PINEHURST — Sandhills PRIDE, a support network and educational advocacy group dedicated to increasing awareness and acceptance of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) community in the Sandhills region, is pleased to announce they are accepting applications for the 2024 Sandhills PRIDE Scholarship Program. The Scholarship is dedicated to assisting LGBTQ+ and allied students in furthering their educations to become successful, productive adults. The scholarship is funded by individual and corporate donations, sponsorships, and fundraisers.
“Our scholarship recipients are already using their voices as high school students to publicly and proudly advocate for the LGBTQ+ community in our area,” says Lauren Mathers, executive director of Sandhills PRIDE. “The Sandhills PRIDE Scholarship celebrates these remarkable individuals and their high level of achievement and gives support to their voices so they can grow and create meaningful positive change both for their futures, and the future of our community.”
“This scholarship has allowed me to work less at college and focus more on community involvement,” said Cheyenne Minor in her acceptance speech for her $5,000 award at the 2023 scholarship reception. “Since suicide rates in the LGBTQ+ community are so high because of the lack of support from families and geographical communities, this is vital to our youth. When I finish school, I plan to become a therapist. I am proud to enter the workforce in a job that allows me to support our community and possibly save lives.”
A total of up to $10,000 will be awarded in Sandhills PRIDE Scholarships in 2024. One $5,000 and two $2,500 scholarships will be available for students of any North Carolina accredited public or private high school in the following North Carolina counties: Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Moore, Montgomery, Richmond and Scotland.
Scholarship funds must be used for educational expenses. Awards will be distributed to the college, university, or technical institution upon receipt of a letter of acceptance and verification of enrollment.
Students can view the eligibility requirements and download a copy of the scholarship application on the Sandhills PRIDE website https://sandhillspride.org/scholarships/, or they can reach out to their school’s counselor or scholarship coordinator. A complete scholarship
application package, including recommendations, must be received by Sandhills PRIDE’s Scholarship Committee either by mail to P.O. Box 3473, Pinehurst, NC 28374, or by email to scholarship@sandhillspride.org, no later than March 16, 2024 at 11:59 pm.
Sandhills Pride is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization located in Pinehurst. Many of its activities focus on parents and students, including the Sandhills PRIDE Scholarship, Safe Zone training, and both parent and youth support groups and activities.
The mission of Sandhills PRIDE is to unite, celebrate, and serve LGBTQ+ people, their allies, and like-minded organizations by providing social engagement, service, education, and leadership in the Sandhills region of North Carolina. Sandhills PRIDE relies on donations to fund scholarships and activities. To donate to Sandhills PRIDE, visit sandhillspride.salsalabs.org/donate/.
