The Noel Compass Scholarship (NCS) leadership and retention program focuses on the FIVE SHIPS— Scholarship, Internship, Mentorship, Fellowship, and Leadership. Each of these “ships” is designed to help each NCS Scholar through their journey at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, help them thrive at UWSP, become a student servant leader, and prepare them for the next chapter of their life after graduation. Scholars participate in the following activities:
Community Host Program—The Community Host Program aims to create a home away from home, meaningfully connecting scholars and community members through informal friendships between alumni, faculty, administrators, other friends of UWSP, and NCS scholars. Scholars are paired with a community member or family for periodic communication, interaction, dinners, and social events.
Internships—NCS scholars may arrange for their internship or be paired with an internship with the help of the NCS Coordinator. NCS scholars are required to have a ?? hour a week internship for each semester. Internships allow scholars to apply the knowledge they gain in the classroom to a professional setting. These opportunities are the perfect way to use the concepts they learn from their major to earn experience. Sometimes internships come along with academic credit or compensation.
Work Experience—We believe that there are many benefits to working part-time while in college, and those benefits aren’t all financial. Well-chosen college jobs, on and off-campus, can also help scholars gain career-specific experience. Additionally, they develop in-demand soft skills, expose students to valuable networking opportunities, and even increase graduation rates. Scholars are expected to have a job and work no more than 15 hours a week. Scholars may arrange for their work or be paired with a job with the help of the NCS Coordinator and the UWSP Campus Activities and Student Engagement Office.
NCS Student Club—NCS scholars are automatically a member of the NCS student organization. As a member, scholars will work to advance the FIVE SHIPS on campus and in the Stevens Point community and experience personal growth benefits. Scholars will:
- Learn more about themselves.
- Develop soft skills.
- Learn how to work with a team.
- Experience networking opportunities.
- Use the skills they’ve learned in class.
- Learn how to engage with diverse groups of people
- Gain leadership skills.
- Get a break from their studies.
- Expand their resume.
- Give back to the community
- Have fun!
Tailored Guidance and Advising— Scholars meet with the NCS Coordinator once a month as a group and individually every two weeks to review academic progress, student life issues, NCS activities, and important social issues identified by scholars.