Lary and Michele Kuehn Creative Arts Scholarship

Lary and Michele Kuehn established the Lary and Michele Kuehn Creative Arts Scholarship in search of sophomore-level students enrolled at any campus of NCTC who think “outside of the box”. A student with a minimum of 30 earned collegiate credit hours with at least a 2.7 cumulative GPA in any discipline, with intent to advance to a four-year college, may apply for this scholarship. Students in STEM fields (including technological, horticultural, medical, equine and livestock majors) need to expand their creativity to excel in today’s challenging business environment. Liberal Arts students are urged to channel their inherent creativity to enhance their career path forward. The scholarship funds may be used for any course work, books, or collegiate expenses required to complete a NCTC Associate Degree. The criteria for scholarship selection lies with the creativity the student shows.

Requirements for this scholarship:
1) An essay (minimum of 250 words) explaining how the student meshes his/her “creative life” into his/her school curriculum.
2) A college transcript documenting 30 or more credit hours and a at least a 2.7 cumulative GPA
3) A “Portfolio” of two or more complete creative projects (no partial sample); the exception being a novel in which three or more chapters will constitute Portfolio examples. All projects should have been produced in the prior 18-24 months. Date documentation required as proof, but any awards or recognition from contest entries and/or rejection letters received from agents or publishers will prove valid commitment.
4) A letter from the Department Chair should be uploaded into the application. The staff member does not have to judge the applicant’s creativity, only that the applicant submitted the idea to him/her.
5) An uploaded Recommendation Letter either from the Department Chair or from some other personal source recommending the applicant for this scholarship.

Award
$500
Deadline
Supplemental Questions
  1. Please write a personal essay (minimum 250 words) explaining how you mesh your "creative life" into your school curriculum.
  2. Upload your college transcript that documents you have earned at least 30 credit hours and have a cumulative 2.7 GPA. If you need assistance, please contact lhendricks@nctc.edu.
  3. Provide a Portfolio consisting of two or more complete creative efforts produced by you, preferably "on your own" vs. as part of required coursework. The freelance effort indicates an internal need for creative fulfillment and a willingness to do it on your own time. However, projects completed in or as a result of coursework should not be downgraded. In the end, it is the quality that matters and the project's ability to delight, amaze or inspire the onlooker. No partial samples with the exception being a novel in which three or more chapters will constitute Portfolio examples. All projects should have been produced in the prior 18-24 months. Date documentation required as proof, but any awards or recognition from contest entries and/or rejection letters received from agents or publishers will prove valid commitment.
    • Artistic Portfolio - Artistic works (i.e. visual creativity) first must be submitted to the student's major professor for personal examination, with photos taken of the works and uploaded into this application. Visual concepts in any artistic pursuit, whether paint, ink or watercolor on canvas, paper or other medium; sculpture or pottery in any format or media, jewelry design and fabrication by any method; and photography including digital images.
    • Technological Portfolio - Technological or more involved projects displaying applicant's creativity must be self-explanatory to the committee, with documentation attached for the scholarship committee's review. Only one technological innovation is required for the scholarship application due to the detailed information required. Innovative technological concepts not currently under patent protection and identified by the creative student as needed in their STEM field. (Think of Apple computer's garage beginning, A. Graham Bell's telephone and medical breakthroughs -- Let's find another one!)
    • Written Portfolio - Written creative projects may be any length (3 pages minimum) but should be sufficient to show the arc of the work for the reader/viewer/judge or committee's understanding. Words in any literature and written format i.e. journalistic, story or novel format, poem, essay, script or creative writing concept; written creativity also encompasses original musical compositions but excludes musical performance.
  4. Upload a Recommendation Letter from your Department Chair or from some other source recommending you for this scholarship.
  5. Do you plan to advance to a four-year university after completing an Associate Degree at NCTC?