For the past month, we’ve been walking you through the ins and outs of our Scholar Dollars and ELD Grant programs, as well as our incredible Scholarship offerings. This month, we’re bringing you some one on one interviews with scholarship funders and partners, Scholars who have received funding, and more.
We spoke with Amy Galibois, Director of Scholar Supports and Scholarships at Chicago Scholars, about what she finds fulfilling in her work, what her day to day work looks like, and more.
What is your role and what does it entail?
“I am the Director of Scholar Supports and Scholarships. That means I oversee all scholarship work for the organization. The main goal is connecting Scholars to scholarships, to close financial gaps. Ideally, to help them matriculate and persist through college without loans, helping make college financially feasible. I’ll have been with Chicago Scholars 5 years in July.”
What do you find fulfilling about your work?
“Building relationships with scholarship recipients. Watching them realize their passions, explore their interests, soak in the college experience in their field of study, without worrying about the financial stress piece. If they aren’t as worried about affording college or putting the mental/physical time and energy into finding the funding, it’s fulfilling to see them devote that energy, time, and attention into exciting avenues, setting them up to reach the goals they have for themselves. So go ahead and give it your all to a club you want to lead or devote your mental energy to preparing for med school, or whatever it might be without having to stress about the finances.”
What is something about your job that you wish people knew?
“What sticks with me is that the impact of scholarships goes far beyond the financial support. At the base level, it’s helpful financially, and receiving a scholarship can give such an affirmation of what a student has been driving for. The fact someone believes in them, says they’ll put their money behind them, the encouragement piece. And the community that is created with other recipients and donors can also be very important. Sometimes with scholarship partners, there are multiple levels of benefits beyond the financial piece of a scholarship.
Depending on the scholarship, it may open the door to another opportunity or help the recipient strengthen or create the network they can lean on in their career journey. Perhaps they’ll have the chance to connect to someone in a career field because of their scholarship, or even form a relationship with someone who could serve as a mentor.
The many levels of support that come with receiving a scholarship make it impactful beyond the money. Of course, the money matters, but that isn’t all of it. Winning a scholarship, that’s another achievement and it might make other people take a second look and take a chance on the recipient, the skills they bring, and their accomplishments.”
How does your work fit into the ecosystem of Chicago Scholars and our Scholars lives?
“I love my place in the organization because there is a strong piece of my work that gives me the opportunity to connect with Scholars. At the same time, I enjoy the opportunity to build relationships with donors and other scholarship providers in the community, and also help to connect other providers to our scholars. Even if it’s not a scholarship I oversee, we can still support our Scholars in putting forward a strong application for other great programs that offer financial assistance and much more. We work closely with other providers, getting to know donors, partners, and families – all in support of our Scholars.”
Do you have a favorite scholarship related story/memory?
“I am fortunate to get to know our CS scholarship recipients and to witness their journeys throughout the college years. When they’re just starting off, when they are applying for scholarships, seeing them come to an event, meeting them as they are on the cusp of their college journey and witnessing how they grow over the course of college. Seeing them find their way, exploring new interests, joining clubs, getting those internships, studying abroad, and persisting to graduation. It’s really powerful to see them grow throughout the progression of their college experience. It’s very special.”
What does your day-to-day work look like?
“For a potential donor, it may help to know what I do in the management of the CS scholarships. I oversee the administration from scholarship development in collaboration with donors, to hosting the application, supporting Scholars through the application process, reviewing applications, selecting recipients, dispersing funds, and checking in on the recipients throughout college to ensure they are on track and to connect them with helpful resources. I manage the full annual cycle of the work – it’s very fulfilling.”