Helen Gee Chin Scholarship

The Helen Gee Chin Scholarship Foundation was founded on March 7, 2011, to honor the memory of Helen Gee Chin, wife of Sifu Chin of Calvin Chin’s Martial Arts Academy, Inc. Simo was the administrator at CCMAA for 15 years and was involved with preserving the history and promoting the practice of traditional Chinese martial arts. She was beloved by her husband, the students of the Academy that she ran with him, and by the martial arts community as a whole. The Foundation is offering college scholarships to encourage academic achievement and motivate individuals to become serious students of the Chinese martial arts.

The scholarship is open to students who plan to enroll full-time as an undergraduate at an accredited U.S. four-year college or university and meet the minimum eligibility requirements: U.S. citizenship, five or more years* of study in Chinese Martial Arts (Kung Fu, Wu Shu, or Tai Chi), and a “B” average grade or better. Scholarship recipients are selected based on criteria such as martial arts study and achievement*, academic achievement, a written essay, and participation and leadership in community and school activities. Further details about eligibility and the selection process can be found on the scholarship application.

The Foundation is based in Newton, Massachusetts at Calvin Chin’s Martial Arts Academy Inc. (“CCMAA”). The Foundation is funded by donations, which it solicits primarily within the Chinese martial arts community, and through public support. The Foundation believes that both the solicitation and the award processes will encourage academic achievement by young practitioners of the Chinese martial arts.

Applicants to the Helen Gee Chin Scholarship Foundation Scholarship Program must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident;
• Plan to enroll full-time as an undergraduate at an accredited U.S. four-year college or university for the entire academic year;
• Have studied one or more of the Chinese Martial Arts – Kung Fu, Wu Shu, or Tai Chi – for a minimum of 5 [five] years; and
• Have a “B” average grade or better.
• Scholarship recipients are selected based on the following factors:
• Martial arts achievement (e.g., tournament medals*, contribution to the martial arts);
• Academic achievement;
• An essay explaining what the study of martial arts has meant to the applicant;
• Recommendations and participation and leadership in community and school activities, work experience, educational and career goals, and unusual circumstances.
• Selection of recipients is made by the Trustees of the Helen Gee Chin Scholarship Foundation. Family members of the Trustees are ineligible for the award.
• The expectation of tournament competition may be reduced in the case of special life circumstances (see Section 10 of the application).