The Greater Lehigh Valley REALTORS® (GLVR) is ensuring the future of the real estate industry, nurturing future REALTORS®, and planting the seeds of a bright future with a scholarship program geared toward local high school students interested in pursuing a career in real estate.
GLVR owns and operates the Greater Lehigh Valley Real Estate Academy in Bethlehem, Pa. The school is highly regarded as the primary source for real estate education in the Lehigh Valley, with a mission to educate and develop its students into leaders who advocate for their clients and who are actively engaged in their community.
Scholarship recipients are chosen by an interview panel comprised of members of the association’s Diversity and Community Involvement Committee and the chairperson of the Education Committee. The panel utilizes a weighted interview score card with careful consideration of scholarship applications, essays, transcripts, and in-person interviews.
A scholarship in the amount of $2,000 was first awarded back in 2019 to Christine Nicholson, then a student at Easton Area High School. The scholarship covers the cost of the Academy’s pre-licensing package, Association dues for one year, and a year of Multiple Listing Service access. Nicholson successfully completed her pre-licensing classes at the end of 2020.
To make up for a pandemic hiatus, the Diversity and Community Involvement Committee awarded two scholarships in 2022. This year’s scholarship recipients are Jayla Evans, a student from Parkland High School, and Sydney Moreira, a student from Emmaus High School.
“The scholarship application is sent to guidance counselors at all high schools in our association’s three-county footprint,” said Lyn Hufton, chair of the Diversity and Community Involvement Committee. “Both Jayla and Sydney scored extremely high on our interview score card, and their applications were extremely thorough. They are responsible self-starters who have the traits important to being a REALTOR®. We really look forward to seeing them come through our doors and helping them succeed in our industry.”
A scholarship outside of the Diversity and Community Involvement Committee was recently presented to Colin Hasara, a 2022 graduate from Marian Catholic High School. GLVR President Howard Schaeffer, a Marian graduate himself, is personally covering the cost of Hasara’s pre-licensing package and is providing a stipend for travel expenses.
“Colin, the only string attached is that you pay it forward in life, and you never forget where you came from,” Schaeffer said during a presentation at Marian Catholic. “Work hard, and the rewards will be huge.”
More about the Academy:
The Greater Lehigh Valley Real Estate Academy (GLVREA) serves as the primary source for real estate education in the Greater Lehigh Valley area, which includes the Poconos and the counties of Lehigh, Carbon, and Northampton.
GLVREA increases awareness of the real estate industry and related topics by providing in-person and online education through prelicensing, broker licensing, designation and certification programs, mandatory continuing education, professional development workshops, and community information seminars. The Academy also offers on-site broker training programs for both newly licensed and seasoned agents.
From 2017 to 2022, there have been 691 pre-licensing students through the Academy’s doors. There were 83 classes offered just between January 1 and May 31, 2022, with more than 1,500 distinct enrollments.
And, coming soon, will be NMLS-approved online pre-licensure education and continuing education for the Mortgage Loan Officer (MLO). This cutting-edge mortgage education through the Academy’s partnership with The CE Shop includes Exam Prep Edge, a revolutionary study tool designed to prepare students for the SAFE MLO Test; a 100% online platform for completing licensing requirements anywhere, anytime; and more.
Learn more about the Academy’s offerings at www. GLVREAcademy.com or call 610-694-0727.
