Applying for the Fellowship Program

Understanding

Whether you're the prospective Fellow getting ready to fill out the application or the Veteran Outreach Coordinator (VOC) getting ready to sit down with the prospective Fellow, it is important that the individual interested in the Fellowship Program has a clear understanding of what a Fellowship consists of and why it's available. All prospective Fellows should read the "About the Fellowship " page and understand The Mission Continues Fellowship Pledge prior to completing an application.

Eligibility

All prospective Fellows must meet the following criteria to be considered for a Mission Continues Fellowship:

• Service in the United States Armed Forces after September 11, 2001
• Injury, wounds, disability, or disease sustained in combat or in the line of duty that prevents further service in the military
• Prospective Fellows will be subject to multiple interviews and all applicantions and proposals will be reviewed through an evaluation process
  
• Minimum Fellowship committment: 200 hours
• Minimum frequency of volunteer hours: 20 hours per week
• Maximum hours for one Fellowship: 600 hours
• Fellowship opportunities may be with non-profit, for-profit, or governmental organizations, but each Fellowship must demonstrate a constant and tangible good to the community

Getting Started

Before a prospective Fellow begins the Fellowship Application, they should:

• Be able to commit to at least 20 hours of service each week for up to 14 weeks
• Have identified a position at a service organization in their community that they would like to work with
• Can articulate how they would be able to use their experience and passion to be successful in this position
• Can articulate why this position would be beneficial to their future goals
• Have obtained permission from the service organization

Once this is done, the prospective Fellow should:

• Fill out the Fellowship Application (download below)
• Sit down with their first-line supervisor at the service organizaton and fill out the Memorandum of Record (download below) between the Fellow and the service organization
• Read, understand, and be willing to commit to the Fellowship Pledge (download below)

Upon completion of the Fellowship Application, MOU, and Fellowship Pledge, your materials (including a copy of DD 214, VA Letter of Disability Rating, and any supporting documentation) should be sent to your Veteran Outreach Coordinator (VOC). If you do not have a VOC, contact Tiffany Garcia or Mike Pereira at The Mission Continues and one will be assigned. Contact information for Tiffany and Mike can be found at the bottom of this page.

Upon the completion of the Fellowship Application, MOU, Fellowship Pledge, and Fellowship Proposal (by VOC), send in all in addition with a copy of DD 214, VA Letter of Disability Rating, and any supporting documentation to The Mission Continues Fellowship Program Coordinator (see below under "Submitting").

A Finished Product 

The application package should consist of the following (click to download):

• The Mission Continues Fellowship Application
• The Mission Continues/service organization Memorandum or Understanding (MOU)
• The Mission Continues Fellowship Pledge
• Service-member's DD214
• Service-member's letter of rating from the VA
• Supporting documentation

The application package is designed to be carried out in the order it is presented. All documentation should be complete in full and in a professional manner. The Fellowship is a competitive program and all material will be considered during the evaluation process.

Submitting

When all documents are complete send via email to the Fellowship Program Coordinator Mike Pereira at mpereira@missioncontinues.org.

The Application

The application can be broken down into several parts. First, the demographic and service-related questions. Second, the short answer questions, and, finally, third, the financial need/references questions.

Demographic/service related questions: Ensure that all questions are complete and state all relevant data. These are typically short (usually one word) answers. However, it's important that all these answers include all necessary information and are correct.

Short Answers: The Mission Continues includes these questions as an opportunity to become more familiar with the prospective Fellow. Answer all questions in a complete and professional manner. This is a great way for The Mission Continues to learn of your experience as a leader, your future goals, and why you're interested in the Fellowship Program so be sure to be as detailed as possible - there is no "too long" answers!

References: References must not be family members, spouses, or significant others. The ideal reference is previous supervisor and/or a fellow service-member (military, church, service organization, etc). Also, be sure that these references are notified that they have been listed as references, The Mission Continues should not have to hunt these individuals down.

The MOU

The memorandum of understanding is a contract that outlines the responsibilities of the Fellow while serving at the chosen organization, the quantitative goals to be reached, and the contact information for the service organization, the Fellow, and the VOC. The MOU should be filled out by both the prospective Fellow and the service-organization's first-line supervisor. This should be done before the Fellowship Proposal is filled out by the VOC. Be sure to add as much detail as possible when listing both the roles/responsibilities of the Fellow and the quantitative goals (x amount of projects, x amount of people, x certificates, etc).

The Pledge

The purpose for the Fellowship Pledge is to be very clear of the intent of the Fellowship. It is imperative that all prospective Fellows are willing to commit to the guidelines outlined in the Pledge.

The DD214

All prospective Fellows (unless currently on Active Duty - in which case a letter from their chain of command will be needed) must provide a legitimate DD 214 that states the nature of their discharge.

Letter from Chain of Command

For active duty a memorandum for record will suffice for a DD 214. All MFR should outline the following:

• Current status of the prospective Fellow
• Current command
• POC to be at least an E-6

The Letter from the VA

All prospective Fellows must provide a copy of their VA rating. This rating must be articulated in an official letter from the VA.

Supporting Documentation

The Mission Continues encourages all prospective Fellows to attach any supporting documentation that may positively influence the outcome of the evaluation process. Previous awards, training certificates, medals, letters of recommendation, etc. are all welcome!

Questions

The Mission Continues staff is happy to answer any questions pertaining to the application process. Please feel free to contact our Fellowship Programs Associate Tiffany Garcia at:

tgarcia@missioncontinues.org
Main Phone: (314) 571-6157

1141 South 7th Street
St. Louis, MO 63104