University of Houston-Downtown business student Delisa Dawson recently received the $2,500 HR Houston Shelby P. Morton Scholarship, one of two such scholarships awarded each year by HR Houston, a professional organization dedicated to the advancement of human resource management.
"This scholarship will definitely help relieve the financial burden that comes with going to school full time," Dawson said.
HR Houston asks scholarship applicants to submit resumes, transcripts, letters of recommendation and a statement of interest in pursuing a career in human resources including the importance of education in supporting that interest. They also must have completed at least 45 semester hours and be members of a Society of Human Resource Management student chapter.
In her statement, Dawson wrote that she worked nine years for a company and slowly acquired more human resources duties. She found that she seemed to have a natural talent for the field and she realized her lack of a bachelor's degree was holding her back. She quit her job and returned to school. Her family has been getting by on one income. Her "deep passion and interest in human resources" along with her real world experiences have kept her on track toward obtaining her degree.
She now has a 4.0 grade point average and is a management major with a human resources minor in UHD's College of Business. She is on target to receive a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in December 2011.
"I also have an internship with Savlex where I'm getting great experience in the field," Dawson said. "After graduation I'd love to work for a larger company where I can learn about different areas of human resources."
Dawson is a member and the treasurer of the UHD chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), where she works to increase membership and awareness in the organization. She is also a member of the National Society for Human Resources and HR Houston.
