Mission

The Filipino American Psychology Scholarship was initiated to increase the number of Filipino American professors, researchers, and academics in the field of psychology. By providing scholarship and mentorship to Filipino American graduate students, it is hoped that research focused on Filipino Americans will also increase, leading to a greater representation and understanding of Filipino American people.

Background

Although Filipino Americans are the second largest Asian American population, there is a dearth of literature examining Filipino Americans in the fields of psychology, education, health, humanities, and other social sciences. In fact, other Asian American ethnic groups tend to have a larger amount of research conducted than Filipino Americans, despite the fact that Filipino Americans have been present in the US since 1587 and have significantly larger population sizes. Previous scholars have reported that the number of Filipino Americans who enter graduate school is scarce, particularly in the field of psychology. As a result, the research on Filipino American mental health issues is limited, further resulting in the invisibility of Filipino Americans in psychology and the lack of outreach and prevention services geared towards the community. The Filipino American Psychology Scholarship will be paid for from profits from the book Filipino American Psychology: A Collection of Personal Narratives (Author House, 2010), as well as from other in-kind donations to the Asian American Psychological Association (AAPA) Division on Filipino Americans (DoFA).

Objectives

  1. To provide one $500 scholarships to either:
    1. one graduating senior who will pursue her/his PhD or MA studies in psychology (clinical, counseling, social, organizational, industrial, community, health, or other field of psychology)
    2. one graduate student in her or his first two years of graduate studies
  2. To provide mentorship to scholarship recipients through the following:
    1. Individual consultation on research ideas (e.g., dissertation and thesis projects)
    2. Professional and personal guidance on research, publication, and conference presentations
    3. Opportunities for involvement and networking in professional organizations
  3. To increase student involvement and service in the Filipino American community

Application Process

Selection Criteria:

  1. Cumulative and Psychology Grade Point Average (Attach an unofficial transcript)
  2. Extra-Curricular Activities
  3. Personal Essay and Commitment to the Filipino American community (See Below)
  4. 2 Letters of Recommendation

Applicants will be asked to submit the following information:

  1. Name, Degree, Contact Information, Major, University Affiliation
  2. Resume/ CV (including list of extra-curricular activities)
  3. Personal Statement (500- 1000 words), which answers the following questions:
    1. Describe your reasons for entering the field of psychology
    2. Describe your research interests
    3. Describe your current involvement in the Filipino American community
    4. Describe your career plans and how will you serve the Filipino American community in your professional lives
  4. Two letters of recommendation (from professors, employers, student affairs administrators, mentors, academic advisors, etc.) highlighting the following:
    1. a. Relationship with the applicant
    2. b. Applicant’s personal and professional strengths
    3. c. Applicant’s community involvement
    4. d. Applicant’s potential to contribute to the field of psychology

Email all applications to: filampsychscholarship@gmail.com

Timeline

February 1, 2016: Applications Due
Febuary-March 2016: Review of Applications
April 2016: Announcement of Award Winners
March 2017: Scholarship winners will be asked to write an essay, highlighting their progress and commitment to Filipino American issues.