Scholarship Information – Southern Ocean Birding Group

The Southern Ocean Birding Group Lesser/Bacinski Scholarship: Announcement and Submission Guideline

SOBG Scholarship Guidelines and Application

The Southern Ocean Birding Group, a federally recognized non-profit organization founded to provide information about birds, conduct field trips, and present programs for the enjoyment and education of members and guests, is proud to announce the availability of The Southern Ocean Birding Group Lesser/Bacinski Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship is meant to assist a senior (grade 12) at the Ocean County Vocational Technical Schools District’s Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES), who is pursuing his/her studies at an institution of higher learning.

To be considered for a Southern Ocean Birding Group scholarship, we would like you to be an inspirational and energetic individual who plans to pursue a career in biology, conservation, environmental studies, or related fields. We are interested in your activities over the past four years that demonstrate your interest in environmentalism. The scholarship award will be based on your application, and the Southern Ocean Biding Group will determine the winner of the award.

The scholarship is typically valued at about $1,000.00. We require that our scholarship funding be used for tuition, books, or fees at universities, colleges, junior colleges, or vocational schools. You must be a high school senior at MATES to be eligible.
How do you submit for a Southern Ocean Birding Group scholarship? Simple! Follow the short guidelines below. We look forward to receiving your application and thank you for your interest.

Guidelines for Submission:
1. Visit the Southern Ocean Birding Group website to learn more about our organization. If you meet our scholarship requirements, apply for the scholarship on the application attached. Be sure to indicate any environmental work you’ve done or school environmental related clubs/groups you’ve belonged to over the past four years on the application. You can attach an additional sheet if you have more than three organizations.

2. Submit one to three paragraphs explaining the environmental goals you aspire to in your future career and how you plan to reach these goals.

3. Provide the information requested on the Southern Ocean Birding Group Scholarship Application Form below and send the completed form to:

Nancy Gallagher
Southern Ocean Birding Group
15 Benjamin Court
Barnegat, NJ 08005

4. Write “Southern Ocean Birding Group Scholarship Application“ on the front of the envelope. We must receive your application by May 12. This will submit your application for our scholarship. If you have any questions, please contact us at: nancygallagher333@gmail.com.

The Southern Ocean Birding Group will release funds associated with the scholarship payable to the student at the MATES Award Night or mailed to the awardee.

The 2024 Southern Ocean Birding Group Lesser/Bacinski Scholarship Winner

The Southern Ocean Birding Group is happy to announce that the 2024 Lesser/Bacinski Scholarship winner was Kailey Miller! She will be attending Lehigh University in the fall. The $1,000 award was presented to Kailey by SOBG president Amy Ryan.

The 2023 Southern Ocean Birding Group Lesser/Bacinski Scholarship Winner

The Southern Ocean Birding Group is happy to announce that the 2023 Lesser/Bacinski Scholarship winner was Nicholas Guerriero! The $1,000 award was presented to Nicholas by SOBG president Amy Ryan.

The 2022 Southern Ocean Birding Group Lesser/Bacinski Scholarship Winner

The Southern Ocean Birding Group is happy to announce that the 2022 Lesser/Bacinski Scholarship winner is Michael Hudak, who will be attending Washington College in Maryland, majoring in Environmental Sciences. The $1,000 award was presented to Michael by Jason Kelsey of the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Sciences.

The 2019 Southern Ocean Birding Group Virginia Syracuse Scholarship Winner

Claudia Schreier is the winner of a $750 scholarship, presented by Sue Puder, President of SOBG. Claudia will be attending University of Delaware in the fall. Congratulations, and best of luck to Claudia!

The 2018 Southern Ocean Birding Group Virginia Syracuse Scholarship Winner

Sara Lapsley is the winner of a $750 scholarship, presented on June 5th by Morry Kapitan, Vice President of SOBG. Sara will be attending Stockton University in the fall.