Wayne Magazine Back to School 2020 | Page 10

neighbors 11 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT JEAN O’TOOLE Co-founder of Connections101 helps students win scholarships WRITTEN BY SARAH SLAVIN AND CINDY SCHWEICH HANDLER Jean O’Toole relates easily to the financial concerns of families with kids seeking higher education. The first in her family to go college, O’Toole, who is originally from western Massachusetts, received many generous scholarships, but still couldn’t cover her expenses and had to take out student loans. Her post-graduation work at Montster. com subsidiary Making it Count, where she spoke to high school and university students nationwide about academic strategies, taught her that education costs were increasingly stressing families out. “I started opening my eyes to opportunities Iwish Ihad known about,” she says. O’Toole started workshopping a classroom presentation in New Jersey high schools that evolved into aschool assembly program. Through assemblies, scholarship clubs, library visits and seminars, Connections 101, the company she co-founded in 2008, has instructed thousands of students and parents in the tri-state area tofind and win private scholarships —ones given by corporations, foundations, individuals and other organizations. O’Toole, who lives inOak Ridge, has worked with students at Bloomfield and Cedar Grove High Schools alot, as well as others throughout Passaic and Essex Counties. The pandemic, she says, has only added to families’ money concerns. Since its arrival, Connection 101 has been working with students online. Here are 11things you should know about Jean O’Toole. THERE ARE A LOT OF MISCONCEP- TIONS ABOUT WHO’S ENTITLED TO SCHOLARSHIPS,SHE SAYS Families often assume that scholarships are only for students with top grades, major athletic accomplishments and/or deep financial needs,she says, but they’re wrong. “There are a lot of private scholarships where the only criterion is you’re a student who’s on track to graduate,” says O’Toole. O’TOOLE SAYS THAT SOME SCHOLARSHIPS ARE FOR KIDSASYOUNGAS5 Because scholarships are intended for educational purposes,younger students may also apply for them, and they are awarded in two ways, she says. For scholarships of less than $1,000, a check is sent to the family; parents may want to invest the money in an educational summer program for the child, or invest it for future education. Larger awards, such as the $1,000 Angela Award for female students in grades 5-8 who have an interest in science, may come in the form of abond students can use when they turn 18. O’Toole has plenty of examples of gifts aimed at younger recipients. “Google has a scholarship open to kids inK-12, with several categories so the little kids aren’t competing against the older ones,” she says. The Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship, which is for kids 13 and older, has adeadline of Halloween and asks students to write a short essay about whatthey would do in the case of azombie takeover. THINK LOCAL,SHE ADVISES PARENTS Students have a higher statistical chance of scoring local scholarships because there are fewer students competing for them, she says. “A majority, probably 98 percent, of U.S. high schools have their own version of Senior Awards Night,” she says. “You can ask your guidance department to > PHOTOS COURTESY OF CONNECTIONS 101 8 BACK TOSCHOOL 2020 WAYNE MAGAZINE