Remembrance Scholar - FAQs

General Application FAQs

Who is eligible to apply?

Syracuse University undergraduates who will be graduating in December, May, or the summer of the following academic year in which they apply are eligible.

What are the requirements to apply?

Applicants are evaluated on four main criteria – community impact, leadership, creativity, and thoughtful academic inquiry. Applicants can find a description of these criteria here. Applicants must demonstrate their competence and/or ability in all of these areas. The Selection Committee evaluates each application with respect to all four criteria.

Are international students eligible to apply?

Yes, international students are eligible and encouraged to apply!

Who chooses the Remembrance Scholars?

A committee consisting of five faculty, five staff, and five current Remembrance Scholars reviews and scores Remembrance Scholar applications, which are then sent to the Provost’s office for final review and selection. You can read more about the selection process here.

If I am studying abroad (or off campus) during the application process, am I still eligible for the scholarship?

Yes, if you are studying abroad (or off campus), you can still be considered for the scholarship.

Do I need to submit recommendations?

Yes, students must have two recommendation forms submitted on their behalf to apply. One recommendation must come from a faculty member who has taught, advised, mentored, or supervised you. The second recommendation can come from an individual who knows you in a professional capacity (employer or supervisor) or can be from another academic.

You should choose recommenders who know you well and who can comment thoughtfully on your abilities and personal attributes, particularly your fit with the Remembrance Scholar selection criteria. It is your responsibility as an applicant to provide your recommenders with any materials that would be helpful to them in completing the recommendation form. Resumes or CVs, transcripts, writing samples, and draft application essays are common resources that recommenders find helpful.

Requests for recommendations should be made early in the application process to ensure that the recommender has enough time to respond. Applicants who do not have any recommendations submitted on their behalf will not be considered for the award.

Should I list my community service from high school or at a previous college (transfer student), or does only my community service as an SU student count?

Greater emphasis is placed on your current activities, but it is important to establish your overall commitment to community service.

Will I be interviewed as part of the application process?

No. Applicants will be evaluated based on their application and reference letters.

Serving as a Remembrance Scholar FAQs

What will be expected of me if I am selected as a Remembrance Scholar?

If selected as one of the 35 Remembrance Scholars, you will be required to do the following:

• Represent the Syracuse University students lost on Pan Am 103 as well as all 270 victims
• Meet once per week (Friday afternoons, after 3pm) from August through November to plan Remembrance Week (held in late October); serve on at least one subcommittee in addition to this weekly meeting
• Plan, organize, publicize, and participate in a calendar of events during Remembrance Week (typically including a candlelight vigil, "Act Forward" symposium, and the rose-laying and convocation ceremonies). Remembrance Scholars who are abroad during the fall semester may participate in such plans and activities at the SU Abroad Center in the country in which they are studying
• Work with your Remembrance Scholars cohort throughout the academic year to contribute to an "Act Forward Project"
• Serve/act as ambassadors to the Remembrance Scholarship Program by educating the campus community about the Pan Am Flight 103 terrorist attack
• Engage with the Pan Am 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives

Can I study abroad and serve as a Remembrance Scholar?

Yes! Remembrance Scholars who study abroad may participate in Remembrance Week and their "Act Forward Project" virtually, and create/design/participate in activities in their host community.

If you have any questions about the application process or would like to speak with a current Scholar, email remember@syr.edu.