SPOTLIGHTING THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST


ONCA MATCHES STUDENTS WITH PRESTIGIOUS SCHOLARSHIPS After working diligently in school, finally accepting that university diploma brings a swell of emotions: happiness, excitement and accomplishment.


But for Rachel Burns ’16, one post-graduation moment stands out more than her time on the Winthrop Coliseum stage.


Fellow teachers at Burns’ school in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, voted her “School Sweetheart” and presented her with the honor on stage in front of the entire school body.


“I’ll never forget the rush of warmth and affection I felt from the students as I came forward,” she said. “It affected me more emotionally than receiving my university diploma


me,” she said. “Without the resources and advice of Dr. Leslie Bickford I wouldn’t have had the confidence to step into the greatest learning experience of my life thus far.”


ONCA hit its 10-year milestone last year, and current director Leslie Bickford and founding director Jennifer Disney talked about the office’s importance.


“The experience of a nationally competitive award is a chance for a student to get a foot in the door and find his or her passion,” said Disney, who was selected to begin the office because of her professional and extensive work with students. “Winthrop students compete with the best and brightest anywhere.”


Since the office’s creation, 57 students won and nine qualified for prestigious national awards such as the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Arts Award; the Rhodes Scholarship; Knowles Science Teaching Foundation Fellowship; the popular Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship; and the National Security Education Program’s David L. Boren Undergraduate Scholarship.


Burns heard about ONCA when she worked as an International Center peer mentor, right down the hall from the ONCA office. She became Winthrop’s first Fulbright Scholar.


“I knew I wanted to keep exploring and traveling after graduation, so I visited the office to see what opportunities I could find,” she said.


RAISING UP HER STUDENTS


While living and working in South Africa wasn’t a bucket list item, she had always felt a connection to the country.


Leslie Bickford, ONCA director, helped a freshman navigate scholarship opportunities after an information session.


because being a student has always come easily to me, but being a teacher is much harder. The award signified that, despite my doubts and fears, I was making a difference.”


Burns attributes her success to Winthrop’s Office of Nationally Competitive Awards (ONCA).


ONCA identifies highly motivated and talented students, and helps them apply for awards, scholarships, fellowships, and other opportunities that will enrich their lives and further their studies.


Rachel Burns, left, is pictured in the kitchen cooking with her “South African mom.”


4 “ONCA was integral to making this experience happen for


“Small things, such as a project in 10th grade, slowly helped shape my curiosity to the point where I knew I had to dive in to experience this country for myself,” she said.


She calls the South African community she works with “strong and welcoming,” despite the many obstacles it faces, such as poor health conditions and poverty – quite a contrast to many American school experiences.


“The schools I worked with in the United States were very privileged: smartboards, Chromebooks, computers with real software and a plethora of clubs and teams to choose from,” Burns said. “While there are under-funded schools in the states, the problem here is endemic, and I’m grateful to be made aware of my privilege. Every day I come into work and do my best to help the students here raise themselves up.”


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