For DonorsFor Applicants

Support Small Businesses Scholarship

Funded by
$2,000
1 winner$2,000
Awarded
Application Deadline
Nov 21, 2020
Winners Announced
Nov 25, 2020
Education Level
Any

Local businesses are essential for the economic development of their communities.

Small businesses go through many difficulties, often battling through economic hardship to be able to provide for the residents of their area.

Local business owners across the country often find that starting up their business requires significant resources, money, and time.

To support the needs of small businesses, Bold.org is creating the Support Small Businesses Scholarship for members of the small business community.

The scholarship is open to anyone who has a small business, who plans to start a small business, or who has parents who are small business owners.

To apply, you must write about your relationship to the small business community and what you hope to achieve with your business, future business, or parent's business.

Bold.org will be awarding a scholarship each day in November to celebrate National Scholarship Month. Follow along on Bold.org's Instagram and TikTok for daily announcements of scholarships and winners!

Selection Criteria:
Essay, Small Business, Ambition, Drive, Impact
Published November 5, 2020
Essay Topic

What is your relationship to the small business community? If you have a business, what are your goals? If you plan to start a business, what do you hope to achieve?

250–500 words

Winning Application

Yakira Gurganus
Appalachian State UniversityPikeville, NC
Living in a small town helps you appreciate small things; the cost of living is less, people know you by name, and the restaurant downtown sells great food at a great price. In the town I live in, there is a restaurant we call the Dawg House. It is a small mom and pop hot dog stand that sells—you guessed it—hot dogs! Along with dogs, they sell burgers, hoop cheese, barbeque sandwiches, and ice cream. I stop by the Dawg House multiple times a month to get a good meal without breaking the bank. At the Dawg House, I can get two hot dogs and a cup of ice cream for less than $10. Along with the food, eating at the Dawg House makes me happy because I know I am helping support a small business, which in return helps support my community. Supporting small businesses also brings me joy because I am a small business owner. In 2017, I started my first art business; Distant Life Art by Yuuki. With this local business, I sell traditional and digital paintings, jewelry, pins, charms, and more. I am also open to commissions and doing so has allowed me to paint murals inside of my church and in a health bar outside of my city. Recently, I took up the offer of selling my jewelry inside of a salon in a neighboring city. This has helped me reach out to a wider audience, and I am super excited about this new marketing space. In 2018, I started my second art business; Yuuki G’s Artsy Things. With this online business hosted through Redbubble and Teepublic, I sell my original artwork of a variety of products ranging from apparel to home decor. Since Yuuki G’s Artsy Things is an online business, my products are available all over the globe and I have made sales in the U.S., Australia, Singapore, and France—all places I could never reach by selling locally. With the profit I make off of my art businesses, I have started raising money to help pay for my college tuition. My goal is to attend Savannah College of Art and Design, and I want to major in animation and minor in storyboarding. Using my education, I want to create cartoon shows aimed at children and adults that tell fun stories while discussing important topics and life lessons such as self-appreciation and learning to take responsibility. My biggest goal is to create a show that teaches people how to spot signs of manipulation, specifically grooming tactics present in schools, the workplace, and the family. As someone who knows people who have been groomed and manipulated as well as being a victim myself, I know that it is my life mission to bring awareness to this situation and help prevent it from happening to more people, for both children and adults. Starting small businesses to raise money for college is my first step to accomplishing this mission—supporting them is yours.

FAQ

When is the scholarship application deadline?

The application deadline is Nov 21, 2020. Winners will be announced on Nov 25, 2020.