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or ask for feedback from NSBE Alumni members working in your field. They know which aspects of your resume should stand out, and they will be able to help you format your resume so it will be noticed favorably by employers and scholarship selection committees. If you’re confused or have questions about any of the requirements of the scholarship you are applying for, ask the program officer. Don’t just assume you understand what the requirements are or what the essay question means. It never hurts to ask for clarity so you

have a good chance of being selected!

DeADliNe
The worst thing you can do when applying for scholarships is to miss the deadline! It’s a good idea to keep a record of the deadlines for scholarships you plan to apply for, and set e-mail reminders for one month, one week and one day before the scholarships are due. With that process, you give yourself time to prepare essays and resumes and ask for letters of recommendation if they are required.

Don’t miss out on funds just because you were late! We hope this information has been helpful and that you will be successful in your search for scholarship dollars. Remember, the deadline for many of the NSBE scholarships is Jan. 21, 2011, and you must have your transcripts submitted to NSBE World Headquarters. A database of non-NSBE scholarships is also available on the Programs page of the national website, www.nsbe.org. For more information, e-mail scholarships@nsbe.org. ■

nsbepreneur ExPANdING THE PIPELINE

By Whitney B. Gaskins, NSBE National Business Diversity Chair
n a recent survey, more than 70 percent of NSBE members expressed interest in one day opening a business. This number has steadily increased over the last few years, as the downturn in the economy has changed the way many members view their futures. Some stated they wanted to launch a side business while continuing to work in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) arena. Others presented their visions of launching the next Google or IBM. Overall, the number of members who wanted to launch a technical business was nearly equal to the number interested in starting a nontechnical business. The survey responses helped validate the work NSBE has already done to develop a quality entrepreneurship shane and shawn Ward program. In January 2010, after two years of pilot programming, the National Executive Board approved NSBEpreneur as an official NSBE program. The Business Diversity Committee — which consists of the committee chair, Whitney B. Gaskins, the Alumni entrepreneurship chair, Johnnie E. Tangle, and other contributors — has been working diligently to develop a program to meet the needs of the NSBE membership. “For years, NSBE members have expressed a growing interest in entrepreneurship as a career path,” says NSBE National Chair Emeritus Stacyann P. Russell. “We have done sporadic programming at our conferences that focuses on financial management and entrepreneurship. The Business Diversity Committee has been around for nearly 20 years to address not only the development of NSBE member-owned businesses but the support of these businesses as well. NSBEpreneur is the first true, concerted effort to create, brand and track a program that develops a new generation of technology entrepreneurs. The end of the NSBE pipeline is not (limited) to getting members into Corporate America as workers. Some of our members want to work in Corporate America as owners.” The Committee has focused on several initiatives for the year, culminating at the 2011 Annual Convention.

ProgrAM HigHligHts
The NSBEpreneur Training Institute offers beginning- and advanced-level skills to aspiring entrepreneurs, with a curriculum ranging from developing business plans CONTINUED ON pAgE 14
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NSBE - Winter 2010/2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NSBE - Winter 2010/2011