Deadline: 11:59 PM on Sunday, March 3, 2024

Amount: $3,000

Aki Kurose was an educator, peace activist and community organizer, and mother of six.  Aki Kurose loved children and thrived as a teacher.  Kurose’s effectiveness lay in her ability to engage all students regardless of their backgrounds.  Each day, class started with exercises outside.  There, students sent their angry, frustrated, or sad feelings into the atmosphere to clear the way for learning.  She often told people,

“Without peace, real learning cannot take place.  Real interaction with others, meaningful interaction, cannot take place.”

Aki Kurose embodied the principles of the JACL vision.  After her death, the Seattle JACL established a scholarship in her name to enable students to continue their higher education, which would enable them to give back to the community with the commitment shared by Aki Kurose and the Seattle JACL. Applicants for this scholarship must be starting their first year of post-secondary education (university, college, community college, or other educational institutions). The Aki Kurose Memorial Scholarship is a $3,000 scholarship and will be presented at the luncheon.

1. Applicant must be graduating or have graduated from the Seattle Public Schools.
2. Applicant must intend to enroll in a publicly funded school in Washington state, such as a community college, public technical school, or state university during the upcoming academic year.
3. Applicant must have a minimum 2.0 GPA.
4. The applicant must be an undergraduate student during the upcoming academic year, such as an incoming freshman or returning undergraduate.

1. Application and supporting documents must be uploaded by 11:59 PM on Sunday, March 3, 2024
2. Notification of interview status – Week of March 25, 2024
3. Online Zoom interview (required) – Saturday, April 20, 2024
4. Scholarship winners are invited to attend an awards lunch – Saturday, May 4, 2024

1. How does the applicant plan to give back to the community?
2. How does the applicant demonstrate experience and/or commitment to one or more of the following areas: Leadership, Community Service, Peace, Education or Teaching, Multiculturalism, and/or Science?
3. Applicant Financial Need

• A summary of your extra-curricular, work, and community activities. Please download and fill out this activities summary template.
• Essay
• Official transcript(s)
• Two recommendation forms: at least one recommendation must be submitted by a non-related teacher, counselor, school administrator, and/or employer; one recommendation can be submitted by a community leader.

The recommendation form can be downloaded here. Applicants are encouraged to download the form and send it to their recommenders.

Recommenders should submit the completed form on the Recommendation Form page: http://seattlejacl.org/letter-of-recommendation. Forms must be submitted by the application deadline.