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Daily Aid 13: Jobcast Special - We are hiring!

September 25th, 2008

Daily Aid 13: Jobcast Special - We are hiring!

Student Financial Aid News

Spelman College created the Starfish initiative to bridge the gap between aid and students.

Coming into her senior year, Alisha McClung learned that her lender, College Loan Corp., had gotten out of the federal student loan business. Unable to register for classes because she couldn’t pay half the semester’s fees, as required, she called Spelman College to confirm just how much cash she needed to come up with. “They told me my balance was a zero balance. I thought it was a mistake.”

No mistake: McClung was the beneficiary of an anonymous donor’s generosity and, more specifically, Spelman’s new Starfish Initiative, which matches donors with students, primarily seniors, at risk of not graduating for financial reasons. Unlike the “Last Mile” scholarships that Spelman has given in the past, which typically are worth relatively small sums — $1,000 to $1,500 for the student who made less than expected in a summer job, or who’s whacked with a particularly high textbook bill — Spelman’s looking to donors to fill much bigger gaps, averaging $10,000 per student who’s short.

The program is named for the well-known allegory about a little girl who’s overwhelmed by the number of dying starfish strewn by a storm onto the beach. The girl then starts throwing starfish back, one at a time. Told by a passerby she couldn’t possibly help them all, the girl threw another back and said, “I helped that one.”

Commentary

This is the sort of innovation and initiative I was talking about recently, and I strongly applaud Spelman College’s management team and financial aid office for creating such a useful idea.

Scholarship Update

Junior Achievement of the National Capital Area is pleased to announce the Junior Achievement Essay Competition, sponsored by David M. Rubenstein.

This fall, Junior Achievement invites students from the Greater Washington Region to compete for a $20,000 award. The competition is open to any student in the 9th - 12th grade from August 18 – October 15, 2008, and asks students to write a 1,000-1,500 word essay on “Greater Washington – Why it’s the Best Region to Build and Grow a Business.” Students are able to submit their essays to Junior Achievement either online or via postal mail.

The first place winner will receive a $20,000 award, will be recognized at the prestigious 20th Anniversary Washington Business Hall of Fame on December 2, 2008, and will have his or her essay published in the January 2009 issue of Washingtonian.

Nine additional runner-up winners will each receive a $10,000 award and be recognized at the 20th Anniversary Washington Business Hall of Fame.

Details at our free college scholarship search site.

We’re hiring!

Level 1 PHP 5.0 Developer/Object Oriented Programmer

We are currently seeking a Level 1 PHP 5.0 Developer/Object Oriented Programmer to work full time in our Quincy, MA office.

This position will be responsible for the development, enhancement, integration and production support requirements of complex web applications. The successful candidate will be a team player, able to cohesively manage and integrate project requirements, and enjoy building dynamic applications in a timely manner.
Responsibilities

* Develop, test, and maintain Edvisors‘ web sites & applications using PHP, SQL, CSS, JavaScript, and HTML
* Debug, modify, and upgrade existing PHP code on a MySQL database
* Support existing and new application functionality using object-oriented development

Qualifications

* 2+ years experience building database-driven web sites is required
* 1-2 years of object oriented PHP 5.0 development experience in a Linux environment is required
* Mid-level MySQL development and administration experience is required
* Front end web development exposure is a plus (XHTML, CSS, JavaScript)
* Strong analytical and interpersonal troubleshooting, and communication skills required
* Excellent organizational skills and strong attention to detail
* Bachelors degree in Computer Science, Information Systems or equivalent

Benefits

* Fun, friendly, team-oriented and collaborative office environment
* Competitive base salary with bonus
* Full medical benefits, disability coverage, 401(k)
* Free garage parking and MBTA-accessible (Quincy Center on the red line)
* Business casual office attire
* Opportunity to work in a successful, fast-growing company

How to Apply

Send an email to jobs@edvisors.com with the subject “Level 1 PHP Developer” and a resume in plain text or PDF format. Alternatively, you may fax us your resume at 617-328-0615.

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