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
Recent Bold.org scholarship winners
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
Education Level:
Race/Ethnicity:
Background:
High school senior, undergraduate, or graduate student
BIPOC
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
$1,000
4 winners, $250 each
Open
Application Deadline
Nov 22, 2024
Winners Announced
Dec 22, 2024
Education Level
Any
Recent Bold.org scholarship winners
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
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington
PHILADELPHIA, PA
Thomas Martin
Keiser University
PEMBROKE PNES, FL
Manal Ibrahim
University of Maryland-Baltimore County
Laurel, MD
Sunny Arnold
Oklahoma State University-Main Campus
Kingfisher, OK
Mackenzie Flowers
University of Kentucky
Detroit, MI
Kennedy Donnell
Tuskegee University
West Point, GA
Nakaila Tate
Montclair State University Pre-Collegiate Teaching
Jersey City, NJ
Genevieve Slaton
National University of Natural Medicine
PORTLAND, OR
april nava
San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia
Moreno Valley, CA
Selima Brown
New Town High School
Owings Mills, MD
Taciana Carroll
Bountiful High School
Bountiful, UT
Sharla Rider
Purdue University Global
Albion, MI
Daniel Castro
Oviedo High School
Oviedo, FL
Valerie Igbikiowubo
Stratford High School
Houston, TX
Amanda (Arlo) Topete
Valley View High School
Moreno Valley, CA
De'Yani Dillard
Dillard University
San Francisco, CA
Hafsa Sheikh
Pearland High School
Pearland, TX
Quincy Franks
Rust College
Houston, TX
Kayla Brown
Chino High School
Chino, CA
Anima Acharya
University of Tulsa
Orange, CT
Jelia Farr
Seattle Central College
Seattle, WA
Kristina Olegario Loy
New York University
Queens, NY
Clarissa Reyna
Idea College Prep
Palmview, TX
Jasmin Greene
Pepperdine University
Brooklyn, NY
Jessica Meza perez
Franklin Pierce University
Surprise, AZ
Micai Thornton
Grayson High School
Lawrenceville, GA
Darcie Thomas
Rich South Campus High School
Matteson, IL
Kenonica Joseph
Davenport University
Lansing, MI
Safa Faheem
Palo Alto University
Fremont, CA
Allahna Johnson
Benjamin N Cardozo High School
Queens, NY
Patricia Okolo
Grand Valley State University
Grand Rapids, MI
Raegan Bowen
Spelman College
ATLANTA, GA
Aaliyah Bullock
Southwest Mississippi Community College
McComb, MS
Andrew Brizan
Moravian College
Waynesboro, PA
Beatrice Asekomhe
Seven Lakes High School
Katy, TX
Samiya Harragin
University School at Nova Southeastern University
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Nathalie Larson
Vanderbilt University
Friendswood, TX
Michelle Johnson
Hill College
Mesa, AZ
Hulda Fernandes
Brockton High
Brockton, MA
Drayton Jones
South Carolina State University
Richmond, TX
Samantha Odaro
Mceachern High School
Powder Springs, GA
Aaliyah Mitchell
Notre Dame High School
Riverside, CA
Ravyn Hicks
University of North Dakota
Hollywood, MD
Nana K
Mercer University
Dock Junction, GA
Alfonso Smith
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Enterprise, AL
Marrissa Bastien-Buie
Mundy'S Mill High School
Jonesboro, GA
Jada James Ogbechie
Eleanor Roosevelt High
Seabrook, MD
Adriane Navarro
University of South Alabama
Southaven, MS
Ebony Medina
Maharishi International University
Austell, GA
CHLOE THOMPSON
Centreville High School
Clifton, VA
Grace Staes
Howard University
Washington, DC
Tamara Aguetse
North Plainfield High School
North Plainfield, NJ
Ritika Senthil Kumar
Mission Viejo High School
Mission Viejo, CA
Isela mendoza
University of Houston-Downtown
Houston, TX
Karen Perez
Cornell University
Queens, NY
Djamilliah Paepke-Chile
Utah State University
Logan, UT
Grace Beecher
East Tennessee State University
Brentwood, TN
mikaylin alston
Mercy High School
Perry Hall, MD
Destiny Ejiofor
University of Houston-Downtown
Houston, TX
Rosamargarita mendoza
University of Mississippi
Oxford, MS
Olivia Williams
Nicolet High School
Glendale, WI
shekinah konadu
Middlesex County College
Piscataway, NJ
Elise Andrews
North Carolina Central University
Durham, NC
Crystal Maoga
Montclair State University
Washington, NJ
Chauntrell Turner
California State University-San Marcos
Murrieta, CA
Stephanie Ortiz
University of Rhode Island
Providence, RI
Alicia Gonzalez-Gastelum
Chula Vista Learning Community Charter
Chula Vista, CA
Michelle Fan
Alliant International University-San Diego
Burlingame, CA
Jared Villery
Coastline Community College
Los Angeles, CA
Vivian Gaiko
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Wylie, TX
Elijah Gonzalez
Yeshiva University
Arlington, TX
Egypt Byrd
Western Governors University
Dallas, NC
Alyssandra Lachica
Pasadena City College
South Pasadena, CA
Brianna Oyeyemi
Long Island University
Staten Island, NY
Anasofia Gallegos
Antioch University-Seattle
Seattle, WA
Sadie Brown
Mt San Jacinto Community College District
Menifee, CA
Melanie McIntosh
Western Branch High School
Suffolk, VA
Autumn Dixon
Howard University
College Park, MD
Kelsey Jefferson
Texas Tech University
Houston, TX
Kaitlyn hernandez
Point Park University
SUMMERVILLE, SC
Christy Roberson
Career Networks Institute
Compton, CA
Janina Ribeiro
University of Baltimore
WASHINGTON, DC
mary adeleke
Sam Houston High School
Arlington, TX
Lydia Chapman
University of Detroit Mercy
West Bloomfield Township, MI
Harmony Anthony
Baylor University
Houston, TX
Courtney Roberts
Spelman College
Rogers, AR
Alexa Formby
Texas A&M University- College Station
SPRING, TX
Jayden Linton
Rancocas Valley Regional High School
WESTAMPTON, NJ
Adanze Benjamin
Drexel University
MORGANVILLE, NJ
Ayani Hashi
Louisiana State University-Shreveport
SAN DIEGO, CA
Mya Bogers
Stetson University
DeLand, FL
Jumana Ahmed
Land O' Lakes High School
Zephyrhills, FL
Onyinyechi Colette Charles-Azike
Florida Southern College
LAKELAND, FL
Jonathan Gedam
University of Southern California
LOS ANGELES, CA
Sheba Bentum-Mensah
Homestead High
MEQUON, WI
jasmine blake
University of Memphis
Spring Hill, TN
Damon Garcia
Allan Hancock College
SANTA MARIA, CA
Camila Garcia
Saint Thomas Aquinas High School
Exeter, NH
Myriam Pierre
Seattle University
Kent, WA
Jada Mapp
Drexel University
Roselle, NJ
Sophia Taveras
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Miami Gardens, FL
Damaria Ponder
Rockdale Career Academy
Conyers, GA
Chloe Edwards
Jefferson (Philadelphia University + Thomas Jefferson University)
Mount Holly, NJ
Fajr Butt
Drexel University
BROOKLYN, NY
Camille Long
Ruskin High School
Grandview, MO
Hannah Hawkins
Alabama A & M University
Huntsville, AL
Jeremiah Lewis
Central State University
Chicago, IL

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
Union College (NY)Boston, 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.