About the FWL Scholarship
The YWA Future Women+ Leaders Scholarship was created as an avenue for the organization to give back to the community by improving the accessibility of higher education for young women+. But it goes beyond just paying for tuition – the funds provided instill confidence and hope that give women+ the space to dream bigger and aim higher.
A Gift That Keeps Giving
Yasmin was a recipient of the YWA FWL Scholarship in 2013. After attending high school, she had dreamed of pursuing a degree. However, she faced the challenges of having to balance work and kids, while also attending school. For her, our scholarship “helped to lighten that load and also gave [her] the confidence of feeling that others saw [her] as a worthy investment.” She went from being a high school dropout with a GED to graduating with a PhD in environmental geography.
But the impact of the scholarship didn’t stop there. After graduating, Yasmin participated in nonprofit endeavors in Senegal, giving scholarships to hundreds of girls in high school, and completing infrastructure projects (building a well, renovating a science lab, establishing teaching gardens) that improved the lives of many. She used her own success to help others to turn their ideas into attainable goals, and she wasn’t the only one who paid it forward.
This past year, Ashley became the first person in her family to go to college. She had dreamed of attending the University of Texas at Austin, but was becoming discouraged by her lack of scholarship prospects. After receiving the YWA scholarship, she gained “the motivation [she] needed not just for now but for the future.” She’s not planning to stop with a Bachelor’s degree either – her goal is to get her Master’s and then a PhD. And although she just started on her higher education path, the YWA scholarship helped those dreams that seemed unattainable become more attainable.
Our scholarship has also helped other recipients like Yasmin and Ashley build and maintain philanthropy projects, support their parents, and gain the confidence to apply for other scholarships and programs. The scholarship is funded by YWA’s Future Women+ Leaders Fund, which comes from membership fees and efforts like yearly peer-to-peer fundraising.
To learn more about the scholarship, visit the YWA website for more details.
A Message to Prospective Scholarship Applicants
For those interested in applying for the 2024 Future Women+ Leaders Scholarship, the application is live through 11:59pm CST on February 29, 2024! This scholarship is available to all graduating seniors at Del Valle High School who identify as a woman+. Not only does the scholarship provide financial aid, but it also provides leadership development resources by connecting you to an extensive network of women+ leaders and mentors. You can learn more and apply for the scholarship via this link.
Here are some words of encouragement from past recipients:
“You are worthy of this opportunity. Don’t hesitate to apply because you think it is for someone else – it is for you!”
“Apply even if you think you don’t have a chance. I remember almost crying while applying because I genuinely believed I didn’t have a chance. But I ended up getting the scholarship. Take that leap of faith”
“Take time and don’t rush. I know it can be difficult during senior year while you handle multiple responsibilities but if you leave it at the last moment, you could encounter technical issues or you might simply get stuck with what to do.”
If you have any questions, feel free to email community@youngwomensalliance.org.
