Cliff T. Wofford STEM Scholarship

$1,500
1 winner$1,500
Awarded
Application Deadline
Jan 11, 2023
Winners Announced
Feb 11, 2023
Education Level
High School, Undergraduate
Recent Bold.org scholarship winners
Eligibility Requirements
Education:
Must be a High School Senior or Current Undergrad
Ethnicity:
Must be Black/African-American
GPA:
Must have a 3.0 GPA or higher
Major:
STEM
Education:
Ethnicity:
GPA:
Major:
Must be a High School Senior or Current Undergrad
Must be Black/African-American
Must have a 3.0 GPA or higher
STEM

In order to diversify STEM fields, it is extremely important that Black scientists get the resources and support they need.

In a competitive field like STEM, Black students can often be left behind. In 2018, Black students earned only 7% of STEM bachelor degrees. This is an issue across the US, largely caused by a lack of support for Black students.

In order to combat this problem, the Cliff T. Wofford scholarship offers support to a student who wishes to pursue a degree in a STEM-related field.

Any Black high school senior or undergraduate student in STEM with a 3.0 GPA or higher may apply for this $1,500 award.

To apply, tell us about yourself, why you're interested in STEM, and how you hope to benefit the world

Selection Criteria:
Essay, Impact, Drive
Published November 10, 2022
$1,500
1 winner$1,500
Awarded
Application Deadline
Jan 11, 2023
Winners Announced
Feb 11, 2023
Education Level
High School, Undergraduate
Recent Bold.org scholarship winners
Essay Topic

Please tell us a bit about yourself, why you're interested in a STEM degree, and how you plan to make a positive impact on the world.

400–600 words

Winners and Finalists

February 2023

Finalists
Morgan Myles
Spelman College
Decatur, GA
Anaya Johnson
Florida Polytechnic University
Kissimmee, FL
Yaly Bathily
Howard University
FALLS CHURCH, VA
To'nyia Richardson
Howard University
Washington, DC
Desiree Smith
Denison University
Warrensville Heights, OH
Camden Nall
Christian Brothers College High School
Chesterfield, MO
Maya Coker
Ball State University
Beech Grove, IN
Ezra James
Palos Verdes Peninsula High
Rolling Hills Estates, CA
Asha Puri
Quince Orchard High
Gaithersburg, MD
Yanni Yohannnes
Chattahoochee High School
Alpharetta, GA
Mecca Fisher
University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus
Muskogee, OK
James Green
Levine Middle College High
Matthews, NC
Justin Smallwood
Brunswick High School
Point of Rocks, MD
Bailey Bonds
Mccomb High School
McComb, MS
Aurora Jones
University of Florida
Miami, FL
Caliese Beckford
Claflin University
Orangeburg, SC
Bralon Burgess
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
Riverdale, GA
Kennedi Laur
Prosper H S
Prosper, TX
Ashlie-Chellsie Aminkeng
The University of Texas at San Antonio
San Antonio, TX
Amí Spencer
Northern Arizona University
Goodyear, AZ
Khani Velazquez
Sheldon High School
Sacramento, CA
Ryan Ekwoge
San Francisco State University
Oakland, CA
Amari Batiste
University of Florida
Miami, FL
Mikayla Blackwood
Trenton Catholic Academy
Hamilton Township, NJ
Zoey Colston
University of California-San Diego
Oakland, CA
Makuta Allen
County College of Morris
Mount Arlington, NJ
Elizabeth Akanji
The University of Texas at Austin
Mesquite, TX
Lauryn T.
Hillsborough Community College
Tampa, FL
Kennedy Walker
University of Georgia
Lawrenceville, GA

February 2022

Finalists
Deshaun jackson
University of Michigan-Flint
Davison, MI
Kellee Palmer
University of Maryland-Baltimore County
Salisbury, MD
John Jackson
Mars Hill University
Kernersville, NC
J’Kai Walker
San Diego State University
Texas City, TX
Amanda York
Wayne State University
Phoenix, AZ
Ayo Overton
Rowan University
Willingboro, NJ
Layke Jones
North Carolina A & T State University
Durham, NC
Faith Folorunso
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX
Jordan Hemmerly
University of Hawaii at Hilo
Hilo, HI
Sarah Asres
University of Georgia
Clarkston, GA
Bifuh Ngongalah
University of St Thomas (MN)
Saint Paul, MN
Smeralda Charles
Miami Dade College
North Miami Beach, FL
Davin Ratliff
Brandon High School
Georgetown, TX
Destiney Hollimon
Savannah State University
Newnan, GA
Parfait Siala Pezo
Georgia State University
Duluth, GA
Kenneth Rogers
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Evelise Guenda
University of Houston-Downtown
Houston, TX
Atira Aidarous
Rice University
Houston, TX
Lilah Hoffert
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, KY
Gary Long
Dillard University
Oklahoma City, OK
Shakiela Boothe Rodney
Liberty High School
Kissimmee, FL
Angelica Ihim
University of Pennsylvania
Florissant, MO
Reese Manley
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
Stockbridge, GA
George Mochama
James Bowie H S
Arlington, TX
Udemeobong Umoh
St. Joseph's College-New York
Bronx, NY
Deja Hadley
St. Thomas University
Miramar, FL
Anika Forde
Howard University
Durham, NC
Makayla Dawkins
University of Connecticut
East Haven, CT
Teralyn Johnson
University of Minnesota-Morris
Morris, MN
Hariette Diarra
Edmond North High School
Edmond, OK
Ogebe Udenyi
George Mason University
Vienna, VA
Quentin Crumbey II
Southfield Christian High School
Taylor, MI
Giovanni Smith
Northstar Academy Lincoln Park Highschool
Newark, NJ
Ian Atkins
Tarrant County College District
Fort Worth, TX
Samantha Wood
George Washington University
Washington, DC
Shelby Stringer
Collin County Community College District
The Colony, TX
Kennedy Smith
North Carolina A & T State University
Houston, TX
Telia Blue
Michigan State University
Kalamazoo, MI
Brittany Smith
Southern New Hampshire University- Online
Greensboro, NC
Nada Dualeh
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Saint Paul, MN
David Ferguson
East Lansing High School
East Lansing, MI
Laurence Price-webb
North Carolina A & T State University
Greensboro, NC
Nikki Scott
Heritage High School
Vancouver, WA
ADESHEWA Coker
Dewitt High School
Bronx, NY
Keaton Lawson
Macalester College
Minneapolis, MN
Nickayla Myers
Georgia Southern University
Pooler, GA
Alesia Dodson
Grand Canyon University
Chester, VA
Ashley Oliver
Hoffman Estates High School
Hoffman Estates, IL
Ayanna Cole
Georgia Southern University
McDonough, GA
Aaliyah Deaton
Belmont Abbey College
Conover, NC
Jackson Phadah
Institute of Technology
Medford, OR
Michael candio
Kennesaw State University
Jonesboro, GA
Alexandra Salem
Danbury High School
Danbury, CT
Jonathan Davis
Mount St. Mary's University
Baltimore, MD
Morgan Tingle
University of West Georgia
Carrollton, GA
Hanif Wilson
Jack Britt High School
Fayetteville, NC
toryn myles
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY
Brandon Austin
Oglethorpe University
Dallas, GA
Mariah Foster
The College of Saint Rose
Utica, NY
Jonathan Russell
Westlake High School
Atlanta, GA
Courtney Norwood
Martin Methodist College
Columbia, TN
Jayden Mason
Matoaca High
Chester, VA
Pierre Ingram
University of Houston
Houston, TX
Christina Drummings
Huntington High School
Huntington Station, NY
Isabella Wynter
Crenshaw School - Georgia
Loganville, GA
Rahaf Hamour
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus
Denver, CO
Keandrea Jacobs
Texas Southern University
Missouri City, TX
deja wooten
Ogden International School of Chicago
Chicago, IL
Russell Simington
Cameron University
Lawton, OK
Samuel Kalu
Obra D Tompkins High School
Katy, TX
Jeleasa Grayned
Kennesaw State University
Eatonton, GA
Jerry Noel
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
Philadelphia, PA
Chisom Nnam
Tufts University
SOMERVILLE, MA
Taliya Maddox
Lucy Ragsdale High
Greensboro, NC
Kennie Rascoe
Old Dominion University
Chesapeake, VA
Deora Inniss
University of Illinois at Springfield
Knoxville, IL
Athena Davis
University of San Francisco
Flossmoor, IL
Samuel Mutia
Lafayette High School
Lexington, KY
Ryan King
University of Maryland-College Park
Laurel, MD
Taylor Brown
Savannah State University
Savannah, GA
Zachariah Jones
Case Western Reserve University
Clinton, MD
Joshua Chisolm
University of Southern California
Irvine, CA
Hannah Coleman
Texas A&M University-Central Texas
Spring, TX
Tanesha Sullins
California State University-Sacramento
Sacramento, CA
Raelyn Evans
Georgia Southern University
Sylvania, GA
Layla Seaton
Fort Walton Beach High School
Shalimar, FL
Iyana Adams
Germanna Community College
Spotsylvania Courthouse, VA
Markeisia Malone
Georgia Southern University
Peachtree City, GA
Yvonne Jaime Robinson
Middlebury College
Brooklyn, NY
Chy-Amari Finley
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Sterling Heights, MI
Nia Brown
American University
Decatur, GA
Alexi Williams
Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus
Dumont, NJ

Winning Application

Caly Ferguson
University of Maryland-Baltimore CountyFrederick, MD
My interest in STEM started when I was younger, stemming from pop culture and personal experiences. The two things I loved doing when I was a kid were building legos and watching superhero movies. My favorite part about building legos was the ability to use my imagination to build unique and creative sets. This was the earliest instance where I knew I wanted to pursue a career doing something innovative and creative, as building legos was to me at the time. Watching superhero movies as a kid was an early indication of my wanting to go into a career involving the applications of science and technology. My favorite movies to watch were the Dark Knight Trilogy and Iron Man. The plot of these movies emphasizes the influence that a regular person can have just by applying science and technology to help others. Batman engineered an underground cave to serve as his base of intelligence for fighting crime. Along with this, the movie highlighted the technology used by Batman when fighting different bad guys, for example when he had his suit modified to be more agile when fighting a lot of people at once. The most relevant superhero to what I want to do as a career after college is Iron Man, also known as Tony Stark. Stark was a natural scientist and engineer, doing things like building a device to stop a tumor from reaching his heart, or discovering a new element as an energy source for his suit. I was born with a birth defect called amniotic band syndrome, which is where fibrous bands in the womb wrap around and can cut off the circulation to body parts. Due to this, I lost significant portions of four of my fingers. Though I cannot fully relate to the physical challenges that losing body parts can have on those who have lost an arm or a leg, I can relate to the mental woes that one can have when living with something like this. My journey to becoming more self-confident was a difficult one, but it was in overcoming my insecurity that I realized that a defining characteristic of my life is my determination to work hard. Like Stark using his personal heart affliction to influence his drive to make super suits, I use my personal experience to guide my contribution to helping those with whatever medical problem they might have. These things are what influenced me to want to pursue a career in STEM. Currently, I am pursuing a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, with the goal to earn an MD-Ph.D. or a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering. I want to earn at least Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering in order to be exceptionally qualified to apply those skills to create and do research in advanced prosthetic devices to better help those in need to have a better range of motion and an improved ability to function as if the prosthetic was the biological appendage, limb, etc. I believe that current commercial prosthetics just fulfill the missing body part as a placeholder, rather than giving the person the same range of motion and sensory benefits that it should. I want to create prosthetics that can move as efficiently as their biological counterparts can. I want to accomplish this by making the prosthetic interface compatible with electrical signals from the brain. Once I achieve this, I want to advance a wider range of medical devices like surgical tools, imaging devices, and other things like that.
Kiara Fletcher
North Carolina A & T State UniversityRichardson, TX
I am a sophomore Dean’s list, out of state student studying Biomedical engineering at North Carolina A&T State University. I want to improve medical devices, supplying nurses and doctors with nothing less than the best equipment. After completion of my undergraduate journey, I aspire to obtain a graduate degree. I am a member of 4 clubs at North Carolina A&T State University: National Society of Black Engineers, Biomedical Engineering Society, Deep South Aggies, and Natural and Proud Sistas. Moreover, I have always been captivated with robots and how they could impact and improve the daily works of society. Since the beginning of my junior year of high school I have been trying to build on my engineering knowledge. I participated in The Young Women In Science Investigation Program partnered with The University of Texas at Dallas for two consecutive years, specifically my junior and senior years of high school. During my junior year of high school in YWISE, I worked amongst a team to contribute to the building of a submersible drone that could maneuver from various underwater locations. The objective of the drone benefits research in underwater locations that are not feasible to physically be present in or could not be seen by the human eye. I was astonished at the outcome and checkpoints of the project, I came to realize that this is what my career will be composed of and I love it. During my senior year, I worked with another team to experiment with the elastocaloric effect, the expanding and contracting of rubber bands to cool down objects through conduction. A small prototype refrigerator was developed with this effect to display an alternative refrigeration system without the use of pollutants present in modern day refrigerators. Correspondingly, this past summer I interned with the University of California Irvine-Alabama A&M University Pathways to Accelerating and Computing Engineering(UCI-AAMU PACE) program. I researched the effects of the Picasso method, blindly unmixing overlapping fluorophore proteins. I used mixed images to determine the outcome of separate individual images. This research is beneficial in Biomedical Engineering research when determining cell identification. In conclusion, due to my previous experience in the STEM academy, YWISE program, and UCI-AAMU PACE program has made me more confident in pursuing an engineering degree and aided in the incline of my presentation skills. My research in STEM, YWISE, and UCI-AAMU PACE has assisted in my preparation for graduate school, but there is still a lot for me to learn. I hope I will be honored with the Cliff T. Wofford STEM Scholarship, so that I can continue my undergraduate studies and accomplish my career aspirations.

FAQ

When is the scholarship application deadline?

The application deadline is Jan 11, 2023. Winners will be announced on Feb 11, 2023.

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