St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) has opened the 2019 edition of the annual St. Matthias Merit Scholarship Essay Contest. The competition is a small part of the school’s ongoing efforts to help its students afford the costs of theological education and formation.
The essay contest is open to current seminarians only. Past winners of the contest are not eligible to enter. The winning student will see $3,000 in award money added to his or her scholarship fund to help pay for tuition at SVOTS.
The St. Matthias Merit Scholarship Essay Contest award is offered each academic year, thanks to the generous contributions of a family of anonymous donors. These donors also select the topic of each essay contest.
Requirements for the contest are as follows:
Essay Topic: Not long ago it seemed most people valued privacy and disliked being watched or followed. Today there are many publicly exhorting to be viewed and followed on social media, etc. Consequently, the imperative sentence, "Follow me," has become common and no longer has much of an effect. Write about how Christ’s words, "follow me," should be heard and heeded in light of this modern trend.
Submission Instructions: Entries for the 2019 St. Matthias Merit Scholarship Essay Contest must have a title and may not exceed 750 words. Entries should be submitted in PDF format—double-spaced and conforming to SVS Press House Style—to Ann Sanchez at aks@svots.edu. Essays must be submitted by September 14, 2019, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
The contest is one of many offerings by the Seminary to help seminarians graduate tuition-debt free as they go forth to serve the Church. SVOTS also administers need-based tuition grants, need-based scholarships, merit scholarships, continuing education grants, and matching grant opportunities for seminarians. These are made possible thanks to many benefactors who have graciously given funds to the Seminary.
To help more seminarians receive their education and formation, consider making a donation by visiting the Seminary’s Give Now page and selecting “Seminarians Education Assistance Fund” as your designation.
