scholarship recommendation Archives - Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation

162 Stellar Students Attending 83 Schools Across the US to Benefit

View the 2022-2023 Scholarship Recipients by State / School

Pittsburgh, PA – September 05, 2022 – For the second year in a row, the Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation has set a record in the dollar amount of scholarships given, totaling $551,000!

PGSF received over 600 scholarship applications this year. From this, the judges awarded 162 recipients with scholarships representing 83 schools from across the United States. Cal Poly and Illinois State both had 11 students receive scholarships from PGSF. At Clemson and Ferris State there were 9 recipients at each school. The average amount awarded is $3,477. This year, PGSF increased the dollar amount of the awards to help students offset the increasing costs of materials and living expenses. PGSF’s highest scholarship awarded was $12,000.

PGSF’s mission is “Building the Future of the Graphic Communications Industry”. Since 1956, PGSF has provided scholarships to full-time and part-time students attending colleges, universities, and technical schools with graphic communication-related programs. Programs include visual communications, digital printing, graphic communications, packaging, paper and printing science, apparel, web design, production management, and digital marketing. Once a full-time student receives a PGSF scholarship, it is renewable for up to four years. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA or better and remain enrolled full-time (12 credits or more) in a graphic communication-related program.

This year PGSF awarded 114 students renewable scholarships with many worth more than $4,000.

After receiving his scholarship, Justin from Augusta Technical College wrote: “You have no clue how much this means for me having come out of a couple of rough years recently. Before college, I was graduating high school and took a year off from everything and thought that I would amount to nothing with my future. After some encouragement from my peers, I enrolled in the Fall of 2020, and I quickly regained my passion for graphic design and persevered in my first two years of college. Now, thanks to your generous gift of this scholarship, I can finish my last two semesters of college and not have any burdens of student debt because I didn’t need a handout to get me along. I EARNED MY WAY OUT OF COLLEGE!!! Peace and Blessings for all involved in PGSF, because you all change lives for the BETTER!”

“When a student is chosen to receive a PGSF award, they are not only receiving financial support for their education, but they are also joining the PGSF family and will have the benefits now and in the future of a positive support system provided by PGSF staff, directors, and our extensive alumni and contact network. We understand that life happens and work with our students to help them realize their goals,” said Dr. Debbie Bohan, Administrative Director, PGSF.

PGSF continues to find more ways to support education for the print and graphics industry. This year we expanded our funding opportunities by providing grant funding. This program funds student and instructor activities and also provides funds to acquire equipment to be used in an educational environment. Our annual student Poster and T-Shirt Competition is open to high school and college students, with winners receiving $500. The posters are used to help publicize the scholarship program. Scholarship applications for 2023-24 will open in November 2022 online at pgsf.org

Media Contact

Debbie Bohan, Administrative Director, PGSF

As part of your Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation (PGSF) application, we would like two (2) letters of recommendation. A letter of recommendation helps us get a sense of who you are beyond your transcripts and personal statement. A teacher or employer can tell us about your unique personal assets, the talent or drive that you will bring to the table as a scholarship winner.

Whom to Ask

An effective recommendation will come from someone who knows you well and can address your strengths and personal character. If you are a student applying for a scholarship, ask a teacher, coach, or guidance counselor with whom you have a good rapport. Choose a teacher in whose class you performed well or a coach who had high praise for your teamwork or leadership. As a high school student, you will probably want to ask someone from your junior or senior year because they will recall recent interactions.

If you are an employee asking for a letter of recommendation, be sure to ask a supervisor or manager. You can also ask a colleague from work or a professional organization. These people will know your day-to-day performance and should be able to attest to your passion, dedication, and enthusiasm for the printing and graphic communication industries.

How to Ask

Although all we need from you is an email address for each of your recommenders, you should ensure that contact from PGSF doesn’t come as a surprise. Set up a short meeting or schedule a time during office hours to ask for a letter of recommendation in person.

Give the person you want to engage details about the scholarship you are seeking and the organization awarding it. (Feel free to send them to www.pgsf.org for more information as well.) Let them know your interest in pursuing a career in printing and graphic communications. Confirm that it is okay to share their email address with us. Finally, make sure to tell them the application deadline. (For 2022, it’s May 1st.)

When to Ask

Be sure to give the person enough time to write, refine, and submit their letter of recommendation. Most guidelines say to make your request at least two months before the due date. Remember, teachers and guidance counselors will have many requests for recommendation letters as college applications are being submitted, so be sure not to rush them. For those in the professional field, a three-week lead time is suggested.

A week or two before the letters are due, follow up with a reminder or inquiry into the progress of their submission.

What to Do Once You’ve Asked

The most important thing to remember once someone has agreed to write a letter of recommendation for you – they are doing you a favor. Sending a thank you card or email after it’s submitted is the expected etiquette. At this time, you can also ask for a copy of the letter. Finally, circle back with your advocates after you hear about your scholarship award. If they have recommended you, you can be sure they are interested in your success and will want to know the results of your application.

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PGSF Announces the 2022 – 2023 Scholarship Recipients