MSP Bonnie D. Friedman and Gerald L. Miller Scholarship

2024-2025 Academic Year Award

Bonnie Friedman was born in Hollywood. She moved to the San Fernando Valley when she was four, and she has lived here ever since. She went through the Los Angeles Public School System, attending Toluca Lake Elementary School and North Hollywood Junior High (before the Ventura Freeway took part of the Campus). She graduated from Hollywood High School and entered UCLA the following week. She attended nursing school at Los Angeles City College and completed RN training at Los Angeles Valley College after the birth of her first child. She moved to New York City after graduation.

Bonnie earned a BA in Psychology at CSUN (‘75) while working full time in the NICU at UCLA, and with two children at home, when she changed careers and became a systems engineer at IBM. While working full time at IBM, Bonnie earned an MBA at Pepperdine University (’91). After taking early retirement from IBM, she started a third career as an occupational health nurse. Four years later, she changed careers and became a Monitor for Clinical Drug Trials. She was a monitor for 16 years until retirement. Bonnie believes it is always possible to reinvent yourself.

Gerald Miller was born in Pasadena, California. Gerald went through the Los Angeles Public School System, attending Evergreen Elementary School, Gardner Street Elementary School and Bancroft Junior High before graduating from Fairfax High School. After high school, he attended Los Angeles City College for two years and continued at Los Angeles State College (now California State University, Los Angeles) to earn a Bachelor of Arts in music; the schools were on the same campus on Vermont. Later, he earned a Master of Arts in musical performance at San Fernando Valley State College, now known as CSUN. He earned a teaching credential at UCLA, and after graduation moved to Germany to study opera for a year and a half. When he returned, he began his teaching career with Los Angeles Unified School District. Gerald taught music and English at Madison Junior High School, Monroe High School, Granada Hills High School, and Taft High Schools. He produced 19 musical shows during his tenure at Monroe High School. He retired after forty-one (41) years in the classroom. In addition, he was the Cantor at Temple Judea in Tarzana for 29 years.

Bonnie and Gerald are establishing this scholarship because they believe in the importance of continuing one’s education, and they understand the difficulties of being a working parent in a single income family. “We are retired and want to give back to the community in which we have lived with our family. We firmly believe in the importance of a college education and are blessed to be able to help someone achieve that goal.”

This scholarship is open to matriculated CSUN undergraduate students who have served as members of the United States Armed Forces.

Preference will be given to a single working parent.

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Open to CSUN undergraduate students who have served as members of the United States Armed Forces and are student Veterans.
  • Must have a FAFSA or California Dream Act application on file for the upcoming academic year.
  • Undergraduate students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.80.
  • Undergraduate students must enroll in 6 units or more during the Fall & Spring terms of the award year.
    Any change to your eligibility status in any term within the award year will result in a cancellation of your award.
  • Must demonstrated exceptional leadership and community service.
  • Must upload document demonstrating proof of honorable discharge from one the branches of the United States Armed Forces.
  • Two letters of recommendation must be requested through the my Matador Scholarship system.
  • Must upload a copy of your student resume. A student resume is a detailed record of your personal and educational information. It includes the name of your school/college, coursework, projects (if any) undertaken, and awards. The resume may also contain additional information like your extracurricular activities, volunteer experiences, job experiences (if any), hobbies, etc.

Award recipients may be awarded the scholarship more than once.


Please note:
If you are receiving Financial Aid (including loans), your financial aid award(s) may be adjusted if you receive a scholarship amount that exceeds your financial aid total limit. Speak to a financial aid counselor during walk-in hours to get a detailed overview about your individual situation

Award
Varies
Deadline
05/01/2024
Supplemental Questions
  1. I am a student Veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces.
  2. For preference: I am a single working parent.
  3. Please describe your academic and career goals, past achievements, obstacles you have overcome and elaborate on how your military service has impacted your aspirations for the future.
  4. Please describe your community service experience. Highlight how your participation allowed you to make use of your leadership skills.
  5. Letters of Recommendation:
    • Please request: A letter of recommendation from a teacher, professor, counselor, or community leader - who can attest to your meritorious performance and personal strengths and can assess your potential for academic and career success. The letter should include a signature, title, and contact information. The letter should be addressed to: *Award Selection Committee*.
    • Please request: A letter of recommendation from a teacher, professor, counselor, or community leader - who can attest to your meritorious performance and personal strengths and can assess your potential for academic and career success. The letter should include a signature, title, and contact information. The letter should be addressed to: *Award Selection Committee*.
  6. Upload: A document demonstrating proof of honorable discharge from one the branches of the United States Armed Forces.
  7. Please upload: A copy of your student resume/CV. A student resume is a detailed record of your personal and educational information. It includes the name of your school/college, coursework, projects (if any) undertaken, and awards. The resume may also contain additional information like your extracurricular activities, volunteer experiences, job experiences (if any), hobbies, etc.
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