GEAR UP 2024 High School Graduates Learn the Art of a Scholarship Essay
An education consultant who has helped individuals and organizations secure over $12 million in scholarships recently visited USU STARS GEAR UP students from various partner schools who graduated high school in 2024 to teach them how to receive money for college or trade school through scholarships.
India Prather teaching students
Answering questions and providing help
India sharing scholarship essay prompts
India Prather, a multi-state-licensed attorney and traveling educational consultant, is passionate about helping students succeed. She used the same skills she now teaches—applying for scholarships and writing winning essays—to pay for her own education at Wake Forest University and the University of Miami School of Law.
Prather explained that judges review a lot of applications, and the essays that repeat the prompt or don’t capture their attention often get discarded. She emphasized choosing the right story and highlighting personal growth.
To illustrate this, Prather shared her experience struggling in her college Spanish classes, where she was getting low grades on long Spanish papers. She explained that she took the initiative to raise her grade from a D to a B by watching movies in Spanish, attending tutoring sessions and practicing the language with a family friend.
An experience like this demonstrates determination and hard work, which judges like to see. “You don’t have to show perfection,” she explained about the writing process. “You need to explain the actions you took and the outcome.”
Prather requested audience participation, and AnaSofia Lara, a 2024 high school graduate, shared her story of personal growth with everyone at the event.
Lara is owner of Queens Creations, an eternal bouquets and leis business, shared that her moment of growth was starting her business. She started the business in high school and has continued to run it successfully. Spring is her busiest season because of all the graduation ceremonies.
While growing this business, Lara decided that her long-term goal was to become a social worker. “I want to help people,” she said. The TV show The Fosters inspired me.”
Laura is inspiring her family by encouraging her cousin to attend school.
Prather also emphasized the importance of sharing a strong “why” in a scholarship essay. She said she worked with a student who found his why by writing about what he didn’t want to do.
“He had worked on cars growing up,” Prather said. “He wanted to make an impact in a different field.”
Brian Herdia, a 2024 high school graduate working in sales, said he is still figuring out his path and knowing his why, but found the event was a helpful place to get started.
“It’s a good foundation to go back to,” Heredia said.