We are very excited to announce the winners of our Worthy Women’s Scholarship – Stephanie Larkin of Reno, Nevada, Katie Zehr of Castorland, New York, and Krystal Morgan of Chicago, Illinois!
This year we received over 450 applications from across the country, from women of all ages studying to go into many different fields, including healthcare, medicine, finance, education, and technology.
Thank you to our devoted panelists: Mandy Walker, divorce mediator and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, and Karen McMahon, founder of Journey Beyond Divorce and host of the podcast Wise & Worthy.
We are so proud of every one of our applicants for working tirelessly to return to school in the midst of busy lives and we are honored to be able to help three worthy women achieve their dream.
1st Place Winner of $2,500
Stephanie is completing a bachelor’s degree in public administration, law and advocacy at West Texas A&M and will be continuing on to a JD in law at Cleveland State University College of Law.
Stephanie is currently working toward her lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer. Despite numerous setbacks, she has found a path toward her dream without disrupting her family’s life by attending law school remotely.
In the future, Stephanie plans to continue her work at the Washoe County District Attorney, with either the criminal division or in Child Protective Services. She writes, “Either of these positions will serve my community by ensuring public safety or permanency for Washoe County’s most vulnerable population, the children… Over the next four years in law school, I will narrow down which one I want to ultimately pursue with the confidence that both serve the community I live in and love.”
In their review of her essay, our panelists wrote “This essay stood apart from the others for me. Stephanie explains her hardships and self-doubt throughout her life and details both why she wants to become a lawyer and the steps taken to achieve that goal. She also expressed gratitude and acknowledged the support she’s received throughout the years and voiced the importance of setting a good example for her son. Expressing gratitude in the face of adversity is a commendable quality that stood out amongst the other participants.”
2nd Place Winner of $1,500
Katie is earning her master’s degree in school librarianship at the University of Buffalo and plans to work as a school librarian.
Like many of our applicants, Katie is working toward her dream, which is “to be surrounded by children and books everyday.” But what set Katie apart for our panelists was the fact that she has and continues to overcome the challenges students on the spectrum face in their studies. As Katie wrote in her essay, “It is a huge deal for anyone on the spectrum to get past the expected requirements that need to be done education-wise. Going beyond that mark and going further, is exceptional and truly amazing!” And Katie is doing just that!
What our panelists have to say about Katie: “I’m so excited to see her getting a 4.0 GPA and I’m confident that she will continue on this path of excellence. As a Library Media Specialist, she will be in an extraordinary position to help other children who feel like they don’t fit in. She also deserve kudos for doing all this while working full time.”
We are honored to be able to help Katie on her path and wish her success in everything she does!
3rd Place Winner of $1,000
Krystal is earning her associate degree in African and Black diaspora studies at DePaul University. Her goal is to “create a non-profit where [she] can research various events, places, and people throughout the African & Black diaspora, curate educational content and exhibits surrounding these topics, and bring groups of blacks together to learn and discuss. The program will aim to build a collective sense of pride and community amongst Blacks across the globe. History is bound to repeat itself if you do not know it so we need education in order to obtain elevation.”
Krystal has overcome many challenges to get to this career path but she has such amazing energy and inspiration that she hasn’t let anything stop her. As she writes in her essay, she “did not realize [her] life’s purpose until May 2021, when [her] daughter Dykota passed away from Covid-19 at 15. Her death pushed [Krystal] into [her] purpose by empowering [her] to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.” From there, Krystal began with a mission to educate parents on the importance of vaccinations which ultimately led to a Public Health Campaign.
Here’s what our panelists had to say about Krystal’s essay: “[Her] essay oozes passion and commitment to help others despite suffering a devastating personal loss. [She] has already been working in very measurable ways to increase access to medical care and education amongst the Black community. She’s a leader and an inspiration to others. Her essay speaks also that the scholarship will help her through her final year of undergraduate studies. She’s not going to waste her education and I’m confident that she will go on to touch the lives of many, many people.”
We feel lucky to be able to help Krystal achieve her dream and applaud the work she has done and continues to do!
Our 2024-2025 scholarship application period will open in late August 2024. The application period will end in April 2025 and the winners will be announced in June 2025. Please check our scholarship page in August 2024 to complete your application.
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