SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY

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1 EDUCATING LEADERS FOR A MORE JUST, HUMANE, AND SUSTAINABLE WORLD SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY

2 A Tradition of Leadership ssince its founding in 1851, Santa Clara University has educated generations of leaders committed to building a better world. Educators, researchers, founders of nonprofits, Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, global business leaders, and members of presidential cabinets have been shaped by the tradition of a rigorous and holistic Jesuit, Catholic education that characterizes the Santa Clara experience. Today, this remarkable heritage inspires the Johnson Scholars Program at Santa Clara University. Comprehensive and intellectually challenging, this program prepares graduates to make meaningful contributions toward a more just, humane, and sustainable world. It is designed to cultivate in students the compassionate, intelligent, and empowered leadership that has distinguished a Santa Clara University education for more than 160 years. Dr. Leilani Miller, biology professor and director of the University Honors Program, collaborates with Johnson Scholars Jon Tuttle and Eoin Lyons. Scholars form close relationships with faculty and staff at the highest levels of the University. 1

3 The Johnson Scholars Program Santa Clara University s Johnson Scholars Program offers exceptionally committed, talented, highachieving students an extraordinary opportunity to develop the leadership skills, knowledge, and commitment required to help build a better world. The program is an integral part of a rigorous, honors-level undergraduate education with the privileges and challenges associated with joining a distinctive community of scholars. Students selected as Johnson Scholars receive a merit scholarship covering full tuition during the academic year, renewable annually for up to four years. In addition, the University is committed to fully meeting the demonstrated financial need of each Johnson Scholar. Upon completion of required financial aid forms (FAFSA and the CSS PROFILE) students may be eligible for additional costs of attendance, such as standard room and board fees as well as book and other customary expenses. Summer tuition and classes are not included. Students who demonstrate the highest levels of academic ability, motivation, and leadership potential in their application for freshman admission to Santa Clara University will be considered for this prestigious award. Johnson Scholars Program Highlights The Johnson Scholars Program offers students the flexibility to explore the intersections of their values and their leadership potential. The program also provides the freedom and financial support to make more expansive and visionary life decisions than might otherwise be possible. Highlights of the Santa Clara Johnson Scholars experience include: A diverse community of scholars SCU provides Johnson Scholars with the opportunity to develop as leaders, build a rich sense of community, and achieve academic excellence. Scholars join a diverse cohort of the University s top-tier students with unparalleled access to faculty interaction, mentoring, and one-to-one engagement. From the moment they step on campus, scholars receive support and guidance in preparing and qualifying for grants and fellowships throughout their college career and beyond. SCU s Honors Program Johnson Scholars are invited to participate in Santa Clara s University Honors Program. By challenging SCU s most able students to think more analytically and make deeper connections between their classes and the world, the University Honors Program enables them to attain the highest levels of academic achievement and civic engagement. Creative leadership and research opportunities After Johnson Scholars have completed their second year at Santa Clara, they are eligible to apply for a summer stipend to fund a self-defined leadership experience such as an internship, independent research, or service abroad. Shaping a better world At Santa Clara, we educate leaders who will have the knowledge, integrity, and desire to go out and do good in the world. Here, students learn to appreciate other perspectives in ways that help them become contributing members of the global community. The Johnson Scholars Commitment Johnson Scholars must maintain a 3.5 grade point average throughout their undergraduate career at Santa Clara. Each year, they also write a letter to the program sponsor describing and reflecting on their experience at Santa Clara University and their development as leaders. 2

4 Johnson Scholars Criteria The prestigious Santa Clara Johnson Scholars Program is offered to those students whose qualities, experiences, and observable success have prepared them to excel as leaders. Finalists will be selected on the basis of academic achievements, as well as their potential to contribute to the intellectual and civic life of SCU and the world at large. The following characteristics are typical of Santa Clara University s Johnson Scholars: Evidence of leadership and a spirit of tenacity Demonstrated record of high academic performance An unweighted cumulative GPA of 3.8 or higher A minimum ACT composite score of 30 or SAT combined score of 1,400 in the math and critical reading sections Record of service throughout the high school career 3

5 The Award Process Application to Santa Clara Candidates are selected from the early decision, early action, and regular admission application pools. No separate scholarship application is required. Admission applications must be submitted through the online Common Application process ( For more information about the scholarship selection process, visit Selection Process Semi-finalists will be notified by mid-february and asked to submit supplemental material by early March. After supplemental materials are reviewed, finalists will be identified. Finalists will be invited to a Scholarship Weekend in early April. Travel and lodging expenses for the Scholarship Weekend will be paid by the University for the finalists. The weekend includes attending classes, touring the campus, meeting with faculty mentors, dining with members of the Johnson Scholars community, selection activities, and additional events. A program for parents, who may attend at their own expense, will intersect and complement the student program. Scholarship Awards From among the finalists, up to 10 Johnson Scholars for the academic year will be selected, and will be notified during the weeks following Scholarship Weekend. The first operating institution of higher education in California, SCU is known for its history, beauty, and distinctive mission-style architecture. As members of the Santa Clara community, students thrive in an environment conducive to learning, reflection, and engagement. 4

6 Every night [on our Nicaragua immersion] we got together to talk about what we were still mentally chewing on. We challenged each other to think more deeply. We listened to every opinion intently; and we envisioned making the world a better place and identified the steps needed to get there. Owen Huelsbeck, Class of 2018 Top photo: Eleven Johnson Scholars explored the political, economic, and cultural landscape in Nicaragua. Bottom photo: Karen Mac and Hannah Warnecke, Johnson Scholars, experience firsthand the challenges facing the organic, fair trade coffee industry. 5

7 Learning Beyond Campus At Santa Clara University, students are nurtured and challenged intellectually, spiritually, and socially to prepare them for a life of leadership and service for the common good. Johnson Scholars have participated in national and international immersion trips, experiencing the gritty reality of our globalizing world. Deep reflection designed to inform vocational discernment is a hallmark of such trips. As part of the distinctive leadership development approach of the Johnson Scholars program, immersion experiences provide the opportunity for scholars to let the reality of this world shape their development as compassionate, intelligent, and empowered leaders. International Immersion Experience During winter break in 2015, 11 Johnson Scholars visited Nicaragua to explore issues of fair and free trade, particularly in the coffee industry through the Center of Global Education, an international education program. During the week, the group met with organizations and heard the stories of people from a diverse cross-section of local society including farmers, social activists, and government officials. The group also spent a night with host families in a rural community and coffee cooperative near Estelí. There they learned about the impact of fair trade and the seed-to-cup process in making and selling coffee. After returning from the immersion, Johnson Scholars led the campus community in a discussion on the ethics of coffee, sharing what they learned and experienced. In addition, the scholars organized efforts to raise funds for a Nicaraguan student scholarship. The Nicaragua Immersion provided the opportunity for deep reflection and challenged scholars to rethink how they might pursue justice in their everyday lives and as future leaders. Varsha Kalavar, Eoin Lyons, and Phillip Barber, Class of 2019, learn to make pupusas, a traditional Salvadoran dish during an Arizona border immersion trip. National Immersion Experience For Spring Break 2016, four Johnson Scholars immersed themselves in the issues of immigration in Tucson, Arizona through BorderLinks, an educationfocused nonprofit and long-standing partner of the University s Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education. To see immigration from angles they don t often find in news reports, the immersion participants met with many groups to learn from the experiences of various perspectives including: Samaritans, a nonprofit that provides food, water, clothing, and medical care in the desert, Sierra Club, which seeks to raise awareness about the environmental impacts of government policies at the border, Lawyers involved with the criminal justice and deportation systems. I never thought I could learn so much about immigration in just a week but through long conversations, sitting in on immigration court hearings, visiting detention centers, and experiencing these issues firsthand, I finally feel like I have a voice on this controversial, but important issue. 6 Varsha Kalavar, Class of 2019

8 Leadership Formation Cooper Scherr, Class of 2019 During their four years on campus, Johnson Scholars engage in many leadership development and spiritual formation opportunities that align with the University's commitment to educating students for a more just, humane, and sustainable world. Each academic year, Johnson Scholars participate in retreats and other activities focused on team building, leadership formation, and guided reflection activities. In the academic year, the Scholars had two retreats, one in the San Francisco Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the second on the Pacific coast near Monterey Bay. The Johnson Scholars discussed how they wanted to shape the program in the future, reflected on personal goals for the year, and collaborated on the development of summer plans. The fall retreat was very productive and rewarding. During our stay at NatureBridge, we were able to set goals for the program and ourselves, and also contemplate the responsibilities we possess as Johnson Scholars. We all recognize what a blessing it is to be part of such an amazing program, and we want to help foster its growth in the coming years. Other leadership development activities included: Invitations to lectures and conversations with University guests including the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia; Washington Post journalist George F. Will; founder of the Equal Justice Initiative and one of Time Magazine s 100 Most Influential People Bryan Stevenson; and former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich. Volunteering through the Santa Clara Community Action Program to serve breakfast at a homeless shelter. A Scholar-organized event hosting Mam Yassin Sarr, founder of Starfish International, to talk about girls education, vocation, and becoming a leader in service. Team exercises with the Center for Student Leadership during the Johnson Scholarship Weekend. Faculty-supervised events allow scholars to develop leadership skills both inside and outside the classroom that will help them be effective in their careers, communities, and personal lives. Scholars are challenged and equipped to grow in their unique leadership styles and to explore the range of activities and academic paths available at Santa Clara. During Scholarship Weekend, prospective students work together on problem-solving and leadership exercises.

9 It is motivating to be around such driven and bright peers. It is also comforting to be surrounded by people who genuinely care about each other. I love that this program provides not only a scholarship, but also a close-knit community in which we lift each other up and constantly motivate each other. Taylor Tagawa, Class of 2018 Johnson Scholars bond as a community each year for the weekend Fall retreat. 8

10 Santa Clara University Our mission is grounded in a 450-year Jesuit tradition of educating the whole person to become a leader of conscience, competence, and compassion. With a strong community-based learning model that distinguishes its undergraduate experience, Santa Clara instills not only the knowledge required to succeed in a complex world, but also the desire and ability to change it. Santa Clara University is California s oldest operating university. Known as the Jesuit University in Silicon Valley, the University s reputation is about much more than its location. The spirit of creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship that characterizes the Valley, together with an exceptional work ethic and the willingness to take chances, have been part of the Santa Clara University tradition since well before the start of the digital age. As a Jesuit, Catholic university, Santa Clara is the optimal choice for students who are seeking an intellectually rigorous, spiritually enriching, leadership-focused, and culturally engaging educational experience. Silicon Valley Location Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Santa Clara is adjacent to San José, the 10th largest city in the U.S., and about 45 miles south of San Francisco. Home to more than 2 million residents and 6,600 scienceand technology-related companies, the region is known for its extraordinary visionaries who have created some of the most significant scientific and technological advances of our age as well as its abundant internship and employment opportunities. Santa Clara University is ideally situated at the nexus of technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, and social justice. The powerful high-tech economy emerged alongside our long-established University, and its proximity serves Santa Clara s best qualities and most exciting opportunities. Hannah Kortbawi, Class of 2018, makes the most of research opportunities available to undergraduates at SCU. 9

11 Johnson Scholars at the 2015 Fall Retreat. About SCU/Quick Facts Santa Clara University Founded in acres; private-suburban setting 5,385 undergraduates 3,295 graduate students 551 full-time faculty Undergraduate Student Body, Fall 2015 Total undergraduate enrollment 5,385 First-year class 1,261 Transfer class 122 Student/faculty ratio 12:1 Average class size 23 First-years who continue to sophomore year 95% Undergraduate 4-year graduation rate 80% Undergraduate 6-year graduation rate 85% First-year Students, Fall 2015 Applied 14,899 Accepted 7,270 Enrolled 1,261 Living on campus 96% Academic GPA (4.0 unweighted scale) 3.67 SAT critical reading* SAT math* ACT composite* *Middle 50% scores (admitted) 10

12 The Johnson Scholars Class of 2018 enjoys meeting with Rupert and Maryellie Johnson. The Johnson Scholars Program is about developing ethical leaders, building a rich sense of community, and achieving academic excellence. With the intellect and drive to excel and a natural inclination to care, Johnson Scholars have the opportunity to develop as leaders shaped by a rigorous and holistic Jesuit education at Santa Clara. Engaging talented and committed students who will form the next generation of leaders is essential to our mission. We invite you to bring your passions and perspectives to Santa Clara and further enrich our campus community. The Johnson Scholars Program is funded by a generous gift from Rupert and Maryellie Johnson. For more information please contact: Amy Shachter, Ph.D. Senior Associate Provost for Research and Faculty Affairs Santa Clara University 500 El Camino Real Santa Clara, CA Kelly Uchiumi Senior Administrative Assistant for Johnson Scholars Program Santa Clara University 500 El Camino Real Santa Clara, CA The Jesuit University in Silicon Valley ashachter@scu.edu kuchiumi@scu.edu FPO PROV-8319D 08/16 6,500