From IEEE Richard E. Merwin Scholarship to Google Venkat Panchapakesan Memorial Scholarship – Joys Maria Joseph’s Inspiring Story! 

Joys Maria Joseph personifies passion and strong will. From winning the IEEE Richard Student Scholarship in 2016, she’s been on an inspirational journey and has most recently won the prestigious Google Venkat Panchapakesan Scholarship in 2020. She’s currently pursuing her Master’s in Computer Science & Engineering from IIT Guwahati and is an incoming Member of Technical Staff at Oracle. Her perpetual thirst for knowledge drives her into incredible pursuits. 

Google Venkat Panchapakesan Memorial Scholarship is awarded to university students who aspire to be computer scientists & technology leaders and have a demonstrated passion for computer science & technology. In memory of Venkat Panchapakesan, a highly respected engineer who had to battle cancer, Google awards the scholarship recipients with a financial award of 750 USD towards education, a visit to the YouTube headquarters in California, USA, and an opportunity to submit a proposal to receive funding.

Read on to learn more about Joys’ inspiring journey and valuable experiences!

Key Takeaways of the Interview

• Joys Maria Joseph’s motivating story
• Scholarship application process
• Joys’ comprehension of why she was selected
• Her major accomplishments
• Her failures and rejections that eventually led to success
• Her scholarship experience
• Her advice for future applicants

Interview

• Hi Joys, Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your story?
  
  “I am from a rural village area in Kerala and I only had that dream of an ordinary girl until the point when I received the IEEE Richard E. Merwin Student Scholarship in 2016. It gave me the courage to aim higher and I slowly realized that anything is possible for a passionate person with the perfect blend of a strong will, perseverance, and right mentorship. I received the GHCI student scholarship in 2017, attended Google Developer Days 2017, got into IIT to pursue Masters in Computer Science, and recently became a Google Venkat Panchapakesan scholar. It was not an easy road. I applied for several awesome opportunities and was rejected. I couldn’t apply for many because I didn’t even know that such opportunities existed at the time when I was eligible to apply. The key to achievements is to search for opportunities and apply without a second thought with the right effort. Trust me! There are lots of opportunities out there that can cause a great positive impact in your life, mostly through the eminent personalities you meet through networking and through those stranger co-winners who may become your best buddies for life!”
  
• How would you describe the application process in brief?
  
  “There are five parts to the application and they are as follows:
  
  1. Submit an essay (300 words maximum) to tell about the following:
  How do you plan to use computer science to make the world a more sustainable place?
  If you receive this scholarship, how will you use it to advance your passion and the goals of this scholarship?
  
  2. Submit an essay (250 words maximum) to tell about the following: What adversity have you faced, and how did it impact your career? Please explain the steps you took to overcome it.
  
  3. Submit a video (1-minute maximum) telling why you would like to receive this scholarship. Upload it on YouTube and share the link in the application.
  
  4. Submit your resume/CV. Be sure to include your experience in the area of computer science, as well as your leadership experiences and the impact you have created.
  
  5. Submit two letters of recommendation. They can be from your faculty or supervisors at your workplace (internship, part-­time job, full-­time job).
  
  The eligibility criteria are as follows:
  
  1. Be currently enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student in a college/university in India, for the current academic year.
  
  2. Be currently pursuing a degree in computer science, computer engineering, or a closely related technical field.”
  
• Why do you think you were selected?
  
  “I was honest about my application. I researched the video submissions of the past year’s scholars and found that adding proof to whatever you state in the video through multimedia made a video stand out from others. So I followed that approach and my past projects could talk more than my words to appeal to the reviewers I guess :)”
  
• What are some of your major accomplishments so far?
  
  “I have won the Google Venkat Panchapakesan Scholarship in 2020, the GHCI Student Scholarship in 2017, and the Richard E. Merwin Student Scholarship in 2016.”
  
• Have you had any failures or rejections?
  
  “Yeah lots of them! I tried really hard for the APAC scholarship, but got rejected! But it is okay! Cause greater ones are waiting!”
  
• Can you tell us a bit about your experience in being a scholar?
  
  “Venkat was a much-loved and highly respected engineer whose career took him to YouTube, Google, and Yahoo, among other notable companies. He tragically passed away too young, after a battle with cancer. During his short time, he deeply touched the hearts and minds of his friends, family, and colleagues. This scholarship was in honor of him. I felt honored to be one of the six scholars across the nation and we were really excited about the US trip to the Youtube headquarters in San Bruno. Visa was ready, tickets were about to be booked, and alas! There came this Senseless Villain – CORONAVIRUS!! The trip had to be canceled and you can imagine that situation! We had several online sessions from Google and could only connect virtually with ourselves. Even then it was great to network with some awesome people! But the lost trip always remains a pain!”
  
• What advice would you like to give future applicants?
  
  “Do showcase your activities well, prepare a good video (stick on to the time limit) and be honest with your essays in the application. Be confident in yourselves and never be disappointed if you didn’t make it on the first try. Do good projects for the community, not only for the sake of applying but for a real cause. Recognitions will reach you at the right time! Good Luck :)”

Joys Maria Joseph has come a long way and it is indeed encouraging to know her story! She proves that anything can be achieved with pure determination and consistent efforts. We hope her journey inspires you to reach higher and pursue your dreams without hesitation!

Connect with Joys Maria Joseph on LinkedIn