CHASS Transfer Story Scholarship

Welcome to the CHASS Transfer Story Scholarship Contest and Gallery!

The CHASS Transfer Story Scholarship Contest allows transfer students to share about their identities and experiences. We celebrate art, culture, and experience by giving transfer students an outlet to find unique ways to tell a unique story about themselves.

Winning pieces will be awarded a $500 scholarship and are featured within our Virtual Gallery

Why participate in the CHASS Transfer Story Scholarship Contest?

After participating in the CHASS Transfer Story Scholarship Contest, students will have an

Increase of feeling valued and belonging as a transfer student.
Increase in feeling proud of what they have accomplished at UCR.
Increase feelings of belief in one's self through hard times.
Increase in spending more time in self-reflection.

Kickoff Event

During NTSW October 2022

Contest Timeline

October 2022: Kickoff During NTSW & Submissions Open
October 17th 2022 - January 27th, 2023: Submission window
January 30th, 2023 - February 3rd, 2023: Judging window.
February 8th, 2023: Contestants notified.
February 2023: Virtual Gallery available!

Contest Guidelines

To participate students must be:

A UCR Transfer Student who transferred from the community college or other university*
An undergraduate UCR transfer student with a major in the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
A currently registered student at UCR (enrolled in at least half-time 6-8 units and cannot be withdrawn from Winter & Spring 2023 Quarter’s)

*A UCR transfer student is a student who was enrolled in a regular session (fall, winter or spring) at a college or university after high school graduation (the exception is if you’re only taking a couple of classes during the summer after graduation), completed at least 60 semester (90 quarter) units of UC-transferable credit, and transferred to UCR.

Students must submit a work that addresses an experience which represents their identity and their "strength."
Any form of art which can be submitted through a digital platform will be accepted. Examples include: Music, Performance/Acting, Dance, Photography, Digital Design, Story, Comic, Poetry, Slam Poetry (A note: if you do make a physical form of art, such as a painting or sculpture, we will ask that you take a high quality photo(s) to showcase this piece to us. Should the piece be accepted into the Gallery, we will request that it is gifted to the CHASS Transfers F1RST Program).
Submissions will be made to the Google Form below and should be no larger than 10GB.
Each entry must be submitted with a summary (1 - 2 page double spaced) of how this piece represents your unique story.
The summary must include how it represents the contest theme of "strength."
Students must be enrolled in the Winter & Spring 2023 quarter’s to be eligible for the scholarship.

NOTE: We recommend reviewing the judging rubric to identify what key elements the committee will be looking for when assessing works and summaries.

Contest Submissions

To participate in the CHASS Transfer Story Scholarship contest, submit your CHASS Transfer Story by filling out this Google Form HERE, no later than January 27th, 5pm PST.

Submit Here

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I participate?

2022-2023 participation will begin during National Transfer Student Week in Fall 2022. Participants must submit their work via the Google link provided on the website no later than January 27th at 5pm PST.
What type of art is allowed for submission?

All forms of art which can be submitted digitally will be accepted into this competition. Examples include: Music, Performance/Acting, Dance, Photography, Digital Design, Story, Comic, Poetry, Slam Poetry. You can even submit a painting or drawing - just upload a copy to our submission form!
What kinds of stories can we represent?

Your work of art need not be specific to your transfer transition, but about you as an individual transfer student. Choose a story which showcases your identity, and your strength.
Is this contest only open to CHASS transfer students?

Yes, because this competition is focused on the transfer student identity and strength for students with majors in the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. As a reminder, a UCR transfer student is a student who was enrolled in a regular session (fall, winter or spring) at a college or university after high school graduation (the exception is if you’re only taking a couple of classes during the summer after graduation), completed at least 60 semester (90 quarter) units of UC-transferable credit, and transferred to UCR.
Can I submit something, but not share it in the Gallery?

By submitting your piece and summary, you agree to have your art shared on our website. However, in the submission process, you can indicate that you want your piece to be shared anonymously.
How and when will the scholarship be granted?

There will be four winners selected. Winners will receive a $500 scholarship. Scholarships will be awarded for the Spring 2023 quarter (please notify the program if you plan to graduate winter quarter instead of spring).
What if I maxed out my financial aid?

Talk to Financial Aid about if and how this award impacts your financial aid package.

Judging the Contest

We have an amazing group of judges from all around campus who volunteer to review art and summary submissions. A rubric has been created to ensure submissions meet contest criteria:

Judges Rubric

2023 Judges Panel

	Dr. Christina Rogers Dr. Christina S. Rogers is the Director for CHASS F1RST Programs and an Adjunct Professor for the School of Education at UCR. Dr. Rogers lives in Southern California. She enjoys spending time with her family, reading books, researching, planning events, listening to music, and learning new adventures in life to better herself. She has made a commitment to advocate for students who need support and guidance in their life and is fully determined to help others find their true SUCCESS. Helping others brings a sense of peace and fulfillment to Dr. Rogers. It gives her great joy to bring and share her experience, knowledge, and leadership skills to teach in universities, present at seminars, workshops, conferences, and attend campus/community events. In addition to Dr. Rogers leadership skills, she is also highly educated. She has received her Doctorate Degree in Education with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University focused on underprivileged students in education. She received her Master of Arts degree in Sociology with a strong concentration in Social Work. She also received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Services and Associate of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. Dr. Rogers is to a transfer student who believed that working hard and staying dedicated to your goals will pay off. And it did for her. To add to Dr. Rogers many accomplishments, she has received numerous of awards, certificates, nominations, and recognition for her work. Dr. Rogers is an extreme achiever. She is goal-oriented, self-confident, strong-minded, and determined with a winners’ mentality to reach for SUCCESS. She is a true definition of a ROCKSTAR BOSS LADY who never gives up on her dreams.
	Jeff Girod Jeff Girod serves as the Assistant Dean of Marketing and Communications for UCR's College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. In his role, he leads all aspects of a comprehensive marketing and communications strategy to promote CHASS programs, people, resources, and events. He is a UCR alum (2010) and a former transfer student from Pasadena City College.
	Dr. Covadonga "Cova" Lamar Prieto Dr. Cova is the Associate Dean of Student Academic Affairs and an associate professor of Hispanic studies and is responsible for the Student Academic Affairs Office. In her administrative role as Associate Dean, she works closely with directors of academic advising and CHASS First to support the academic progress of every CHASS student from matriculation to graduation and post-graduation. In addition, the office is also the home for all those in undeclared and pre-business programs.
	Dr. Cheryl Love Bio: Dr. Cheryl Love serves as a Career Specialist for students in the Arts, Humanities, Education & Public Policy at the University of California, Riverside and is Adjunct Faculty for the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership at Cal Poly Pomona. Dr. Love has 40+ years of experience as a Counselor and Teacher in all four Higher Education systems in California (UC, CSU, Private and Community) as well as the Public School and Non-Profit sector. This breadth of experience has provided her with the knowledge and skills to work with diverse student populations to assist them with identifying their career goals and finding the career path that is a good fit. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Studies, a Multiple Subject Teacher Credential, a Master’s Degree in Counseling and a Pupil Personnel Service Credential from California State University, Fullerton. Her Doctorate is from the University of California, Los Angeles in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Counseling. Dr. Love is involved in numerous Professional Associations and is currently serving in leadership positions in several organizations. She is the President for the California Career Development Association and serves as the Co-Chair of the National Career Development Association (NCDA) Committee on Diversity Initiatives and Cultural Inclusion and is on the Planning Committee for the annual Global Conference for NCDA for 2023. She also serves on the Board of Enhearten as the Vice-president of the organization that works with unseen leaders here and abroad to help them reach their full potential and make a positive impact in their communities.
	Brenda Aragon Bio: Brenda graduated from U.C. Berkeley with a B.A. in Sociology in 2003. She’s been advising at UCR since 2005 and has assisted students in many different majors within CHASS. In 2017 she transitioned into her current role as Academic Advisor Supervisor and at present supervises the departments of Anthropology, Sociology, History, and the Multidisciplinary Studies Unit. She is proud to be a product of the UC system and genuinely enjoys helping UCR students and working closely with faculty, staff, and the CHASS majors advising team. In her spare time, Brenda enjoys reading, listening to a variety of musical genres, watching superhero movies, and playing video games with her husband and three boys.