SCHOLARSHIP
Our annual scholarship for $1,620 was presented for the first time on May 5, 2012, by the Virginia Mayflower Society, funded by its members and friends.The Mildred Ramos Scholarship Fund is named in honor of our current assistant secretary, who has served both the Virginia Society and the General Society in a variety of roles over the years, including Governor General (of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants) and as Governor of our state group (the Society of Mayflower Descendants in the Commonwealth of Virginia). A brief biography of Miss Ramos appears further down on this page.
ELIGIBILITY
- Applicant must be a high school senior or home school equivalent, a college undergraduate student, or a university graduate student under the age of 26 (as of March 17, 2023) enrolled in an accredited educational institution.
- Applicant must have a grade point average of at least B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or equivalent.
- Applicant must be a Virginia resident, related to a Virginia resident, related to a member, or a member of the Society of Mayflower Descendants in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
- Applicant must be sponsored by a current teacher, school counselor, or a member of the Society of Mayflower Descendants in the Commonwealth of Virginia. NOTE: Members of the immediate families (i.e., children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, sons-in-law, or daughters-in-law) of members of the Virginia Mayflower Society’s Board of Assistants or of its Scholarship Committee are not eligible for scholarship awards.
APPLICATION PROCESS
- Applicant must present a brief personal résumé including a description of their academic, extracurricular, and volunteer achievements.
- Applicant must present a brief statement on their future academic plans and how being awarded this scholarship will advance their plans.
- Applicant must present a copy of their official academic transcript for the preceding three years.
- Applicant must submit an essay of no more than 1,500 words in the MLA, APA, or Chicago Manual of Style format on the subject:
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One man, Stephen Hopkins, was at Jamestowne Colony in 1610 and Plymouth Colony in 1620. He arrived in Jamestowne after being marooned in Bermuda following the wreck of the Sea Venture. How did this experience potentially shape decisions made during the early years of the Plymouth Colony?
- Suggested reading / viewing:
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- Here Shall I Die Ashore: Stephen Hopkins: Bermude Castaway, Jamestown Survivor, and Mayflower Pilgrim, by Caleb Johnson, 2007, Xlibris Corporation
- The Tempest by William Shakespeare
- Stephano: The True Story of Shakespeare’s Shipwreck, documentary by Andrew Buckley, https://www.hitandrunhistory.com/
- Essay must include a list of all reference sources used to prepare the essay. Scholarly sources are recommended (e.g., history textbook, journal article, historical non-fiction, government document, encyclopedia). Print references must include full citations including page numbers. NOTE: Wikipedia, Wikis, Blogs, and the like are not acceptable references. On-line references must include electronic addresses.
- Use of spellcheck, grammar check, etc. is highly recommended.
- Inclusion of text from other sources without citation / footnote is unacceptable and potential cause for disqualification.
- An essay using electronically generated text and/or essays written by anyone other than the applicant is considered plagiarism and will result in automatic disqualification.
- Application materials may be submitted in “hard-copy” printed form or submitted digitally via an e-mail attachment to the Scholarship Committee Chairman.
- Each applicant’s Sponsor must send a brief letter endorsing the applicant. The letter must also contain the name, address, telephone number, and e-mail of the applicant, as well as that of the Sponsor. The Sponsor should send the letter directly to the Scholarship Committee Chairman.
JUDGING CRITERIA
Applications will be judged by the Mildred Ramos Scholarship Committee based on their compliance with the eligibility requirements, on their academic record, and on their essay. The judging is based on a point system, with the essay being weighted higher than academic record. The Committee’s decision will be final.
DEADLINE
Applications must be received by the Mildred Ramos Scholarship Chairman by March 15, 2023. The Mildred Ramos Scholarship Committee will meet before April 1, 2023, to select the winner of the scholarship.
The recipient of our 2023 Mildred Ramos Scholarship will be informed by the Governor of the Mayflower Descendants in the Commonwealth of Virginia by April 17, 2023.
CONTACT
Application materials and Sponsor letters should be sent to:
Karen L. Pogoloff - Mildred Ramos Scholarship Chairman
713 Windy Way, Unit 105
Newport News, VA 23602-5678
kpogo1@gmail.com
PDF document containing the above information: Virginia Mayflower_Ramos Scholarship Announcement_2023
- Read the 2022 Scholarship recipient winning essay
- No Scholarship was awarded in 2020 or 2021
- Read the 2019 Scholarship recipient winning essay
- Read the 2018 Scholarship recipient winning essay
- Read the 2017 Scholarship recipient winning essay
- Read the 2016 Scholarship recipient winning essay
- Read the 2015 Scholarship recipient Brenton Morris' winning essay
- Read the 2014 Scholarship recipient Bailey Hall's winning essay
- Read the 2013 Scholarship recipient Julie Guthrie's winning essay
- Read the 2012 Scholarship recipient Nicholas Aunspach's winning essay
Recent donors to the Mildred Ramos Scholarship Fund are listed in each issue of our newsletter.
Members currently serving on the Scholarship Committee are Chair Karen Pogoloff, Mark Cox, James Maloney, Marsha Masone, Nancy Saul, Keith Thackery, and Lee Hardin Woody.
Other Mayflower scholarships are available from the General Society of Mayflower Descendants as well as from several of the Mayflower state societies. Visit the General Society of Mayflower Descendants website.)
A Brief Biography of Miss Mildred Ramos
MILDRED RAMOS was elected to membership in the Mayflower Society in April 1967 on Stephen Hopkins’ line.
In 1970, the Virginia Society created the position of Assistant Historian, and she was elected to that office. In 1973 she was elected to a three-year term as Governor (and Assistant Governor from Virginia). She helped organize the state Education Committee and Virginia became actively involved with the educational program of the General Society.
In 1975 she was appointed to chair the General Society’s Education Committee, and she chaired that committee through Feb. 1979. Mildred also conducted the first Education Seminar in Plymouth at the 1978 General Congress, which was well attended and favorably received.
In 1976 she was elected Deputy Governor General and in 1978 she was elected Secretary General of the General Society serving four consecutive terms, or 12 years. In 1988, she was elected Deputy Governor of the Virginia Society and served in that office for three years. She also served as Junior Membership Chairman during those years.
In 1990, she was elected Governor General of the General Society, serving a three-year term. As a former Governor General, Mildred continues to serve on the General Board of Assistants and on the Nominating Committee, which she has chaired three times.
In the Virginia Society, Mildred served as Assistant Secretary from 1997 through 2020. She holds a dual membership in the District of Columbia Society.
Mildred was born in Richmond, Va. in 1926, and she traces her Mayflower ancestry through her father’s family to both Thomas Rogers and Stephen Hopkins. Other interests Mildred has enjoyed over the years include other heredity societies, church choirs, the Richmond Opera Group, community theater groups, the Canterbury Garden Club and the Quota Club, a professional women’s organization. Since retiring, she has enjoyed other volunteer work and working with pottery at Westminster Canterbury Richmond.