTRACURRICULAR LIST - Scholarship committee’s anonymous, collective evaluation of the applicants’ academic, work and extracurricular careers, as presented by the applicant’s submission
Maximum 30pts - Minimum standard of 15pts required for award
Total of 104 possible points
Minimum standard of 50pts required for award
