Britt Harris Eason 2018 Scholarship
Eligibility: Female students who are enrolled in St. Mary's Academy (New Orleans) high school during the 2018-2019 school year.
Instructions
1. DEADLINE for scholarship application is Thursday, November 29, 2018, 10:00 pm Central Standard Time (online application closes).
2. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
3. Refer to criteria below for eligibility requirements.
4. The school counselor will be contacted to verify academic information.
5. If a question does not apply to you in this application please put 'N/A' in the space.
6. The scholarship recipients will be notified by email and phone no later than Friday December 7, 2018.
7. Applications must be submitted online. Click the “Start Application” button below.
8. If you have any questions about the application, please email your questions to: britt@lifeatstartupcamp.com
Eligibility Criteria:
1. Must be a current female student at St. Mary’s Academy and plan to enroll in St. Mary’s Academy high school in the 2018-2019 school year.
2. Must have at least a 2.8 GPA.
Awards:
The $6000 scholarship fund will divided and allocated to three (3) recipients who will each receive a $2000 tuition award. The award will be transferred to the school to credit the student’s account by January 2019. The award will be allocated for tuition during the 2018-2019 school year only. Note: No cash will be given to the student due to tax purposes.
Preview application here.
NEWS
Eason: Paying back the school that changed her life
Clarion Herald: Published on Thursday, 26 January 2017
Britt Harris Eason heard the story often from her mother. After her mom attended Xavier Prep for her freshman and sophomore years, her family no longer could afford the tuition, forcing her to switch to a public school.
One generation later, Eason is determined to do what she can to keep that from happening to other deserving students each year.
Since 2010, the 1999 St. Mary’s Academy graduate has donated $6,000 to $8,000 annually to her alma mater to provide scholarship funds for current students. It is a gift of love, motivated by her mother’s difficult experience with economic realities.
“I wanted to give back to St. Mary’s,” Eason, 35, said. “My mom was one of those students who had to drop out because her family couldn’t afford it any more. I know what that school meant to her, and I knew about her experience. If you want to attend St. Mary’s, money shouldn’t be why you’re not able to go there.”
FAQS:
What inspired you to start this scholarship?
My mother attended Xavier Preparatory school in the 9th and 10th grade, but her family was unable to continue to pay her tuition in the middle of her 10th grade year and she had to leave school. She was devastated and was determined to give me the opportunity that she did not have by enrolling me at St. Mary’s Academy. My family believed that SMA would provide academic development, confidence, discipline (keep me out of trouble) to me.
I want to give students who are from urban areas the inspiration to create social and economic change in their communities. I also want their families to have less of a financial burden as it relates to paying for an education. This way, families are less stressed and students are able to cultivate ideas that inspire their community.
Why start a scholarship at St. Mary’s Academy?
I graduated from SMA in 1999 and the Sisters of the Holy Family inspired me to aspire to serve my community. SMA also gave me the foundation and confidence to succeed. Since the scholarship's inception, over $36,000 has been awarded to SMA students.
Founder's background:
Britt Harris Eason grew up in New Orleans, LA and graduated from St. Mary’s Academy in 1999. After high school, she enrolled at Louisiana State University and was very active on campus and served as a leader in many organizations including Advocates for Better Body Image, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, and Alpha Kappa Psi Business Fraternity. She joined Accenture in 2004. She designed innovative technology systems and solutions for Fortune 100 companies in the Oil and Gas, Chemicals, Aerospace and Defense, and Government industries. While at Accenture, Britt also started a web design and database company that served small businesses and non-profits. She has continued to work at several companies in the technology industry.
She is a social entrepreneur who is active in organizations that promote social and economic improvement. After hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005, she started Cultivate Our Minds, a program that helps students learn to be enterprising and resourceful in business and technology. She holds a B.S. in Information Systems & Decision Sciences (Statistics) from LSU, a Master's in Technology, Innovation, and Education from Harvard University, and an M.B.A from the Berkeley-Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. She currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.