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ABOUT THE PRIZE

Made possible by a generous gift from the Shapiro Family Charitable Foundation, the Shapiro Family Scholarship will support one or more students in the Disability Studies minor, to be selected annually based on strong academic achievement and commitment both to the field of disability studies and to working as an advocate on issues of importance to the disability community.

ABOUT THE SHAPIROS

The Shapiro Family Charitable Foundation was founded in 1984 by Ralph and Shirley Shapiro and their children, Alison and Peter, and Peter serves as foundation president. Through their foundation, the Shapiro family has generously supported medical and environmental research, as well as education, arts and children’s welfare programs, including initiatives that serve children with developmental disabilities and their families. The Shapiro Family are legendary leaders and philanthropists to UCLA. They remain intricately involved in UCLA activities, supporting the university in a variety of capacities and maintaining a lifelong commitment to helping the Bruin family. Their contributions have helped to make UCLA a world-class institution, accessible to students in current and future generations.

APPLY

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. 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.

2022 STUDENT WINNERS

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

An image of Vinita from the shoulders up in front of a brown wooden wall. They are an Indian person with short black hair. They are smiling at the camera while wearing a gray and white floral patterned button-up shirt.

An image of Vinita from the shoulders up in front of a brown wooden wall. They are an Indian person with short black hair. They are smiling at the camera while wearing a gray and white floral patterned button-up shirt.

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

Photo of Desiree Eshraghi. A curly haired brunette with light skin and green eyes. Wearing a floral shirt and standing among greenery.

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

Photo of Cheri Sledge. Cheri wearing a Black and white polka dot dress. She is standing in front of green bushes and her arms are crossed over her stomach. Cheri's hair is tucked back into a low bun and she is smiling. She has a gold necklace around her neck and a purple watch on her right wrist.

Cheri wearing a Black and white polka dot dress. She is standing in front of green bushes and her arms are crossed over her stomach. Cheri’s hair is tucked back into a low bun and she is smiling. She has a gold necklace around her neck and a purple watch on her right wrist.

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.

PAST WINNERS
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