Q: Hello Carlynn, pleased to finally meet you, can you tell us more about yourself?

A: I am a content creator, news producer, author, and financial coach. Through my social media posts and business, I help students get primarily scholarships

Q: We’d love to know more about your educational background, what schools did you attend and are you still a student?

A: I currently attend The University of North Texas and studied broadcast journalism and now public relations for graduate school.

Q: Can you tell us about your scholarship journey? As well as your first scholarship and how much you’ve gotten in scholarships so far?

A: I have won 30 scholarships, a total of $125,000. The very first scholarship I won was $500 from a local nonprofit.

Q: What mistakes do most people make when applying for scholarships? Tell us some of the common ones you see

A: The biggest mistake students make is only applying for scholarships seen on scholarship search engine websites. Of course, you should still use them but just know that the more advertised the scholarship is, the more competitive.

Q: How can one find the scholarships that are right for them/the ones they are eligible for?

A: Find scholarships that are super specific to your background and interest. Also, those that are more so state/local level to narrow down competition

Q: What are some of the things students need to bear in mind before beginning any scholarship application?

A: They need to know that the scholarship essay is more important in many cases than their stats. A lot of people have good grades and test scores — but not a lot of people know how to write in a way that convinces the reader to invest in their education.

Q: Can you recommend popular sites, scholarship tools, and resources that can aid students in their scholarship search

A: Use bold.org, scholarships.com, and if pursuing a master’s / phd — profellow.com. And of course, the resources on my website; https://beacons.page/scholarshipguru

Q: What is your general advice to students regarding getting funding for their studies?

A: Scholarships are great; however just know there are other ways to fund your education outside of it. For instance, I worked in housing as a resident assistant for nearly two years at my school and that fully paid for my dorm and meal plan — yet I only worked 10% of the time.

If you are interested in learning more ways to fund your education, reach out to her Instagram @Carle100