By Asia Muhammad, Pullman Scholar.

ScholarCon is a place where you can dare, dream, and discover. If you are unfamiliar with ScholarCon, then it is my duty to get you acquainted. ScholarCon is a conference held by the National Society of Colligate Scholars (NSCS). There are over 300 NSCS chapters at various schools in the United States. This honor society is special because they award $1,000,000 annually in scholarships, allow scholars to network with established professionals, and hold a leadership summit every year.

ScholarCon is a mixture of awesome things. This conference gives you a chance to network with your peers who are studying a variety of subjects such as plant biology, pre-law, and much more. The conference also gives scholars a chance to attend several workshops where they learn how to apply for study abroad scholarships, develop a solutionist mindset, and how to develop a budget. Motivational speakers hold workshops, too, because the balancing school, work, and personal troubles can be very discouraging. For example, one motivational speaker stressed that it is okay to be discouraged, but do not stay discouraged—resilience is key. (more…)

Get to know Pullman Scholar Asia Muhammad,’16, a psychology major at Saint Leo University.

Three words Asia feels best to describe her personality: humble, outspoken, caring

A lesson college has taught Asia (outside of the classroom): How to make her dollar stretch

Like many students, Asia’s transition to college had some ups and downs. She remembers feeling lost at times while adjusting to her new home and life in Florida. Realizing there were areas where she wanted to improve, Asia committed to working hard and reaching out to others for help when needed. She quickly learned how to write college-caliber papers, prepare for tests, send professional emails, and, the ever important time management lesson: not staying up all night to finish an assignment. Although Asia’s first semester at Saint Leo University had some challenging moments, her perseverance and drive to do her best carried her forward.

Now a sophomore, Asia is majoring in psychology and is passionate about a future career in counseling. Through one of her classes, Asia had the opportunity to visit a juvenile detention center, where she gained a first-hand understanding of some of the circumstances young people are working through, including violence, drug use, and lack of a stable environment. From this experience, Asia became interested in a career that would provide her opportunities to help youth facing similar circumstances. (more…)