19 Top Scholarships for High School Seniors

19 Top Scholarships for High School Seniors SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Aside from grants and loans, private scholarships are some of the best ways to help fund your college education. There are thousands of scholarships out there for high school seniors, all with different eligibility requirements, deadlines, and award amounts, so it's definitely worth your time to do some research. Senior year is prime crunch time when it comes to your college scholarship search. If you’re just starting the search process and need a little help getting off on the right foot, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve compiled a list of some of the best college scholarships for high school seniors based on availability and award amounts. These scholarships are generally flexible (so you’ll be able to use them at any accredited college you attend), and they also don’t have any geographical restrictions (so you’re eligible to apply no matter where you live in the US). The list is broken down into four sub-lists: scholarship competitions, merit-based scholarships, need-based scholarships, and specialty awards. Don't forget to check out the end of the article for strategies on getting the most scholarship money possible! All scholarships are competitions- to win the following scholarships, though, you'll have to go head-to-head with other students. Scholarship Competitions The following scholarships are awarded based on performance in some sort of contest. These types of scholarships can be pretty intensive, so give yourself extra time to effectively prepare if you plan on pursuing one of them. Voice of Democracy Scholarship Competition Students compete for this award by writing and recording an audio essay on a patriotic theme. The theme for the 2019-20 contest is "What Makes America Great." The first-place winner gets a grand prize of $30,000 as well as an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC. The program gives out a total of $2.1 million in awards and incentives each year. Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12 Deadline: October 31, 2019 The Fountainhead Essay Contest Students compete for this award by writing an essay on one of three topics related to Ayn Rand's book The Fountainhead. The first-place winner will receive a grand prize of $10,000. Runners-up also receive awards. Each year a total of $22,500 is given out in prize money. Eligibility: Students in grades -12 Deadline: Likely late April, 2020 Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest Students compete for this award by writing an essay on one of three topics related to Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged. The first-place winner will receive a $25,000 prize. Runners-up also win prizes, and a whopping $40,000 in scholarship money is awarded annually. Eligibility: High school seniors, college students, and graduate students Deadline: September 19, 2019 American Legion National High School Oratorical Contest Are you a good public speaker, or do you just want an excuse to hone your public-speaking skills? Then this competition would be a good fit for you. Students compete for this award by preparing and performing a three- to five-minute oration on some aspect of the US Constitution. You can view this year's topics here. The first-place winner receives $18,000, second place receives $16,000, and third place receives $14,000. There are also smaller awards for state winners. In total, annual award amounts can exceed $138,000. Eligibility: US high school students under 20 years of age Deadline: Varies by state, as contests are arranged by local American Legion departments. Get more information for your state here. Create-a-Greeting Card Scholarship Contest (Gallery Collection Scholarship) This scholarship is pretty unique- and it's great for students with some untapped artistic talents! Students compete for this award by submitting a photo, piece of artwork, or computer graphic to be used on the front of a greeting card. The winner will receive $10,000, and the winner's school will also get $1,000. Eligibility: High school and college students, aged 14 or older Deadline: March 2nd, 2020 To win these scholarships, you have to show that you're tough- or at least that your brain is tough. Scholarships Based on Academic Strength The following scholarships are generally awarded based on students' academic performance in conjunction with a few other factors, such as leadership skills and commitment to community service. As a result, the most competitive applicants will be dedicated, high-achieving students who are also invested in their communities. Coca-Cola Scholars Program Coca-Cola Scholars are judged primarily on their academic performance, extracurricular activities, leadership experience, and community service. This scholarship program is fairly big: 150 awards of $20,000 each are given out every year. You can learn more about the Coca-Cola Scholarship by reading our guide to winning the award. Eligibility: Current US high school seniors who are not children or grandchildren of Coca-Cola employees Deadline: 5pm EST Thursday, October 31, 2019 Burger King Scholars Program Applicants to this scholarship are judged on their GPA, work experience, extracurricular activities, and community service. Award amounts range from those as small as $1,000 to those as large as $50,000. Eligibility: employees and their spouses/partners/children, US high school seniors Deadline: October 15-December 15, 2019 Ronald McDonald House Charities Scholarships For these, award eligibility requirements will vary based on your local Ronald McDonald House Charity chapter. For example, some have ethnic eligibility requirements. Deadlines and award amounts will also vary by location, but some of the bigger national awards can be as large as $100,000! Check out our how-to guide to learn more about getting an RMHC scholarship. Eligibility: High school seniors, but other requirements may apply depending on scholarship Deadline: Varies depending on scholarship but likely January 2020 If your family income isn't enough to cover college expenses, need-based scholarships might be a great option for you. Scholarships Based on Financial Need The following scholarships take financial need into account when choosing award recipients. For many of these programs, though, financial need is just one of many criteria considered. In other words, strong applicants will also be successful students, leaders, or community activists. For most of these applications, you'll likely have to submit documentation about your family income. Horatio Alger Scholarship Award This generous need-based scholarship is geared toward students who have faced and overcome great obstacles. To be considered eligible, your gross adjusted family income must be at or below $55,000. At the national level, there are 106 $25,000 awards; at the state level, there are scholarships for all 50 states plus the District of Columbia of $10,000 each. This one scholarship application will get you considered for many other national, state, and specialized scholarships, which means less work for you and more opportunities for scholarship funding! Eligibility: US high school seniors who plan on getting a bachelor's degree Deadline: October 25, 2019 Jackie Robinson's Foundation Scholarship Program Applicants to this need-based scholarship are judged on theirleadership skills and commitment to community service. To be considered eligible, you must identify as a minority student. As many as 60 new scholarships are awarded annually. The scholarships are four-year awards, and recipients can receive as much as $30,000 over four years. Eligibility: US minority high school seniors who plan on getting a bachelor's degree in the US Deadline: Likely February 2020 Engebretson Foundation Scholarship This need-based scholarship is pretty straightforward: it's awarded to one student each year who demonstrates not only financial need but also impressive academic performance and leadership ability. The annual award winner receives $5,000 per semester of college. Eligibility: High school seniors with financial need who plan to attend a four-year college Deadline: March 1, 2020 (note that applications must be submitted via mail) Jack Kent Cooke Foundation College Scholarship Program In addition to providing funding for college, this scholarship program offers personal advising on selecting a college, navigating the financial aid process, and transitioning from high school to college. Applicants are judged on academic ability and achievement, financial need, persistence, desire to help others, and leadership skills. Awards are given to students each year, and can be as high as $40,000 per academic year. In 2019, 121 students were accepted into the program. Eligibility: High school seniors with financial need who plan to attend a four-year college Deadline: November 13, 2019 Elk's National Foundation Most Valuable Student Competition Applicants to this need-based scholarship are judged on their scholarship and leadership abilities. In total, 500 scholarships are awarded across the country totally $2.44 million, and award amounts (over four years) range from $4,000 to $50,000. Applications must be submitted to the Elk Lodge closest to your home address, so make sure to research the Elk Lodges in your area before you apply. Eligibility: US high school seniors who plan to attend a four-year US college Deadline: November 5, 2019 at :59 PM Gates Scholarship The Gates Scholarship aims to help scholastically-outstanding minority high school seniors reach their full potential. 300 students each year receive a scholarship covering the full cost of attendance (including tuition, fees, room, board, books, and transportation) that is not already covered by other financial aid and expected family contribution. Read more about the Gates Scholarship and how to win it here. Eligibility: US minority high school seniors who are Pell-eligible (Pelligible?) and have a minimum cumulative weighted GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent) Deadline: September 15, 2019 These next scholarships are unique- just like every student applicant! Specialty Scholarships The following scholarship programs are national awards that target students who have specific or unique interests or achievements. Whether you're the next president of the SPCA or even the USA, you should be able to find a specialty scholarship that's perfect for you! CIA Undergraduate Scholars Program This program offers more than just a scholarship- if you're selected as a winner, you'll become a part of a pretty unique internship program. Interns work at the CIA during summer breaks and also get an annual salary (with benefits) and an annual scholarship award of up to $18,000. You must demonstrate financial need to qualify. Income eligibility ceilings are $70,000 for a family of four or fewer, and $80,000 for a family of five or more. Eligibility: High school seniors Deadline: Likely spring 2020, with applications opening in early 2020 Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship Are you a proud vegetarian? This might seem like a niche award, but the scholarship is very real! Applicants are judged on their "compassion, courage, and a strong commitment to promoting a peaceful world through a vegetarian diet/lifestyle." If you've promoted vegetarianism at school or in your community, you'll likely be a strong candidate for this scholarship. The first-place winner receives $10,000, and two runners-up each receive $5,000. Eligibility: Graduating high schoolseniors Deadline: February 20, 2020 Davidson Fellowship Scholarships Do you have an extraordinary achievement you're particularly proud of? This scholarship is for students who have completed an impressive piece of work in the fields ofscience, technology, engineering, math, literature, music, or philosophy. Scholarship requirements differ based on the type of project, with awards ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. Eligibility: US citizens or permanent residents 18 years of age and under Deadline: Likely February, 2020 AXA Achievement Scholarship This scholarship targets students who have empowered society through achievements that mitigate risk. This idea can be interpreted pretty broadly, so spend some time figuring out what risk means to you and whether you've participated in making the world a safer place through any of your activities. In 2018, more than 300 students representing all 50 states; Washington, DC; and Puerto Rico received one-time scholarships in increments of $2,500, $10,000, or $25,000, and the winners' schools will also receive $1,000 for every student who wins a scholarship. Eligibility: High school seniors who will attend college in 2020-21 Deadline: Likely late 2019 William Randolph Hearst Foundations US Senate Youth Program If you're passionate about public service, this is the scholarship for you. The Senate Youth Program targets students who participate in their high school student government and plan to study history or political science in college. Applicants are judged on their leadership skills, academic performance, community involvement, and extracurricular activities. Each winner will receive a $10,000 award in addition to an all-expenses-paid educational week in Washington, DC, in March 2020. Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors Deadline: Varies depending on state but is typically in October Higher education costs in the United States have been skyrocketing for the last 20 years, but it's still possible to get a great education without breaking the bank. Learn how you can maximize the quality of your college education while minimizing costs with our six-hour online course. Tips here, get your tips here! Making the Most of Your Scholarship Applications: 3 Key Tips If you're going to go through all the work of submitting a scholarship application, then you want to make sure you have the best chances possible of winning awards. The following three tips will help you submit the greatest number of successful scholarship applications possible. #1: Do Your Own Research As you've probably noticed, many of the above scholarships are fairly generous national awards that'll likely be quite competitive. Unfortunately, you could be a strong applicant for many of these scholarships and still not win a big award. So what's a student to do? The reality is that there are countless scholarship programs out there that might be really good fits for your interests, location, background, identity, etc. The more niche a scholarship program is, the better chances you'll have of winning an award (if you're a qualified applicant, that is). So do some research on scholarships programs that operate in your area or are offered to students with your particular interests, experiences, skills, or passions. The Ronald McDonald House Charities scholarships are a good place to start. You can also pay a visit to your guidance counselor who should have more information on local scholarships. In addition, you could branch out on your own by searching online for scholarships in your area. If you have a particular talent, skill, or interest, look for scholarships that are offered to students based on those criteria. #2: Apply Broadly Applying for scholarships- like applying to colleges- is, in part, a numbers game. You wouldn't apply to just one school if you wanted to optimize your chances of getting into a great college, would you? Many scholarship applications ask similar questions and require similar information, so if you apply to one program, you might as well apply to a bunch. It's free to apply for most scholarships anyway- all it takes is a few hours of your time. Finally, take advantage of applications that submit you for consideration for many scholarship awards, such as the Horatio Alger Scholarship mentioned above. #3: Make Note of Deadlines Scholarship applications are all over the place- there's no defined "scholarship season" for submission deadlines, but many are due before college application deadlines. As such, it's better to start your scholarship search sooner rather than later so you don't miss out on any great opportunities. The summer before your senior year is a good time to start making note of programs that you're interested in. Keep track of application deadlines by maintaining a spreadsheet that you update regularly. This is especially helpful if applications require you to ask for letters of recommendation; you can make sure to give teachers and mentors plenty of advance notice to write you a letter. What's Next? Want to get a head start on scoping out scholarships? Then check out our comprehensive guides to winning some of the most competitive national scholarships available, including the Gates Scholarship, the Coca-Cola Scholarship, the Walmart Scholarships, and the McDonald's Scholarships. Looking for scholarships with low-hassle applications? Our article on the easiest scholarships to apply for will give you a great starting list. Wondering if you can get a scholarship for something like being left-handed? Learn more about the weirdest scholarships you can win here. Need more help with your scholarship search? Read our expert guide on how to find college scholarships and the best scholarship search websites. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Cognitive Grammar - Definition and Discussion

Cognitive Grammar - Definition and Discussion Cognitive grammar is a  usage-based approach to grammar that emphasizes symbolic and semantic definitions of theoretical concepts that have traditionally been analyzed as purely syntactic.Cognitive grammar is associated with wider movements in contemporary language studies, especially cognitive linguistics  and functionalism. The term cognitive grammar was introduced by American linguist Ronald Langacker in his two-volume study Foundations of Cognitive Grammar (Stanford University Press, 1987/1991). Observations Portraying grammar as a purely formal system is not just wrong but wrong-headed. I will argue, instead, that grammar is meaningful. This is so in two respects. For one thing, the elements of grammar- like vocabulary items- have meanings in their own right. Additionally, grammar allows us to construct and symbolize the more elaborate meanings of complex expressions (like phrases, clauses, and sentences). It is thus an essential aspect of the conceptual apparatus through which we apprehend and engage the world.(Ronald W. Langacker, Cognitive Grammar: A Basic Introduction. Oxford University Press, 2008)Symbolic AssociationsCognitive grammar . . . chiefly departs from traditional theories of language in its contention that the way in which we produce and process language is determined not by the rules of syntax but by the symbols evoked by linguistic units. These linguistic units include morphemes, words, phrases, clauses, sentences and whole texts, all of which are deemed inherently sym bolic in nature. The way in which we join linguistic units together is also symbolic rather than rule-driven because grammar is itself meaningful   (Langacker 2008a: 4). In claiming a direct symbolic association between linguistic form (what it terms phonological structure) and semantic structure, Cognitive Grammar denies the need for an organizational system to mediate between the phonological and semantic structures (i.e. syntax).(Clara Neary, Profiling the Flight of The Windhover. (Cognitive Grammar in Literature, ed. by  Chloe Harrison et al. John Benjamins, 2014)​ Assumptions of Cognitive GrammarA Cognitive Grammar is based on the following assumptions... .:The grammar of a language is part of human cognition and interacts with other cognitive faculties, especially with perception, attention, and memory. . . .The grammar of a language reflects and presents generalizations about phenomena in the world as its speakers experience them. . . .Forms of grammar are, like lexical items, meaningful and never empty or meaningless, as often assumed in purely structural models of grammar.The grammar of a language represents the whole of a native speakers knowledge of both the lexical categories and the grammatical structures of her language.The grammar of a language is usage-based in that it provides speakers with a variety of structural options to present their view of a given scene.(G. Radden and R. Dirven, Cognitive English Grammar. John Benjamins, 2007)Langackers  Four PrinciplesA primary commitment to Cognitive Grammar is . . . to provide an optima l set of constructs for explicitly describing the linguistic structure. Its formulation has been guided throughout by a number of principles thought to be helpful in achieving such optimality. The first principle . . . is that functional considerations should inform the process from the outset and be reflected in the frameworks architecture and descriptive apparatus. Because the functions of language involve the manipulation and symbolization of conceptual structures, a second principle is the need to characterize such structures at a reasonable level of explicit detail and technical precision. To be revealing, however, descriptions must be natural and appropriate. Thus, a third principle is that language and languages have to be described in their own terms, without the imposition of artificial boundaries or Procrustean modes of analysis based on conventional wisdom. As a corollary, formalization is not to be considered an end in itself, but must rather be assessed for its utility at a given stage of an investigation. That no attempt has yet been made to formalize Cognitive Grammar reflects the judgment that the cost of the requisite simplifications and distortions would greatly outweigh any putative benefits. Finally, a fourth principle is that claims about language should be broadly compatible with secure findings of related disciplines (e.g., cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and evolutionary biology). Nevertheless, the claims and descriptions of Cognitive Grammar are all supported by specifically linguistic considerations.(Ronald W. Langacker, Cognitive Grammar.  The Oxford Handbook of Cognitive Linguistics, ed. by  Dirk Geeraerts and Herbert Cuyckens. Oxford University Press, 2007)

Social Responsibility and Managerial Ethics Essay

Social Responsibility and Managerial Ethics - Essay Example In this connection, organizations or companies intends considering social responsibility as major initiatives or activities in order to support social causes along with satisfying commitments through corporate social responsibility (Kotler & Lee, 2008). Similarly, managerial ethics are often regarded as the code of moral ideas and values that manage the overall behaviors of an individual. A managerial ethical issue lies in such a situation when the various actions of an organization are observed to have the potential to damage or benefit the stakeholders by creating an impression on their perceived personal values (Draft & Marcic, 2010). Henceforth, in this paper, the importance of social responsibility, various risks that are linked with social responsibility and the important factors in order to overcome those risks will be elaborately discussed followed by a strong conclusion. The main objective of this paper is to make a strong belief that the companies or the organizations shoul d contribute their expensive resources as well as time to supervise their social responsibility. ... It is a part of contemporary managerial ideology which is considered in order to evaluate various decisions, beliefs and actions among others. In context to business operations, a particular organization expects to exercise greater ethical values and perform various responsibilities towards the society (Griifin, 1993). People in the organizations may hold dissimilar views regarding the ethically suitable or unsuitable actions related to a situation which in turn gives rise to ethical conflicts and thus in turn tends to signify the essentiality of managerial ethics and corporate social responsibility (Draft & Marcic, 2010). Social responsibility can be regarded or treated as one of the ethical actions considered by an organization or a company. However, a particular business cannot continue with good performances to a certain extent if it lacks in efficient financial and/or operational strengths. For instance, if the business is making too much loss in expenditures, it eventually inte nds to retrench the production cost that in turn affects the service/product quality hampering customers’ perceived values and leaving the employees jobless. This particular evidence might prove disregarding in relation to social responsibility towards the employees within an organization (Griifin, 1993) Thus, in order to promote a well equipped development within an organization, it is necessary to accept the importance or necessity of social responsibility. The importance of social responsibility is duly considered high because of its assertion towards business in order to enhance economic value, maintain coordination between employees’ work life and personal life, local communities as well as to

Briefly examine the life and work of an entrepreneur (Momofuku Ando), Essay

Briefly examine the life and work of an entrepreneur (Momofuku Ando), analysing the major factors contributing to their success as an entrepreneur, what element - Essay Example Entrepreneurial attitude can be measured in terms of achievement, innovation, personal control, self esteem, and opportunity recognition (Lindsay, 2005). Lindsay further clarifies that innovation includes recognizing and acting upon business activities in new and unique ways. Achievement can be associated with business start-up and growth results, while self-esteem includes self-confidence. Personal control involves individual perceptions of control and influence over business affairs. Creativity is one of the key characteristics of entrepreneurial and part of the innovation process. Momofuku Ando, initially an unsuccessful businessman, was one such entrepreneur who made a break through while watching his wife deep-fry vegetables (Hall, 2007). Ando has dabbled unsuccessfully in business ventures ranging from salt to prefab houses (Beech, 2006). He had been experimenting with a newfangled idea for packaged ramen noodles. While watching his wife he hit upon the idea that fried noodles would turn hard yet be porous enough and soften immediately when dipped in boiling water. This opportunity recognition not only made Ando into a noodle king but also created a multi-billion dollar market for instant noodles. Considered as a classic invention, instant noodles was a gift which saved people hard labor of grinding and chopping for hours to get food ready. This paper will examine the life and work of this entrepreneur analyzing the major factors that contributed to his success. Creativity and innovation is what marked the growth of this entrepreneur. Moved by the death due to starvation in Japan following the World War II, he was inspired to produce a cheap and convenient food (Katayama, 1988). The construction workers with ten minutes between shifts and the salarymen hunched over their desks at midnight needed something, cheap, and fast and filling (Beech 2006). This led to the invention of the instant

Child Trafficking Essay Example for Free

Child Trafficking Essay A child is a young human being who is not yet an adult. It also defines trafficking as an act of buying and selling things illegally. So, child trafficking is an inhuman act where children are being used unjustly as objects of business transaction. Boys and girls are involved but girls are mostly involved as victims. They are taken from their parents by the trafficker who with deceitful words promises the girl’s parent’s heaven and earth for instance that she will send them to school or that she has a business in abroad like a saloon where the girls can work for few months and establish theirs. Parents who are living in the villages are the ones they use to go to, because most of them are unable to afford both material and financial needs of all their children. Such parents have no alternative than giving out their child\children who maybe in their teens to the lady who pretended to be good. Despite all these government can still work on this heavily by the following: Firstly, government should declare free education in every school that is the school owned by the government maybe to the secondary school level. By so doing, parents will not have the excuse of giving out their children to someone else to take care of them. Secondly, government should see to duly paying of workers’ salaries at the end of each month and not leaving them empty handed at the end of the month because they need money to solve the problems facing them in the family and also to prevent them from exposing their children to those heartless human beings that use children illegally to make money. The last but not the least is that the parliamentary arm of government should sit together with the support of the president, make laws for children against abuse and intimidation. Also the judiciary arm should be strict in punishing anybody found exhibiting the act of child trafficking

President FDR’s New Deal Essay -- The New Deal Franklin Delano Rooseve

The 1930’s were one of the most difficult times in American history. It was the time of the Great Depression. Millions of Americans suffered hardships as the economy was in a free fall. Many Americans were unemployed and lost almost everything they had owned. In 1932, America realized it was time for a change, and elected Franklin Delano Roosevelt in a landslide vote. Roosevelt promised to help end the depression and with his New Deal. The New Deal was Roosevelt’s plan to end the Great Depression. Through increased government spending, FDR enacted numerous public works programs in an effort to simulate the economy. The New Deal’s â€Å"alphabet soup† (this was the nickname for the numerous programs FDR enacted) was FDR’s plan to people out of the depression. The New Deal affected different industries and groups of Americans in unique ways and helped save the nation. One of the groups hardest hit by the Great Depression were the farmers. Due to overproduction and under consumption after World War I and during the 1920’s, the prices of crops fell dramatically. Because of the low prices, Farmers’ incomes fell. The farmer was in a crisis as the Great Depression hit. The farmers were crucial to the American economy and FDR and the New Deal intended to help them. In the first one hundred days of the New Deal, Roosevelt attempted to help the farmers by establishing the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA). The AAA was intended to help restore purchasing power of farmers. It restored the price takeoff that helped farmers make all that money during the war. Its’ main plan was to reduce the size of crops by paying farmers to plow their crops under. This, in theory, would shoot the price of the crops. There were a few problems with the AAA though. It seemed as cruel because the government was destroying crops that could be used to feed all the starving people. The AAA also didn’t do much to help tenant farmers and sharecroppers. This was because the money that the government was paying the owners of the farm to plow the fields under was never shared with the tenant farmers and sharecroppers. Even though the farmer owners were told to give some of the money to the people who worked their land they never did. The New Deal also set up other agencies to help farmers. FDR set up the Farm Resettlement Administration, the Rural Electrification Administ... ...al aid for the elderly, but it was not meant to be the main source of retirement. It also provided unemployment insurance, aid for persons who were blind or crippled, and aid to dependent children. Roosevelt would pay for this act with a tax on corporations and rich people. This act gave the people comfort because they now believed that the government would help them financially when they needed it. It also gave unions more initiative to strike because the government has security for them. FDR’s New Deal gave American hope during a time when there was little optimism. It gave Americans jobs; it put food on the table, and started to restored confidence in the economy. FDR’s New Deal might not have ended the Great Depression, but it left a legacy. A legacy that you can see in the unions, in the numerous public works projects, in the big government we have today, in the acts like Social Security, and most importantly in the people whose lives it changed forever. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1) Encarta ® Concise Encyclopedia Article. (http://encarta.msn.com) 2) Encyclopedia.com (http://www.encyclopedia.com) 3) Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal (http://www.geocities.com)

Tomorrow when the war began Essay

In the novel; ‘Tomorrow when the war began’, the characters experience various changes and transformations. These changes occur when the different characters experience life threatening situations and environmental change. The characters have to adapt, think and behave differently. The changes that occur involve the themes of leadership, war and love. Throughout the novel, John Marsden shows change in Ellie. In the beginning Ellie is a carefree but hard working girl and known as a bit of a tomboy. As the war begins she realizes she needs to grow up and mature quickly. Ellie went camping with her friends in Hell and was not worried or expecting anything. This is how Ellie was carefree in the beginning. Ellie became strategic when she saw what was happening at the show grounds by delegating people to certain jobs and roles. At the show grounds Ellie says, â€Å"I felt then, and still feel now, that I was transformed by those four steps. At that moment I stopped being an innocent rural teenager and started becoming someone else, a more complicated and capable person. A force to be reckoned with†¦ not just a polite obedient kid. †This quote shows us that this was the turning point where Ellie experienced major change and started thinking rationally. She developed and showed leadership. In the novel, the characters had never faced a war situation they did not know what to do or how to react. As the novel progresses, the characters strategies change, as does their perspective on war. â€Å"A month ago we were average teenagers†¦ now we’re soldiers, we won’t run, we won’t hide, we’ll fight and keep fighting, and never give up, until this war is finally won. † This quote by Ellie shows courage, strength and maturity. Throughout the text there many important references that relate to war countries now, where homes are being invaded and teenagers and even adults have to, â€Å"start thinking like soldiers†. This quote was said by Ellie and it again shows maturity and her realising that if they ever want to see their family again, they are going to have to fight and save their town. Chris falls asleep while keeping watch and Ellie freaks out, this is an important turning point in the text, this is when the teens really realise that this is war and they must fight if they are to survive. This is how the characters perspective of war changes and how the theme of war is explored in the novel. Throughout the text John Marsden describes relationships of love, friendship and hatred. Love is shown through the relationship that exists between Homer and Fi. In the text the teenagers are playing in the water and Homer gets distracted by looking at Fi. In the beginning Homer is immature, a loud mouth, disrespectful, a troublemaker, wild, crazy and many others When Homer meets Fi and falls in love with her, John Marsden shows a change in Homer to one of thoughtfulness, maturity, bravery and he shows emotion and compassion in Homer. This is how love is shown between Homer and Fi. The text explores the theme of friendship between all of the teenagers. When they have to fight and look out for each other they form a strong bond, they are like family to each other. â€Å"At that age you think boys have as much personality as coat hangers and, you don’t notice their looks. Then you grow up. † This quote means girls may not like boys, for example; Robyn and Homer are completely different. Robyn is a very polite and religious person and Homer is a bit of a wild pig, but in the end of the text the characters change, they look out for each other like they are family. Hatred is also described in the text when group of teens are fighting against the army and Corrie gets shot. The teenagers then feel hatred towards the soldiers because one of their closest friends could die. This is how the relationships change between the characters. The novel discusses and how tough war is and how hard others would fight for each other. Throughout the text we see how towns are invaded and families are torn apart, in some countries like Afghanistan for example, things like this still happen and it needs to stop! Leadership, war and love are some major themes that are described in Tomorrow when the war began. This text tells us to be courageous and if anything like this ever happened in Australia we would need to work together to survive.