APPLICANT CERTIFICATION FORM & ESSAY UPLOAD
Form completed by CIWEA Member (Faculty/Staff)
•Please fill out one form for each student essay or video you wish to submit. You may submit a maximum of 10 student essays or videos from your campus/company
•At the bottom of the page you will find a section where you will certify that your students completed their internship, work experience between June 2025 and May 2026.
•Complete “Applicant Certification Form(s)” no later than Friday, May 6, 2026. Form located at bottom of page
*Each student essay must have a first page or cover page that provides the required student information.
CIWEA Scholarship: Essay or Video Submission
Eligibility
To qualify, your student must have completed an Internship, Work Experience, or Co-op experience between January and December 2025 or Spring 2026.
In addition, you, your school, or the student's work site must be a member of CIWEA. To download and print a membership form, visit CIWEA website.
- The scholarship is open to all students in any major.
- Previous scholarship recipients are not eligible to apply again.
Student Essay Requirements (or Video Option)
To apply, your students must submit either:
- A double-spaced, 12-point font essay using Word format .doc or .docx of no more than 750 words
- OR a video describing the student’s perspective
Topic
How My Internship/Work Experience Has Influenced My Career Choice
Required Cover Page (Essay or Video)
Students must include a cover page with:
- Essay/Video title
- Student name
- College or university name
- Total number of words in the essay (not required for video)
- Phone number
- Address (mailing address)
- Company Name (where work experience took place)
- Company address
- Supervisors Name
- Supervisors Email
- College Representatives Email
- College or university name
Important: Without the required formatting and all cover page information, the essay/video will be disqualified.
| Criteria | Points | What reviewers look for |
|---|---|---|
| Writes/Speaks to the topic | 5 | Directly addresses the prompt with a clear focus. |
| Career impact | 5 | Explains how the experience influenced career choice, using specific examples. |
| Creativity | 5 | Engaging voice, structure, or approach that strengthens the message. |
| Clear and well-written/Organized | 5 | Organization, clarity, and mechanics support understanding. |
| Level of analysis / reflection | 5 | Thoughtful reflection beyond summary; demonstrates insight. |
Writing Expectations
Essays/Videos should reflect college-level writing/presenting skills. Poorly written essays/videos, or those with numerous errors, will not be competitive.
File Name Requirement (Essay Submissions)
Save the essay, along with the cover page, with a file name that contains the student’s first and last name, the college name, and 2- or 4-year institution.
Required format: FirstName.LastName.CollegeName.2 or 4
Examples: John.Doe.MiraCosta.2 or Jane.Doe.StMarys.4
Scholarship Info and Forms
2022 Award Recipient Essays:
2021: (Covid suspension)
2020:
Four-Year CSU San Marcos student:. Megan Hammerschmidt
Two-Year RSJC student: Clay Brookfield
2019:
Four-Year William Jessup, Alyssa Mielke
Two-Year CCSF student: Shalini Bhatia
2018:
Four-Year College/University Student: Jessica Santavanond, Cal Poly Pomona
Two-Year College Student: Sarah Olsen, Mira Costa College
2017:
Four-Year College/University Student: Miriam Perez, Cal Poly Pomona
Two-Year College Student: Gerardo Reyes, College of the Canyons
2016:
Four-Year College/University Student: Alia Bonetti, CSU Long Beach
Two-Year College Student: Courtney Wiscarson, College of the Canyons
Who was Bernard L. Hyink?
Dr. Bernard L. Hyink, or “Bernie” to those who knew or worked with him, was a past president (1976-77) of CIWEA (then known as the California Cooperative Education & Internship Association or CCEIA) and a past president (1980-81) of the national Cooperative Education & Internship Association (CEIA). He was a professor of Political Science at California State University, Fullerton where, additionally, he founded and was Director of the Center for Internships and Cooperative Education.
More about Bernard, Click Here