At Drake, we believe everyone has what it takes to be a leader.  We want to make sure that you all know about the many opportunities to put your leadership skills into action.  Between now and February you are invited to apply for any of the following opportunities that peak your interest.

The Office of Residence Life is accepting applications for Residence Assistance between now and Jan. 16.  Applications can be found HERE.

VIP (Violence Intervention Partners) application are open until Feb. 16.  Apply HERE to join their team for the Fall 2024 semester.

New Student Programs is hosting information sessions for Orientation Leaders and PMACS.

Orientation Leader information sessions will be held:

• Friday, Feb. 2 at 2 p.m.,  Zoom Meeting
• Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 5 p.m., Olmsted Center, Room 310

Sign up for a session

PMAC information sessions will be

• Friday, December 8 at 12:00pm in upper Olmsted Conference Rooms 
• Friday, February 9 4:00pm in upper Olmsted Conference Rooms 
• Monday, February 12 at 6:30pm on Zoom

Sign up for a session

Keep an eye out in the spring for other opportunities to open. Student Ambassadors for the admissions office applications will open in February and Community Engaged Peers applications open in March.  If you are a current Adam’s Leadership student you are invited to apply for the Adam’s Leadership Peer Mentor role in March as well.

— Lynne Cornelius, Assistant Dean of Campus Life

Solicitation for the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program

Drake University students interested in a career in mathematics, the physical sciences, natural sciences, or engineering are invited to apply for the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program.

Established by Congress in 1986, the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation operates an educational scholarship program designed to provide opportunities for outstanding U.S. students with excellent academic records and demonstrated interest in, and potential for, careers in mathematics, the natural sciences, the physical sciences, and engineering.

In April 2024, the Foundation will award scholarships to students who will be college juniors or seniors during the 2024-2025 academic year. To be considered for an award, students must be nominated by their institution. The national DEADLINE for RECEIPT of all nominations is January 26th, 2024. There are earlier on-campus deadlines, however. Please note them below.

The scholarship award covers eligible expenses up to a maximum of $7,500 per year. Sophomore scholarship recipients can expect to receive a maximum of two years of support. Junior scholarship recipients are eligible for a maximum of one year of support.

Who is eligible to apply?

1) Any Drake University student pursuing a career in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering is eligible if he or she majors in mathematics, physical sciences, or natural sciences.

2) Students must currently be full-time sophomores or juniors pursuing a baccalaureate degree.

3) Students must have a cumulative Drake G.P.A. of 3.75 or better. 4) Students must be a U.S. citizen, resident alien, or U.S. national.

5) Students who plan to study medicine are eligible only if they plan a research career rather than a career as a medical doctor in a private practice.

6) Strong candidates may have had the opportunity to participate in research or held internships in research facilities, either industrial or academic.

The application consists of 2 to 3 pages student essay on a research problem in science, three letters of recommendation, most likely from Drake University faculty, transcripts, and a nomination from the Goldwater Scholarship Faculty Representative (Dr. Gholam

Mirafzal). In the case of students with research experience, one of the three letters of recommendation must come from the research advisor.

Application materials are available at: https://goldwater.scholarsapply.org/

Drake University can nominate up to four individuals. Qualified individuals will submit their essay to Dr. Mirafzal. They will then be read by the Drake Goldwater Scholarship Committee. From this pool of essays, four will be chosen and will be forwarded to the national scholarship committee. The internal review of essays will begin on January 12, 2024.

To be considered, interested sophomores and juniors should contact: Professor Mirafzal, (Department of Chemistry, 213 Morgan E. Cline Hall of Pharmacy and Science, x4811) no later than Dec. 15. I would encourage you to speak to me earlier than that, however, to get a start on the essay and on the other application material.

Several Drake students have received this scholarship in recent years and our hope is for that to continue. The scholarships are prestigious and the students that have received them have gone on to well-known institutions for graduate studies.

Thank you and I hope you consider applying.

— Gholam Mirafzal, Windsor Professor of Chemistry

On-campus buybacks and rental returns are happening at the Bulldog Shop now through Friday, Dec. 15. Make some extra cash by selling textbooks you’re finished using. Regardless of when or where books were purchased, we are buying them. And, if you have rentals to return, you don’t even need a box. Just drop the book off, and you’re done. Rentals are due by Friday, Dec. 22.

Can’t make it to the on-campus buyback? Don’t worry, you can also sell books online anytime for credit.

— The Bulldog Shop

Get paid for your old textbooks during the on-campus buyback and rental return event next week. You can get cash for your books, no matter when (or where) you purchased them! Happening December 11 – 15 at Bulldog Shop from 9am-5pm.

Textbook rentals are due back on December 22. Take advantage of the easy and convenient return process by dropping off your books in-store – no box or shipping label is needed!

— Drake University Bookstore

Orientation leaders are dedicated to providing incoming students and their families with all of the information and resources necessary to ensure their transition to Drake is a smooth and enjoyable one.

We need you to help make this happen. Each year we recruit current Drake students to become part of the orientation leader staff. Orientation leaders play a vital role in this exciting process, working closely with new students and their families on a wide variety of topics including academics, student involvement, housing options, and more.

We highly encourage you to attend one of the information sessions being offered. Click here to sign up for a session.

• Monday, Dec. 4, at 5 p.m. in Olmsted, Conference Room 310
• Friday, Feb. 2, at 2 p.m. on Zoom
• Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 5 p.m. in Olmsted, Conference Room 310

You will be compensated for your time and effort and gain valuable skills in this position.

Learn more about the position. For questions, contact Lead Orientation Leaders at orientationleaders@drake.edu.

— Marina Verlengia, Director, New Student and Parent Programs

Feeling overwhelmed and lacking motivation are common feelings lately in Access & Success. Remember, there is light at the end of the tunnel.  Finals are right around the corner and you are going to make it.

Here are five ways to stay motivated for the rest of the semester:

• Use a timer. Sometimes five minutes of focus is all you need to get the ball rolling. Set a timer and START!
• Plan for tomorrow, tonight. Set three goals every night for what you want to accomplish the next day. Somedays you may be more productive and do more than three, but try to get at least those three things done.  Feeling accomplished goes a long way for motivation.
• Make your bed. A great way to start your day is to make your bed. Once you make it, don’t mess it up. It is harder to go back to bed if its already made.
• Get out of your room. Your dorm room is never a great place to study, too many distractions. Challenge yourself to find a new place to study.  Changing things up changes your prospective and will lead to productivity.
• Have some fun! It’s real easy to feel you need to study and not have fun, but you need to give your brain a break. Reward yourself for finishing a paper or having a good study session. You’ve earned it.

Enjoy your break and come back ready to tackle the rest of the semester. Access & Success is here to help.

— Michelle Laughlin, Director of Access & Success

The Office of Residence Life has opened its 2024–2025 Resident Assistant Application to Drake Students.  In addition, there are two RA Information Sessions happening in Meredith Hall, Room 235, on Nov. 15 from 6–7:30 p.m. and on Dec. 1 from 10–11:30 a.m.

If you have any questions about the RA application, please reach out to douglas.robinett@drake.edu or randy.mcmullin@drake.edu.

— Douglas Robinett, Office of Residence Life

Come play in a free Super Smash Bros. ultimate tournament in Herriott Lobby this Saturday, Nov. 18, at 8 p.m. We’re planning to have GameCube controllers, pro controllers, and a couple Nintendo Switch setups, including projecting a big display on the wall.

— Jake Elafros, Senior, College of Arts & Sciences

Information about the types of financial aid at Drake, financial aid policies, and other helpful information can be found at drake.edu/finaid. For example, you can:

• review helpful resources, such as outside scholarship searches or free self-paced personal finance education.
• find instructions for how to submit a financial aid appeal for special circumstances
• review steps in the financial aid process, including required steps to secure student loans.

If you have questions, the Financial Aid Office is here to help! Please contact our office or stop by Carnegie Hall.

— Ryan Zantingh, Office of Financial Aid

The International Student & Scholar Services department (ISSS) wants to continue the tradition of offering an international stoles. Stoles allow you to display pride during commencement—pride in your academic achievements, in your student clubs or professional organizations, and in the place (or places) you call home. We are working with a company called Vision Wear International, and they provide a discount for bulk orders. You can look at the options available on their website at: https://www.visionwear.com/.

Please let Jorona Johnson (jorona.johnson@drake.edu) know directly if you would like to order a stole and, if so, which type. Be sure to include the flag name(s) in your email. We will need a response no later than Nov. 15 so we will have enough time to collect payment and place the order.

— Jorona Johnson, Global Engagement