2025 May Kishiyama Scholarship



Dear Scholarship Applicant:
image of May Kishiyama

The May Kishiyama Memorial Scholarship began in 2008 to assist students to attend college and to honor May Kishiyama, a teacher and counselor at Lincoln High School for over thirty years. Ms. Kishiyama passed away in 2007. Depending on the number and quality of applications, 30 scholarships are available to Lincoln High graduates, consisting of some $3,000 scholarships (renewable over two years), ESL scholarships, Special Education scholarships, the Ted Wagner scholar-athlete scholarship, and a Dreamer scholarship. Most scholarships wil be for $1,000 or more.

Your scholarship application requires the following:

  1. An essay answering this question: "What are your college aspirations and how are they shaped by your family, community, and/or education background? Your essay SHOULD include personal accomplishments, extracurricular and sports-related activities, and mention obstacles that you have overcome, such as family issues, economic background, physical conditions and personal issues. (It should be no more than 350 words.)
  2. One letter of recommendation from a teacher, counselor, administrator or community person about your goals and accomplishments as a student in high school and or college. (The student may submit the letter, or a recommender may email it to Mr. Wong)
  3. A copy of your high school transcript.

NOTE---Be mindful that applications are evaluated for clarity and style as well as presentation of information.

The application includes the following response questions (100-150 words each):

  1. Describe your personal and family history and the communities where you have lived.
  2. Name the college of your choice and/or the college you will be attending. Explain why you selected that school. Are you a first-generation college student in your family?
  3. Explain and describe the most memorable experience in your life.
  4. What do you think are your strengths and weaknesses as a person? How does that knowledge guide your outlook toward the future?
  5. Share any additional information you would like the scholarship committee to know about you.

To submit your documents, you need to scan your letter of recommendation and transcript into PDF format for uploading. Save your essay in PDF format. Microsoft Word allows you to save your documents as PDF. You can download the PDF of this information here.

The completed application is due by Tuesday, April 8, 2025.

If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Wong at bwong12@sbcglobal.net.