Feb. 2, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by POET.

Since its inception in 2016, the POET Never Satisfied scholarship program has become increasingly well-known on university campuses throughout the United States. This year, however, the program has been opened up to include two additional scholarships, meaning 12 students will each receive a $5,000 scholarship for the fall 2022 semester.

This program, which has awarded 47 scholarships to date, strives to support the next generation of trailblazers, dreamers and innovators who share POET’s mission to make a positive impact on the world. POET is looking for students who are “Never Satisfied” with the status quo, but finding these scholars is no easy feat — this year, only a dozen students will be selected out of thousands of applicants.

“The next generation is filled with so many bright, tenacious young people, and we want to recognize and reward students who share POET’s mission: to work hard to make the world a better place,” said Miranda Broin, director of external communications. “This year, we are excited to be awarding 12 scholarships to students across the country who embrace and embody what it means to be ‘Never Satisfied.’”

Never Satisfied scholars are ambitious and determined to achieve their goals. These students are selected from universities across the nation — from Yale and Augustana to Iowa State and MIT — and have a wide range of career aspirations, from astronauts and doctors to political hopefuls right here in South Dakota.

“What makes this scholarship so unique is that there are no specific majors we’re looking for or any GPA requirements,” said Hannah Nieman, communications specialist.

“This scholarship is open to everyone. As long as you’re enrolled at any two- or four-year post-secondary school and are a United States citizen, you can apply. We’re looking for individuals with the drive to accomplish their dreams and leave the world better than they found it regardless of what field they’re going into.”

Applicants must be enrolled for the fall semester of 2022. The application requires students to provide their contact and education information and answer three brief essay questions regarding their commitment to making the world a better place. Students also have the option to upload a video telling POET more about what makes them “Never Satisfied,” and finalists are interviewed by POET’s Never Satisfied scholarship panel.

The scholarship recipients don’t just receive the $5,000 scholarship – they also attend an exclusive networking event hosted by POET. The students are given the opportunity to talk one-on-one with a POET professional in their field of interest, as well as learn more about POET and how bioproducts impact the environment, human health and the economy.

“POET wants to truly invest in each of these students, not only to help relieve some of the financial burden of their education but also to provide them with resources that will benefit their lives and future careers,” Broin said. “Giving back has always been a fundamental part of POET’s mission, and we view this program as investing in our future engineers, future communicators, future leaders — in short, the innovators of tomorrow who will pay it forward and use their talents to change the world.”

The application is open now through Feb. 14. To apply, visit poet.com/neversatisfied.