Scholarships for Left-Handed People

The fact that left-handed people need help in day-to-day life is often ignored. Earlier, being left-handed or sinistral was associated with something evil or bad for a long time. Left hand shakes were considered to be disrespectful and the words such as 'cack-handed' or 'southpaw' (still in use) were synonymous with a left-handed person. The causes of left-handedness are not clearly known; however, over time we have learned that left-handedness is not a curse but just another way of living life. The world however follows techniques, tools and methods that are suited for the 90% population (right-handed). Many a time, left-handed people find themselves in tricky situations where they cannot perform specific tasks (handling tools, equipment, etc.) with the same ease and comfort of a right-handed. This demands awareness and relevant action pertaining to the needs of left-handed people.

One should also know the myths and facts about left-handed people. The information about their behavior, abilities and intelligence should be well understood in detail. The following article gives information about the only scholarship, 'Frederick and Mary F Buckley' offered by the Juniata College in Pennsylvania, and the other aspects of being a left-handed.

What is Left-handedness?
It is a phenomenon in which a person gives preference to his left hand while performing day-today activities like writing, handling tools, playing, etc. It is estimated that around 11% population of the world is left-handed. There are many famous left-handed people in the world who have made it big by overcoming the related hurdles and difficulties in their lives.

Scholarships for Left-handed Individuals
Left-handed people, as the name suggests, use their left hand and leg (i.e. the right hemisphere of the human brain) efficiently. They face many problems in day-to-day life, such as the inability to use certain equipment, and thus need to buy special tools. The only scholarship available for left-handed children is the one offered by Juniata College in Pennsylvania. The 'Frederick and Mary F Buckley' Scholarship of $1000 is granted to left-handed students. This scholarship program was started by Mary Francis Buckley in the year 1979 and till date it helped 40 students attend school.

Frederick and Mary F Buckley Scholarship
Left-handed students can apply for the scholarship, after which they are screened to verify their left-handedness. One might be asked to provide references of people who would confirm the prevalence of left-handedness in him. Good academic performance and recommendations would help in increasing the chances of receiving the scholarship. The scholarship offered to a student can range from $1000 to $1500. It covers the expenses such as tuition fees and allowances (food, transportation, books, etc.).

Other Scholarships
To obtain scholarships, one should try to earn a respectable GPA. Financial need is the second criteria to judge a person for a scholarship. However, these are only few of the many aspects that govern the necessity to grant a scholarship. Left-handed students/people should focus on, understand and note down the various problems they face. The odds or hurdles encountered in daily life for the reason of being a left-handed person should be portrayed in a manner as to earn maximum leverage in obtaining a scholarship. However, it is also the responsibility of a scholarship seeker to be honest and present only the true problems.

In places around the world, some organizations and institutions do provide grants to cater for left-handed people. The community centers and NGOs could play an instrumental role to help earn scholarships for left-handed people. One should however seek benefits for a proper and reasonable thing. A left-handed person should try his best to obtain the necessary benefits for his needs and betterment.