intro

Gateway Specialty Imports Mary Lee Sturdivant Scholarship Information

Gateway Specialty Imports (GSI), a supply chain management company, was launched in 2011 and is located in San Leandro, CA. The Women Minority Business Enterprise (WMBE)-owned company is owned and operated by Marlo Turner, a 20-year industry veteran and entrepreneur.

The Mary Lee Sturdivant Scholarship is inspired by and named after Marlo’s grandmother, who represented strength, tenacity, faith, and humility and who was a strong influence and mentor in her life. The scholarship is an achievement-based award intended to empower women who are graduating high school and taking the leap into the next chapter of their lives. The scholarship foundation wishes to help women pursue their dreams through higher education.

In order to be considered, scholarship applicants must be female and a U.S. citizen. Applicants must be a graduating high school senior who is already accepted and enrolled to a four year college and will be a college freshman in the upcoming academic year. Applicants are required to have a GPA of 2.5 or above.

Scholarship applicants must demonstrate strong academic abilities as well as a desire to work hard, achieve their goals, and help others. Winners will be selected based on their submitted personal statement/essay, references, academics, ambition, and individual financial need. Strong applicants are those who think outside the box, exhibit a powerful drive to succeed, demonstrate a capacity to lead and serve, and have a passionate or entrepreneurial spirit.

In addition to the application form, scholarship applicants must submit their curriculum vitae and/or a high school transcript detailing their high school career and any notable academic achievements. Submission of a 1-2 page (single-spaced, typed) personal statement/essay is also required. Applicants should use this essay to help the scholarship foundation learn more about their personal, academic, and career goals as well as their desired path in life and what their interests are beyond school. A list of 5 personal, professional, and/or academic references is also required by all applicants.

The scholarship will award $1,500 to one recipient per year and does not give special consideration to previous winners. Applications will be accepted beginning on January 1, 2017 and ending on January 31, 2017 for the 2017-2018 academic year (beginning in the fall). The Mary Lee Sturdivant Scholarship does not require applicants to be enrolled in a specific major or minor to be considered. Scholarship winners will be notified by May 31, 2017. The scholarship award will be made payable to the college/university of choice as well as the recipient, and will be mailed directly to the college/university indicated by the winner. If the scholarship winner changes their college/university of choice, they must notify the Mary Lee Sturdivant Scholarship fund by July 1, 2017. The scholarship fund does not charge an application fee and does not serve as a means to generate revenue for the scholarship provider.

Scholarship Application Form Download Here

Scholarship Admission Guidelines Download Here

*All applications must be filled out and e-mailed to mturner@gateway-imports.net to be considered.