Eligibility
Heritage: Korean American students studying in the United States.
Enrollment: Undergraduate and graduate students enrolled full-time in a university in the United States during the scholarship application year.
Application: The committee will read the application and distribute funds based on the quality of the application and need demonstrated. Students who have demonstrated excellency in their application and field of study will be given preference. More than 10 applicants will be selected. Scholarships up to $3,000 will be rewarded to students.
Application Instructions
Papers & Documents to Submit
Email the following to KayLee@KayLeefoundation.org with a subject line beginning with your last name and then your first name no later than application deadline December 30, 2023. Please email all application materials in one email. Recommendation letters can be sent as they are ready. We will primarily base selection from the essay in the application. Please note that we will not be accepting any paper applications in light of the current situation. All applications must be emailed. The scholarship recipients will be announced on January 9, 2024.
- A completed & signed application form (click here to download the form). Save the file as YourLastName-FirstName-KL-5th-Application.xlsx
- A 1200-1500 word essay in PDF- Name the file as YourLastName-FirstName-Essay.pdf (see below for the essay question)
- Certificate of Current Enrollment Verification
- An official Transcript- Please email this to us at the foundation email address
- A recommendation letter by a professor/teacher of either current school or prior school (Emailed directly to us)
- A resume
- Your prior year tax return
- A passport-style photo taken within past year
Essay Topic: Bamboo Ceiling in Leadership
The term bamboo ceiling has been used to refer to the prejudice and limitations that Asian Americans face in the workplace. Research has found that despite being one of the most successful minority groups, East Asian Americans are much less likely to attain leadership positions in comparison to their South Asian American counterparts. This research has found that the leadership attainment gap is explained by cultural differences in assertiveness as well as perceptions that East Asian Americans lack creativity.
In a 1200-1500 word essay discuss the issue of “bamboo ceiling” and explain how East Asian Americans may overcome this leadership attainment gap. Do you agree that assertiveness and perceived lack of creativity are the likely explanations for the leadership attainment gap for East Asian Americans? Why or why not? What other factors could potentially be attributed to the gap? Describe solutions that can help foster leadership among East Asian Americans—whether through company programs, school programs, or educational initiatives.