Global Scholarship Opens Doors

Written by Jan Jaben-Eilon Tuesday, July 12 2011

Madison Lee, right, with U.S. Ambassador Melanne Verveer

In November, Womenetics hosted the “Global Women’s Initiative: Creating the Ripple Effect” event. At that time, Womenetics announced the winners of its essay contest, with the five finalists summarizing their essays. The winner was Madison Lee, then a 19-year-old student at Georgia Tech. Her essay on human rights noted that “violence against women is a devastating global crisis that not only demoralizes and violates individual freedoms, but cripples families, communities, and nations.”

In her essay, she wrote that the “most effective means of contending with the problem of violence against women worldwide is to support international nongovernmental organizations that work at the grassroots level.”

Georgia-Pacific LLC partnered with Womenetics to encourage future leaders to learn about global women’s issues including education and literacy, health and hunger, economic empowerment, and human rights. Thanks to Georgia-Pacific, Lee won $5,000 for taking first prize in the essay contest. The other four finalists each won $1,000 from Georgia-Pacific.

A rising junior, Lee recently reflected on the impact the scholarship has had on her life.

Womenetics: Looking back, what did winning this contest mean to you?
Madison Lee: Honestly, I’m still reeling from the results of the competition. It was such an exciting experience. So many students ache for the opportunity to write on a subject of great importance to them, and when Womenetics offered the essay contest last fall I knew that, if nothing else, it was a chance to voice my support of the nongovernmental organizations that work to empower women in their communities across the globe. The strides these organizations take toward improving the lives of people in dire need of help are often understated, and I was pleased and gratified to find that my words did their efforts justice.

Womenetics: How has winning this competition inspired you?
Lee: Having the message of my essay acknowledged at such a level and by so many prominent women within Womenetics was more than an honor. The experience has inspired me to take on new projects related to the subject I addressed in my essay. For instance, during my spring semester this year I worked with a professor on a research project regarding the challenges faced by impoverished and displaced women in Iraq.

Womenetics: What role did you have in this research?
Lee: My professor's project was ongoing, so my part in it was to explore different online databases for additional research and collect documents on the subject. The challenges that displaced and impoverished women face in Iraq, as well as in many other countries, largely concern their livelihood and that of their families. Food rations subsidized by their governments are often delayed due to political corruption or social stigmas, leading to malnutrition and illness. When basic needs such as shelter and food cannot be acquired, coupled with the lack of rights due to discrimination, unemployment, and few opportunities for education, special programs are the only solution external organizations can offer to ease their struggle.

The scholarship competition opened the door for me to explore the issue at a deeper level, and I hope that the knowledge I have gained can be used someday to create practical solutions. Also, I was able to use a great deal of the information from the research project on a PowerPoint presentation for another class, U.S. Foreign Policy.

Womenetics: How have you used your scholarship winnings?
Lee: Unfortunately I was unable to put the scholarship funds to use this summer, although I have set them aside in a savings account for safekeeping and am already applying and pursuing opportunities within the U.S. Department of State’s internship program for upcoming semesters. I’m looking forward to using the funds to move to Washington, D.C., for a few months and most likely live with other interns, so the money will be used for that.

Womenetics: What is your long-term goal?
Lee: A full-time career working on policy issues with the U.S. Department of State is actually a long-term goal and something that I would love to do after college, which is why obtaining this internship would be such an important first step for me. I must add that I would like to thank everyone who was involved in making the scholarship competition possible, so that students like me can expand our minds in such a remarkable way.

In anticipation of the dual 2011 Global Women’s Initiatives in Atlanta and Chicago, Womenetics has partnered with Georgia-Pacific and Discover to once again offer the Advancing Aspirations Global Scholarship to students. Two first place winners will each receive $5,000 and a trip to Washington, D.C., to attend the 11th Annual Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards at the Kennedy Center in 2012. Eight additional essayists will each win $1,500. In addition to the monetary prizes each finalist will receive, the top five candidates for both the Georgia-Pacific and Discover Prizes will be invited to attend the Global Women’s Initiative in the respective city. At the event, each of these students will be recognized for their essay and have the opportunity to attend the VIP Reception with featured speakers and other top business, education, nonprofit, and policy leaders the evening before the event. Please click here for more information about the scholarship.

Jan Jaben-Eilon was a founding staff writer of the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Since then, she has been the international editor of Advertising Age magazine and has written for such publications as The New York Times, International Herald Tribune, Washington Journalism Review, and Consumer Reports. She is the author of soon-to-be-published (There is) Life After Cancer. Jan and her husband have homes in Atlanta and Jerusalem.