Shapiro Family Scholarship

DISABILITY STUDIES FALL SCHOLARSHIPS

THE SHAPIRO FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP

Award Amount: $7,250 (one award or split into two awards)

Eligibility Criteria:
Recipients of the Disability Studies fall scholarships are selected based on (1) strong academic achievement, (2) commitment to the field of disability studies and (3) to working as an advocate on issues of importance to the disability community. To be eligible for the scholarships, students must have:

1. 1. 1. A 3.0 cumulative GPA;
      2. Admittance to the UCLA Disability Studies minor;
      3. Completed or currently enrolled in Disability Studies 101W and;
      4. Completed or currently enrolled in at least one elective course for the minor.

Application instructions:
1. In a single PDF document, include the following two items:

• An essay not to exceed 500 words (2 double-spaced pages) that describes your experience working in the disability community to date and discusses how the Disability Studies minor has influenced (or how you envision it will influence) the direction of your academic career and future plans. If applicable, please include a discussion of your internship and/or capstone research plans.
• A current resume

Save the PDF in the following format:

• LastName_FirstName_Application.pdf
• Ex: Block_Gene_Application.pdf

2. Obtain a copy of your unofficial transcript and save it in the following format:

• LastName_FirstName_Transcript.pdf
• Block_Gene_Transcript.pdf

Email both files to the Disability Studies Fall Scholarship Committee*. Your application materials will be automatically uploaded to a drive once they are received.

Confirmation email:

You will receive a confirmation email for each file when your application materials have been successfully uploaded. Important: If you do not receive a confirmation email or if you are having issues uploading your application, please send application materials to Charlotte Vo at cvo@college.ucla.edu.

*Your application materials should be sent directly to the committee via the following email address: Fall_20.x41xkhz4f722oyqm@u.box.com

Application Deadline: Monday, October 30, 2023, at 11:59pm

If selected as a scholarship recipient, your accomplishment will be announced via email to the disability studies community, including the Shapiro family, faculty, and staff. Charlotte Vo will be in touch to confirm pronouns and announcement details prior to it being shared. Please let her know if there is anything that was shared in the scholarship application that should remain confidential.

Note to Non-DS Minors: Students who are not yet admitted to the minor may submit their application to the minor at the same time as their application for the scholarship—but their scholarship application will only be reviewed AFTER admission to the minor is confirmed.

PROFILES OF 2022 STUDENT WINNERS

Thanks to the generous support of the Shapiro Charitable Family Foundation, UCLA Disability Studies is pleased to announce the winners of the 2022 Fall Disability Studies Scholarships.

The Shapiro Family Scholarship  aims to celebrate the strides made by our students, who have been agents of change on this campus and beyond. Vinita Saxena was the winner of the 2022  Shapiro Family Scholarship – they will receive $6,900. Desiree Eshraghi and Cheri Sledge are also recognized with Honorable Mentions.

Vinita, Desiree, and Cheri rose to the top of the applicant pool through the connections they drew between disability studies scholarship, their goals and advocacy efforts.

Vinita Saxena

Vinita Saxena is a fourth-year Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology Major, and Disability Studies Minor. While a student at UCLA, they involved themselves in organizations related to disability and queer identities. They are the president of UCLA Best Buddies, an organization that works to reduce the stigma surrounding disability by creating friendships between disabled members of the LA community and UCLA college students. They took the opportunity to integrate disability studies concepts into this organization as a way to further its mission. Vinita is also the president of Transgender UCLA Pride (TransUP), an organization dedicated to providing community, mentorship, and advocacy to transgender and nonbinary UCLA students. Under their leadership, this organization gained over 100 new members and is currently the largest LGBTQ+ organization at UCLA. Vinita is also part of Expressive Movement Initiative, a club that provides one-on-one dance lessons to youth with disabilities. They have fostered strong connections with many young dancers during their time in the club. Vinita’s internship was with Hiller Therapy, an outdoor occupational therapy clinic. They had the opportunity to learn about occupational therapy and lead group activities. Their time with this internship gave them a strong understanding of the importance of allied health services, especially for disabled people. Vinita’s capstone project will investigate the intersection of neurodiversity and gender diversity. Their research will also include interviews with UCLA students who hold identities at this intersection.

Honorable Mention – Desiree Eshraghi

Desiree Eshraghi is currently a junior Pre-psychobiology major with a minor in Disability Studies. Desiree’s impressive UCLA research projects are significant beginnings of her future career in medicine and disability advocacy. One area of research and advocacy is focused on heat with an emphasis on the rising temperatures in the San Fernando Valley and its impact on people with disabilities. Desiree plans to become a physician that prioritizes and practices accessibility and inclusion for all possible patient demographics.

Honorable Mention – Cheri Sledge

My name is Cheri Sledge, I use She/Her/Ella pronouns and I’m a 4th year musicology major with a disability studies minor from Chicago, IL. I have always had disabled folks around me and I couldn’t just pretend that I didn’t see the injustices that were happening before my eyes just beause of their disability. That is why with every job opportunity, club, or organization I enter, my focus has always been to ensure I center accessibility and equity. I became a disability studies minor my freshman year and it has been one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had. It has allowed me to center disability in a way that isn’t just based on my own experiences but it has given me access to empirical data, important historical information and so many stories that have allowed me to understand the world of disability far more than what I would have imagined. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to create a documentary on music therapy and its important history and impacts and while I can say this minor has taught me alot, I cannot wait to keep learning more and amplifying the voices of others.

Katherine Chow – 2021 Major: Human Biology and Society

Rowan O’Bryan – 2021 Major: Fine Arts

Isabella Poschl – 2021 Major: Neuroscience

Quinn O’Connor – 2020 Major: Theater

Nicole Jacobs – 2020 Major: Physiological Sciences

Juliette Lerner – 2020 Major: Psychology

Lily Shaw – 2019 Major: Political Science

Isita Tripati – 2019 Major: Neuroscience