Jane M. Klausman Women In Business Scholarship
Women have made great strides in the pursuit of education, careers, and leadership roles they were once denied. However, today, women are still more likely to be pouring the coffee in global boardrooms than sitting on the boards. According to a 2019 Catalyst Census, women hold only 4.8 percent of the CEO positions and 21.2 percent of board seats at Fortune 500 companies. The Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship program helps women pursue undergraduate and master’s degrees in business management and overcome gender barriers from the classroom to the boardroom. Since the program’s inception, Zonta has awarded 564 scholarships, totaling more than US$1.3 million to 428 women representing 57 countries.
Established in 1998 from a generous bequest by Jane M. Klausman, a member of the Zonta Club of Syracuse, New York, the Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship is awarded annually to women pursuing undergraduate or Master’s degrees in business management. There is more information about the program here.
The Zonta Club of Denver will award a scholarship of $1,500 to the successful applicant. The club scholarship recipient also will be entered to win two scholarships, one totaling $2,500 ($500 from District 12 and $2,000 from Zonta International) awarded at the district level and one of 6 international scholarships in the amount of $8,000 each. The Zonta Club of Denver is in Zonta International’s District 12, comprising 20 clubs in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and South Dakota. The scholarships may be used for tuition, books, or living expenses at any university, college, or institution offering accredited business courses and degrees.
Eligibility
Women pursuing a business or business-related degree who demonstrate outstanding potential in the field are eligible. Online students are also eligible. Classified members and employees of Zonta International or the Zonta International Foundation, and their family members, are not eligible.
Application Process
The Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship program operates at the club, district, and international levels of Zonta International. To apply, please complete the application here and submit it via email to: zontadenver.zcd@nullgmail.com. If you have difficulty opening the application, please email zontadenver.zcd@nullgmail.com.
Verification of enrollment must be sent by mail to:
Zonta Club of Denver
Attention: Service Chair
Address PO Box 2665
Denver, CO 80201
303-910-0373
Deadline
The application deadline for the 2020 scholarship is May 9, 2020.
Zonta Club of Denver Scholarship Winners
2020 Scholarship Winner, Thy Thy Nguyen
Thy Thy Nguyen is the 2020 Jane M. Klausman scholarship winner. Thy Thy is a student at Regis University working towards a Master’s of Science in HR Management. Values that motivate Thy Thy are female empowerment and ethical practice. Ultimately, her goal is to be a human resources director or a chief ethics officer in the STEM field.
Thy Thy aspires to promote more qualified women, especially from minority groups, in leadership positions. She plans to accomplish this by organizing programs that involve mentoring and coaching to support newly recruited women with the aim being to have more women moving up to senior management positions. Thy Thy believes the female perspective adds to an organization’s corporate ideas and culture.
Thy Thy excels in her studies at Regis. She is described as a dedicated and diligent student. She readily participates in classroom discussions and projects producing work that is always exceptional. Thy Thy seeks to understand concepts and works hard to determine how theories are applied to business.
Thy Thy works at Regis University as an assistant in the nurse practitioner clinical experience and internship program. At work, Thy Thy exhibits organizational skills, communication and interpersonal skills, and resourcefulness. She is a team player and is willing to help outside of her job parameters. Her supervisor states, “Thy Thy has tremendous potential to be successful in human resources in any business environment. She will be a strong contributor to her team and perhaps a role model as she gains more work experience.”
2019 Scholarship Winner, Taylor Pinson
The 2019 Jane M. Klausman scholarship was awarded to Taylor Pinson. Taylor is a junior at Metropolitan State University who is majoring in Marketing and Business Management. Taylor is an exemplary student. While taking one of the more difficult courses on the Metro campus in the Principles of Accounting, Taylor’s instructor commented on Taylor’s motivation and professionalism in the classroom. In describing Taylor, the instructor stated, “Ms. Pinson is always professional and engaging in class. Her questions are always astute and relevant. Her diligence in understanding the material is commendable and demonstrates her motivation for learning as well as her intellectual independence.”
Taylor is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Business Honor Society and serves as the secretary. A business student must be in the top 10% of her class to be eligible for membership. As secretary, she has organized events including the induction ceremony for new members. Networking with professionals in marketing has been a priority for Taylor. She has shown initiative in making numerous business contacts. One of Taylor’s goals as secretary of the Business Honor Society is to make connections with local small business owners to provide more networking opportunities for the other members.
While enrolled in school, Taylor is working as a respite care provider. In addition, Taylor finds time to volunteer with many community organizations such as the Battered Women’s Shelter, Mountain States Children’s Home, and Operation Christmas Child.