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“Unboxing Your Life” Video Scholarship By Sttark

Unboxing life

Scholarship applications are now CLOSED.

Congratulations to our 2022 scholarship winner!

Lorry Lang

Congratulations to Lorry Lang for winning our “Unboxing Your Life” Video Scholarship! We appreciate all of the great submissions from students who were willing to let us into their world and “unbox their life” for us. Thank you to everyone who submitted an application this year!

This scholarship is now closed. There is not a 2023 entry available at this time.

A $4,000 video essay scholarship for students who don’t live boxed in

Sttark is excited to award a $4,000 scholarship to a U.S. high school, college, or graduate student who is willing to open up and unbox their life. Packaging is alluring–it creates a memory or an impression–but it’s the contents of a box that keep people coming back. We know there’s much more to you than meets the eye, and your presentation is just a reflection of who you are. If you were a carton or box, what would your packaging say? How would you brand yourself? And, most importantly, what story would your box contain? Show us the contents of your life that make you who you truly are.

Video prompt: “This Is Who I Am: Unboxing My Life”

The carton or box is what first grabs attention, but the unboxing reveals a lot more about the product. The same is true with people. Packaging can promote personality, but contents reveal character and tells a story.

Create a 5-minute unboxing video of your life that showcases your originality and unique personality. 

You can shoot your video on a phone with basic editing like iMovie or just as a single shot on a phone. Your submission will be judged for creativity, so keep in mind that the quality of your video matters. 

You’re welcome to use the following questions to help spark your creativity, but you are not required to answer them. 

1. Our “packaging” encases us, but our experiences shape us. The more we see of a person, the more we understand their value. Have your experiences ever changed the way you present yourself? In what way and why has it changed?

2. Some people prefer to leave valuable products in their packaging, unopened or barely used out of fear that they may be lost or damaged. Sometimes people find it more comfortable to stay “boxed in.” Can you relate? Is there a significant moment in life when you opened up? Why did you choose to open up, and what did you discover about yourself or the world when you decided to not let yourself stay boxed in?

3. Steve Jobs said, “Packaging can be theatre; it can create a story.” What does our personal packaging communicate, and is this message important? Can this presentation ever be misleading? 

4. No one wants to be criticized and put in a box. Have you ever been mislabeled? Were you able to change someone’s initial perception of you? Has someone ever told you they misjudged you? What was this experience like? And why do you think people are sometimes too quick to put others in a box?

About Sttark

We’re a creative and passionate team of experts at designing custom cartons and labels that give a product’s story the spotlight. We hope to do the same for the next batch of creators and entrepreneurs. But our purpose extends beyond the box. We believe that no matter how people are packaged, what’s inside makes each person uniquely valuable. Giving is fundamental to our business, and we want to invest in young creatives because we’re certain their success will lead to big ideas that bring a better future for everyone. For us, that’s an exciting possibility and a worthy investment. 

Eligibility & Requirements 

This application is open to all high school seniors, undergraduate, and graduate students. Due to complexities with international funding, we will only consider submissions from U.S. citizens. 

Please specify your intended field of study and your current grade or degree level within your application. We also request either proof of college acceptance or a high school transcript at the time of submission. 

We’d love to know your future goals and why you deserve this scholarship, so we’re asking you to provide a brief biography of no more than 250 words with your application. We will not assess this bio in our submission evaluation, but it will help us better understand your vision. 

Your submission will not be considered if it does not include:

● A short bio with your intended field of study and education level 

● Proof of education

● Evidence of U.S. citizenship (valid address)

● A 5-minute unboxing video, no shorter than 4 minutes and no longer than 6

Evaluation

Your unboxing video will be evaluated by these four criteria:

1. Originality–overall uniqueness

2. Creativity–a blend of imagination and great ideas

3. Quality–superb execution 

4. Competency–good composition and clear, engaging communication 

Only submit your own work. Plagiarism is the opposite of innovation, and stolen work will be eliminated. This is your story–it’s uniquely valuable and we want to hear it. No one can tell a story better than the one who has lived it, so stick to telling your story and no one else’s. If you do reference the work of another individual, please use a citation.

Application Details 

  • Email your application to scholarship@sttark.com
  • Use your video title for the email subject line. 
  • Include your full name, mailing address, phone number, and short bio within the email.
  • You may either upload your video file directly to the email or share a link. 

Submission Deadlines 

November 30, 2022: Submissions due by 11:59 p.m. EST

December 15, 2022: Winner selected

The scholarship winner will be notified by December 17th, 2022, via email and featured on our scholarship page. Before receiving funds, the winner will be required to provide proof of acceptance to a college or university. All scholarship funds will be sent directly to the winner’s school.

We’re confident your story will inspire others, and we think it’s worth sharing. But Sttark will not publish, use, or distribute any student submissions without prior written consent.

Contact us if you have any questions about this scholarship or be sure to check out our About page if you’d like to learn more about Sttark.