Stamps Family Charitable Foundation


Stamps Leadership Scholarships are merit scholarships offered at 43 partner colleges and universities by the Stamps Family Charitable Foundation, Inc. They are named for their benefactors, E. Roe Stamps IV and Penelope W. Stamps. In general, in the scholarship programs focus on the support of outstanding undergraduate students, without regard to need or program of study. The scholarship programs vary among its partners, but students typically receive generous four-year stipends. Many Stamps Leadership Scholarships cover full tuition or full cost of attendance, plus additional funding for educational enhancements, such as summer experiences, international travel and study, research, leadership programs, conferences and internships. Stamps Scholars receive several additional benefits, including the opportunity to attend a national convention every other year hosted by a partner university and online networking via LinkedIn and Facebook.

History

Stamps Leadership Scholarships began in 2006 at Penny and Roe Stamps’ alma maters, the University of Michigan and the Georgia Institute of Technology. The program expanded in 2009 to include the University of Miami and in 2010 to include Barry University, California Institute of Technology, the University of Florida, the University of Illinois and the University of Virginia. As of Fall 2013, there are 35 Stamps programs and approximately 425 Stamps Scholars and 118 Stamps Scholars Alumni.

Scholarship benefits


Enrichment Funding

A common benefit among virtually all Stamps Leadership Scholarship programs is the additional funding for educational enhancements. These can take many forms including international travel & study; outdoor leadership programs through Outward Bound or NOLS; research, academic, or co-curricular conferences; research or non-profit internships. These opportunities are typically approved of by the student’s university and funded through the Stamps Leadership Scholarships.

National Convention

The Stamps Family Charitable Foundation sponsors a national convention every two years to encourage exchange and collaboration among Stamps Scholars. The conventions offer Stamps Scholars the opportunity to hear from speakers, participate in discussions on a variety of topics, explore the city’s cultural event and perform in or watch a talent show featuring performances by Stamps Scholars.

In 2011, the University of Miami hosted the inaugural conference, incorporating 113 scholars from 9 different schools, with 1 additional school represented by an administrator. In the spring of 2013, the convention was held at the University of Michigan and was attended by 233 students from 22 schools, with another 10 schools represented by an administrator. The 2015 convention will be held at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and it is projected that about 475 scholars from 35 schools will attend.

Year Location # of attendees # of schools
2011 University of Miami 113 scholars 10 schools
2013 University of Michigan 233 scholars 32 schools
2015 Georgia Institute of Technology

Networking

Stamps Scholars and alumni have a LinkedIn group to enhance their professional opportunities. Stamps Scholars can post their resumes, connect to colleagues and search for contacts, companies and opportunities. They can also participate in and initiate discussions within the group. Stamps Scholars also have a Facebook group and a public page at www.facebook.com/StampsFoundation

Selection process

The Foundation’s partner schools award Stamps Leadership Scholarships. Prospective Stamps Scholars must apply to the partner schools directly. Partners have unique application processes and the application dates vary. In general, Stamps Scholars are chosen for their leadership, scholarship, perseverance, service and innovation. Stamps Leadership Scholarships are offered to students pursuing all academic disciplines, though some programs are designed for students studying specific fields.

The number of Stamps Leadership Scholarships awarded varies by program. In 2013, the entering class of about 170 Stamps Scholars was chosen from over 543,000 applicants.

Partners

Currently, there are 36 schools that offer Stamps Leadership Scholarships to students who qualify. The following is a list of those schools by year in which the scholarship began to be offered.

2006

2009

2010

2011


2012

2013


2014

Benefactors


E. Roe Stamps IV

E. Roe Stamps IV received both his Bachelor (’67) and Masters (’72) degrees in Industrial Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He received a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School in 1974. The South Florida financier has had a remarkable career as a venture capitalist and is a co-founder and managing partner of Summit Partners in Boston. He is a trustee of the Georgia Tech Foundation, the University of Miami, the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Roe is a private pilot, an avid hunter and fisherman, a competitive cyclist and a jazz pianist. He has been married to Penny for forty years, and they have a son and a daughter. He received an honorary degree from Elizabethtown College for his philanthropy.

Penelope W. Stamps

Penny Stamps left her hometown of Chicago to attend the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where she earned a B.A. in design from the School of Art and a teaching certificate in elementary education.

A former interior designer, her personal interests include antique collecting, garden design, travel, her dogs and cats and her family. Her philanthropic interests include animals, the arts and education. She established a lecture series at Michigan featuring thought leaders in disciplines such as architecture, engineering, music, fashion design and environmentalism.

References

http://www.stampsfoundation.org

External Links

Official Website: www.stampsfoundation.org

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