Young Leaders of Distinction Scholarship - Saint Louis Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

The Young Leaders of Distinction Scholarship is awarded to African-American male high school seniors who plan to attend an accredited college or university and have significant leadership skills and experience.

The Young Leaders of Distinction Scholarship was created in 2012 by the Saint Louis Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. This scholarship award of up to $1,000 is given to support the scholastic efforts of African-American male high school seniors who have demonstrated and held leadership roles in community service or extracurricular activities. By awarding this scholarship we hope to continually encourage students to:

• Meet people and collaborate with those who share common ideals and interests
• Be vocal and interact with people who are passionate about similar ideas and missions
• Work to see ideas turn into innovative concepts
• Influence decisions by collaborating with peers
• Work with teams to make a difference in the communities they serve

Eligibility Criteria

• Male High School Senior
• African-American
• Leadership experience (Organization/Club Founder, President, etc.)
• Acceptance to a 4-year college/university, 2-year community college
• 2.75 GPA or higher
• Current Official High School Transcript (through Fall/Winter 2024)
• Minimum 500-word personal essay that discusses your community service involvement, academic goals, career goals, and describes in detail your leadership experience and tenure of leadership.
• Completed at least 40 hours of community service in the last 24 months (verification must be on official letterhead with a supervisor’s signature)
• 1 letter of recommendation from a teacher
• Resident of the St. Louis Metropolitan area – St. Louis city, the Missouri counties of St. Louis, Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, St. Charles, or Warren, and the Illinois counties of Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe, or St. Clair.

Letter of Recommendation/Service Verification Guidance

Letter of Recommendation: Needs to speak to: the length of time the recommender has known you; your personal characteristics and leadership skills/abilities; your achievements; and the public service activities in which you are/have been involved.
Service Verification: This should be an actual letter and not just a service log. Please ask the person supplying your verification letter to speak to the length of time you’ve been involved with the organization (noting exact # of volunteer hours) and the details of your involvement, including but not limited to: your roles/responsibilities, leadership skills, and impact.

Click here for a video explaining application do’s and don’ts

Each applicant is eligible for one scholarship from SLMAC during this current scholarship year. For information about applying for a scholarship, email the Scholarship Committee at scholarship@dstslmac.com.