UNITY is proud to announce a new scholarship program aimed at supporting entrepreneurial-minded undergraduate students named in honor of Mel Pervais, Ojibwe, a special supporter and long-time friend of UNITY. Pervais, a retired entrepreneur and engineer and is a former UNITY Trustee. The $1,000 scholarship will be available for the Spring 2021 semester.
Click Here to Apply
“We’re excited to get this scholarship off the ground in honor of Mel Pervais, who loves UNITY and wishes to help make the dreams of Native youth come true,” said Mary Kim Titla, UNITY Executive Director about the new initiative. She added, “It will become an annual program going forward. We are pleased to provide education assistance that will help a future entrepreneur develop new ideas or technology, whether it’s a new social networking app, alternative energy invention, or a household gadget, we want to help bring it to life.”
Aspiring entrepreneurs are encouraged to read Pervais’ biography, which is sure to inspire them to shoot for the stars! Below is an excerpt:
In 1976, with $10,000 and a fierce determination to start his own business, Mel founded Cataract Incorporated, a company that provided startup engineering services to nuclear power plants. When he sold the firm in 1984, it had 500 engineers on staff and reported annual sales of $50 million.
In 1982, Pervais was invited by President Ronald Reagan to serve on a private sector task force that encouraged support of community projects. Pervais and Reagan formed a friendship ,which lasted the remainder of the president’s life.
Click here to learn about more about Mel Pervais in his Biography
The new scholarship will be available to Native American undergraduate students who are majoring in entrepreneurship or another business program. Students can apply by submitting a short essay describing their entrepreneurial aspirations and business idea (500 words or less). Additional details and an application form can be found at https://forms.gle/kMfTb6GTTtBKt1Yp8
The deadline to apply for this scholarship is December 1, 2020. The winning applicant will be contacted by December 15, 2020.