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Black Engineering Leaders Grant

Funded by
user profile avatar
Mechanism Ventures
$1,000
1 winner$1,000
Awarded
Application Deadline
May 11, 2021
Winners Announced
Jun 11, 2021
Education Level
Undergraduate, Graduate
2
Contributions
Share
Eligibility Requirements
Ethnicity:
African American
Ethnicity:
African American

Talent is evenly distributed, but opportunity is not.

Inequality of opportunity is pronounced in the start-up world, where just 1% of start-ups receiving venture funding have Black founders and where the share of Black employees is around half that of the US population.

In support of building a more diverse and equitable start-up ecosystem, this scholarship is part of a series from Mechanism Ventures supporting Black students who are currently in or who aspire to pursue engineering roles at start-ups.

The Black Engineering Leaders Grant will be awarded to a Black student or recent graduate who plans on (or already is) pursuing a career in engineering at a start-up.

Students across any field of study or company are eligible to apply.

This scholarship is part of the Mechanism Ventures Impact Grants Series.

Selection Criteria:
Impact, Drive
Scholarships for Black StudentsGraduate School ScholarshipsScholarships for MinoritiesHigh School ScholarshipsUndergraduate ScholarshipsEssay ScholarshipsEngineering ScholarshipsCollege Students ScholarshipsScholarships for Black Women
Published June 12, 2020
$1,000
1 winner$1,000
Awarded
Application Deadline
May 11, 2021
Winners Announced
Jun 11, 2021
Education Level
Undergraduate, Graduate
2
Contributions
Share
Essay Topic

Please tell us a bit about yourself. What do you hope to achieve in your career in engineering, and how are you preparing yourself to achieve it?

500–1000 words

Winners and Finalists

June 2021

Winners
Olamide Habib
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Franklin Park, NJ
Finalists
Alijahwan Maragh
Clemson University
Greenville, SC
Corbin Jones
Mercer University
Lawrenceville, GA
Seth Graham
Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago, IL
Timothy M
Texas State University
San Marcos, TX
Izuka Ikedionwu
Baylor University
Arlington, TX
Quintarius Bell
University of Miami
Atlanta, GA
Mahogany Nia Labor Hutchinson
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
Atlanta, GA

Winning Application

Olamide Habib
New Jersey Institute of TechnologyFranklin Park, NJ
My name is Olamide Naomi Habib. I am an African American female from Somerset, NJ. I recently graduated from Franklin High School in Somerset, NJ. My interests include playing tennis and the piano. I currently attend New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) majoring in Chemical Engineering. I am the Vice President of the American Society for Quality (ASQ) at my school. I love chemistry and math. In 2018, Johnson & Johnson selected me from my high school to visit their engineering departments and conduct some research during a program. I also tutor people in math and physics for the MCAT. I have participated in various community service activities such as volunteering at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital for 2 years and partaking in missionary trips around the United States to spread love and the word of God to others. Majoring in Chemical engineering has already shown me that I can work hard to overcome negative words and continue to pursue my degree as an African American female in a predominantly male field. As a chemical engineer, I want to be able to make processes more cost-effective, more environmentally friendly, and more efficient at a great company that supports such causes. I also have the option to also teach, work with the government, write, create new companies, and perform research. I actively work towards my goal of living in a pollution-free environment. I separate wastes to reduce air pollution before they get into landfills and separate organic from non-organic wastes and biodegrade the organic ones into compost. With a chemical engineering degree, I am able to work on different sustainable projects such as using alternative and renewable fuels. I am able to apply the principles of science and mathematics to develop economical solutions to technical problems which are the link between scientific discoveries and the commercial applications that meet societal and consumer needs. After graduation, I want to work in a lab or a chemical plant working on different projects. I will have the greatest impact on this because as of right now, Infrastructure is a combination of fundamental systems that support a community, region, or country. It includes everything from water and sewer systems to road and rail networks to the national power and natural gas grids. Perhaps there will be a hydrogen grid in the future as well. It covers a wide range of things that I am passionate about. I hope to achieve multiple goals, such as creating better storm drainage and cleaner water, while also enhancing the appearance of the landscape, improving the habitat for wildlife, and offering recreational spaces for people. Ultimately I know I will thrive at being a future chemical engineer because chemical engineers need to be able to think analytically and solve challenging problems, have an aptitude for mathematics, physics, and chemistry, have excellent oral and written communication skills, enjoy being innovative with their creative process, and be able to conduct precise work. Chemical engineers work together to create new grand projects that will help the human good. All these characteristics of a chemical engineer I have already shown in different classroom settings throughout my high school career and currently in college.

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FAQ

When is the scholarship application deadline?

The application deadline is May 11, 2021. Winners will be announced on Jun 11, 2021.

How will scholarship application information be used?

Your privacy is a top priority on the Bold.org platform, and you can find our privacy policy in full here. You may opt out of communications from Bold.org at any time, and unless we’ve first notified you and gotten your consent, you’ll never receive communication from any third parties related to personal information you give us.

What is the scholarship award?

Award amounts per winner are designated by the donor. Check the award amount for a detailed breakdown.

When will the scholarship winner be chosen? How will they be notified?

The winner will be publicly announced on Jun 11, 2021. Prior to the announcement date, we may contact finalists with additional questions about their application. We will work with donors to review all applications according to the scholarship criteria. Winners will be chosen based on the merit of their application.

How will the scholarship award be paid?

Award checks will be sent to the financial aid office of the winner's academic institution in their name to be applied to their tuition, and in the name of their institution (depending on the school's requirements). If the award is for a qualified educational non-tuition expense, we will work with the winner directly to distribute the award and make sure it goes towards qualified expenses.

How will my scholarship application be verified?

Before we award the scholarship, the winner will be required to confirm their academic enrollment status. Depending on the circumstances, verification of Student ID and/or their most recent transcript will be required.

How should I get in touch with questions?

If you have any questions about this scholarship or the Bold.org platform, just email contact@bold.org and we’ll get back to you as quickly as we can.

Does the scholarship have terms and conditions?

Yes. The terms and conditions for this scholarship can be found here.

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