For young women in America trying to accomplish their dreams in today’s sociopolitical environment, the experience can be a discouraging one. As we’ve talked about before, with higher education costs on the rise and no end in sight, it’s more difficult than ever to achieve success.
That’s where the 1,000 Dreams Fund comes in. Founded by entrepreneur Christie Garton, the 1,000 Dreams Fund is a scholarship program aimed at providing assistance to high school and college-aged women and femmes in the United States. The funds go towards artistic interests, college entrance fees, conferences related to education, and textbooks. It is not a tuition scholarship, and instead focuses on other educational costs that are often overlooked.
This particular scholarship is the 2023 BroadcastHER Grant, which goes towards supporting women and femme content creators. Any woman who creates content on platforms like TikTok, Twitch, Facebook, YouTube, and so on, is eligible to apply. The funds go towards things like hardware upgrades, gaming conventions, conferences, and other creative interests.
To apply, you need to be a woman with financial need currently attending either high school or a two-year/four-year US university. The application process requires both an essay on how you would use your grant, along with two letters of recommendation. Anyone who has previously received a scholarship from the organization is ineligible. The scholarship offers up to $1,500 per person.
Over 100 women have won the award in the past. Dalitso Mseteka is one such recipient. Her interests are in mathematics and finance, and she’s had to overcome some challenges in her life. “I was challenged with my accent being so different from that of the American population and it made me nervous to speak,” Mseteka told 1,000 Dreams Fund. “However, I moved past it by practice and focusing on the content of what I say.”
Another previous scholarship recipient is Aqsa Ashraf, who is currently studying to be an electrical engineer and used the funding to buy lab equipment and textbooks for her courses. Ashraf has hearing loss difficulties, which is what motivated her to apply for the scholarship. “My hearing loss made everyday life difficult to navigate and made me lose motivation,” she said. “As time went on, I became open to adapting and learning about my disadvantages while finding ways around them. I used a lot of problem-solving to accept this setback.”
Another scholarship recipient by the name of Emma C. put the funds towards her dream of becoming an author and publisher. She bought a new laptop to use for schoolwork and writing. Emma C. says her faith helped get her through setbacks. “I’ve moved past my setbacks because of my faith,” she said. “I am a devoted Christian and faith has truly been my ultimate hope in times of trouble. One of my setbacks was always insecurity until I realized that my worth is found in Christ and not in what others say about me, much less myself.”
You can apply for the 2023 BroadcastHER grant on the official 1,000 Dreams Fund website. The deadline is October 27 at midnight EST. It’s not too late to make your dreams a reality.
(featured image: 1,000 Dreams Fund)
