I am grateful and proud to announce the first EVER Hearts on Sleeves, Minds in College scholarship winners. Thanks to generous donations we were able to award TWO winners for the first half of the year.

Scholarship Details and Criteria

This scholarship aims to assist incoming and current undergraduate students from African American or Indigenous American backgrounds with a minimum of 3.0 GPA.

We received almost 600 applicants for this scholarship, which signals to me how great the need is and how important it is to continue supporting these students. It was extremely heartbreaking reading the essays where applicants recounted their struggles ranging from mental health issues to death and loss. Destiny and Ann-Marie’s essays and backgrounds struck a personal chord in me and inspired me. In the face of their personal challenges, their positivity and determination shone through strong.

Gratitude for Applicants and Commitment to Education

I want to encourage you to let the students in your life know about this scholarship (and there are many more on the platform as well!). We deeply appreciate those who applied – the commitment to education and pursuit of excellence is uplifting! We encourage all applicants to continue pursuing their dreams and aspirations, as their potential is boundless.

I was fortunate to have a scholarship and financial support from my family to attend college, but I didn’t appreciate what a privilege that truly was. Now that I’m aware, it influences everything – from conversations with my son, to how I spend my time and money.

Lastly, I’d like to express our sincere appreciation to you, for reading this, supporting the scholarship either by sharing, donating, or providing encouragement. I never thought I’d be able to give back in this way so soon.

Contributing to the Scholarship Fund: Direct Impact on Education

My family and I plan to personally award a minimum of two scholarships a year, and your donations allow us to go above and beyond that. Please contribute when you can (it makes a great birthday gift for those in your life who already have everything).

Over the next two weeks, I’ll be sharing Destiny and Ann-Marie’s application essays, so you can get to know the winners better. Please show your support by contributing what you can to the scholarship fund. 100% of these funds go to the scholarship recipient, directly to their educational institution.