For DonorsFor Applicants

Healing Self and Community Scholarship

$1,000
4 winners, $250 each
Open
Application Deadline
Nov 22, 2024
Winners Announced
Dec 22, 2024
Education Level
Any
Eligibility Requirements
Education Level:
High school senior, undergraduate, or graduate student
Race/Ethnicity:
BIPOC
Background:
Interest in changing the world through art and health promotion

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 75% of mental illnesses begin by age 24 and disproportionately affect youth of color. Mental health challenges affect countless people every day and yet many suffer in silence and aren't able to find support.

The inaccessibility of mental health care is produced by a variety of factors, such as the high financial costs of therapy or other treatment and the stigmatization of mental illness that can exacerbate feelings of isolation in BIPOC communities. All young people deserve an equal opportunity to thrive as they develop into adulthood.

This scholarship seeks to empower students to practice healthy coping mechanisms, pursue higher education, and go on to change the world.

Any BIPOC high school senior, undergraduate, or graduate student who is interested in changing the world through art and health promotion may apply for this scholarship.

To apply, tell us what contribution you would like to make to help mental health care become more affordable and accessible.

Selection Criteria:
Ambition, Drive, Impact
Published May 12, 2024
Essay Topic

What unique contribution would you give the world to make mental health care affordable and accessible to anyone who needs support?

100–250 words

Winners and Finalists

December 2023

Finalists
Isaiah Howard
Thomas Martin
Manal Ibrahim
Sunny Arnold
Mackenzie Flowers
Kennedy Donnell
Nakaila Tate
Genevieve Slaton
april nava
Selima Brown
Taciana Carroll
Sharla Rider
Daniel Castro
Valerie Igbikiowubo
Amanda (Arlo) Topete
De'Yani Dillard
Hafsa Sheikh
Quincy Franks
Kayla Brown
Anima Acharya
Jelia Farr
Kristina Olegario Loy
Clarissa Reyna
Jasmin Greene
Jessica Meza perez
Micai Thornton
Darcie Thomas
Kenonica Joseph
Safa Faheem
Allahna Johnson
Patricia Okolo
Raegan Bowen
Aaliyah Bullock
Andrew Brizan
Beatrice Asekomhe
Samiya Harragin
Nathalie Larson
Michelle Johnson
Hulda Fernandes
Drayton Jones
Samantha Odaro
Aaliyah Mitchell
Ravyn Hicks
Nana K
Alfonso Smith
Marrissa Bastien-Buie
Jada James Ogbechie
Adriane Navarro
Ebony Medina
CHLOE THOMPSON
Grace Staes
Tamara Aguetse
Ritika Senthil Kumar
Isela mendoza
Karen Perez
Djamilliah Paepke-Chile
Grace Beecher
mikaylin alston
Rosamargarita mendoza
Olivia Williams
shekinah konadu
Elise Andrews
Crystal Maoga
Chauntrell Turner
Stephanie Ortiz
Alicia Gonzalez-Gastelum
Michelle Fan
Jared Villery
Vivian Gaiko
Elijah Gonzalez
Egypt Byrd
Alyssandra Lachica
Brianna Oyeyemi
Anasofia Gallegos
Sadie Brown
Melanie McIntosh
Autumn Dixon
Kelsey Jefferson
Kaitlyn hernandez
Christy Roberson
Janina Ribeiro
mary adeleke
Lydia Chapman
Harmony Anthony
Courtney Roberts
Alexa Formby
Jayden Linton
Adanze Benjamin
Ayani Hashi
Mya Bogers
Jumana Ahmed
Onyinyechi Colette Charles-Azike
Jonathan Gedam
Sheba Bentum-Mensah
jasmine blake
Damon Garcia
Camila Garcia
Myriam Pierre
Jada Mapp
Sophia Taveras
Damaria Ponder
Chloe Edwards
Fajr Butt
Camille Long
Hannah Hawkins
Jeremiah Lewis
Destiny Ejiofor

Winning Application

Natalie Hernandez
West Texas A & M UniversitySan Angelo, TX
When I was a junior in high school, I remember leaving for spring break on a sunny Friday afternoon. In a blink of an eye, my week of spring break turned into a year of isolation. The 2020 pandemic hit many people hard. Every day when we turned on the news, it felt like one catastrophe after another. The pandemic took a lot away from me and my high school experience, but it also taught me the importance of prioritizing mental health. This realization influenced me to pursue a degree in music therapy. Myself and many others turned to the arts for comfort during isolation and after that experience, I knew there could never be enough music and art in the world. Music therapy is a unique kind of therapy because it relies on music to address the needs of the patient. Music therapy has been proven to help those struggling with anxiety, depression, and other kinds of mental disorders. Music therapists have always had to advocate for their clients because they cannot always do it for themselves and I am prepared to advocate for the rest of my professional career. I truly believe everyone deserves to be helped without having to worry about what financial problems may follow. I am devoted to helping my future clients and making mental health care a right instead of a luxury.
Ty Coleman
Syracuse UniversityBoston, MA
As a Rising Senior in college, I have had the opportunity to create a men of color organization on my campus that is dedicated to prioritizing men's mental health and healthy forms of manhood. The reason I decided to start this group is because it is extremely important that the BIPOC community starts to focus on mental health. Men Assertively Manifesting Bold Alliances (MAMBA) strives to create unity among men of color on our campus so we can become the best versions of ourselves through one another. This means we need to be able to be okay with being vulnerable and also know when we need help and how to pursue it. With 80 percent of therapists being white, it is extremely difficult to find one who looks like you, which is why it's crucial to have a support system and community of people who share similar experiences as you. So many men in this world are not taught that being vulnerable and showing your feelings is acceptable, so many of us have grown up most, and sometimes all of our lives with a hard shell and very stoic. So, with a group like MAMBA, I know it will have a positive impact on our community and make men feel more comfortable reaching out for help. While MAMBA may not directly make mental health care affordable or accessible, It will transform young men of color into men who are not afraid to reach out for help when they need it.

FAQ

When is the scholarship application deadline?

The application deadline is Nov 22, 2024. Winners will be announced on Dec 22, 2024.