Would you like to grow as a leader, develop more confidence, and strengthen your enthusiasm for your career choice? Consider applying to be Â鶹ŮÀÉ’s nominee as a Dream Scholar!
This year Â鶹ŮÀÉ can nominate a student to the Dream Scholars program. If an Â鶹ŮÀÉ nominee is one of the eight students selected nationally, they will participate in a series of online mentoring sessions with Dream and be required to attend (at no charge to them) , held in Portland, Oregon, March 1-6, 2026. If selected, the Dream Scholar will be required to speak publicly and share parts of their story at this conference as well as in local, regional, and national media.
Read about an Â鶹ŮÀÉ student who was selected as one of the 8 Dream Scholars.
Applicants must
- be currently taking classes at Â鶹ŮÀÉ in a program (technical diploma or associate degree),
- be currently enrolled in Fall 8W2 for a minimum of three credits,
- have a current GPA of 2.0 or higher (if GPA has been earned already), and
- be planning to graduate from Â鶹ŮÀÉ no earlier than May 2026.
To Apply
Students must submit responses to the questions below in a Microsoft Word document to jennifer.flatt@nwtc.edu no later than 12:00 pm (noon) on Monday, October 6, 2025.
Your answers may vary in length based on the question and your experiences. You may work with an Â鶹ŮÀÉ writing coach if you would like help getting started with your application answers.
If you are selected as Â鶹ŮÀÉ’s nominee, someone will work with you to ensure your answers meet the minimum and maximum lengths allowed in the application, so as you write, think about developing your ideas and examples and don’t worry about length.
Questions
Reply to the questions below in a Word document.
Additional demographic questions will be required if you are selected as the Â鶹ŮÀÉ nominee.
- List your full name, email, phone number, and program or area of concentration.
- List the name of a faculty or staff member who would be able to speak to your eligibility for this honor. Please let that person know you are listing their name.
- Why are you interested in being a DREAM Scholar? Be sure to include personal attributes (such as resiliency, ambitions, and/or perseverance).
- Tell us about your personal and educational journeys. If you faced personal or financial obstacles, be sure to mention how you persisted in reaching your goals despite those challenges.
- Who or what inspires you and why?
- Describe your most meaningful personal and/or educational achievements and how they relate to your future goals.
- What aspects of your identities do you feel have most impacted your educational experience and why? (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender identity, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, religion/spirituality, immigration status, (dis)ability, etc.)
- Describe a situation where you demonstrated leadership in your community or at your college. What challenges did you encounter, and how did you overcome them to create a positive impact?
- What have you read, viewed, or listened to recently that has impacted or changed how you experience the world?
- What DREAM 2026 conference theme(s) are you most interested in learning more about, and how do they relate to your lived experiences? The themes are access, momentum, mobility, and community impact.
Harvey Lincoln Scholarship
An additional scholarship opportunity is available through the Harvey Lincoln Scholarship.
The Harvey Lincoln Scholarship Fund was created in 2017 in honor of Harvey M. Lincoln, the late husband of Carol A. Lincoln who was a founding staff member of ATD. Harvey was a beloved volunteer to ATD and an avid public servant.
Please note: Students cannot be selected for both the Harvey Lincoln Student Scholarship and the DREAM Scholars opportunities. Students who complete this part of the application should understand that they may be selected either as DREAM Scholars or Harvey Lincoln Student Scholarship recipients, but not both. Applying for the scholarship does not affect a student's eligibility or harm their chances of being selected as a DREAM Scholar.
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- Would you like to be considered for the Harvey Lincoln Scholarship?
Please respond yes or no. If you responded yes, answer questions 11 and 12.
- In what ways have you used your education and experiences to impact your community during your time in college?
- How would receiving the Harvey Lincoln Student Scholarship support your educational and career goals?
