YUWO Scholarships
Since 1972, the YUWO Scholarship Program has facilitated:
Annual Scholarships
Total Awarded
The YUWO Scholarship Program gives YUWO purpose beyond providing its members with opportunities for learning, activities, and community. Our scholarship program provides vital support to women who might not be able to continue their studies without financial aid. Women have returned to school and advanced their careers in areas ranging from nursing and public health to business administration, engineering, arts education, educational administration, data analytics, social work, and more. Awards have been used at two- and four-year colleges, universities, and accredited online programs for bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.
How to Support YUWO Scholarships
The Scholarship Program is funded through contributions from YUWO members and friends. All scholarship contributions are tax deductible and may be made anytime during the year. Many members include a donation at the time of membership renewal and end-of-year giving. YUWO participates in the Great Give online-giving event sponsored by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven (CFGNH) held annually the first week of May.
Donations may be made to the Annual Scholarship Awards. These donations are awarded to scholarship recipients in May of the academic year in which the donations are received.
Donations may also be made to our Scholarship Trust Funds which are held in perpetuity by the CFGNH. Only interest from the funds may be distributed annually to scholarship recipients.
The YUWO Scholarship Trust Fund and two named funds have been established. The Magee Fenn Scholarship was created in memory of Magee Fenn, first chair of the YUWO Scholarship Fund, and the Gustave and Carol Lynn Sirot Trust Fund was established in memory of Gustave Sirot, MD, FACP.
Preference for the Sirot scholarship award is given to a woman age 35 or older.
Tax-deductible scholarship donations may be mailed to:
YUWO Assistant Treasurer
Judith Calvert
Box 207165
New Haven, CT 06520-7165
Indicate on your check if you are donating to the Annual Scholarship Awards, YUWO Scholarship Trust Fund, Magee Fenn Trust Fund, or the Gustave and Carol Lynn Sirot Trust Fund.
Make a gift in Honor or in Memory of family and friends
DONATE HERE
Estate Planning – Please consider leaving a legacy by establishing a bequest to the YUWO Scholarship Program in your estate planning.
CONTACT US HERE.
**Federal tax regulation and YUWO prohibit YUWO scholarships being awarded to YUWO members and their immediate families.
Meet our Scholars
Lilibeth
Lilibeth has a special affinity for first-generation college students of color, understanding the challenges and obstacles they face in schools where they are a minority. Her own identity as a Latina allows her to make strong personal connections with other members of her community.
More About Lilibeth
Lilibeth has maintained a perfect 4.0 average in a master’s degree program while working full-time for a university alumni association. A master’s degree will help her develop the skills necessary to be effective in increasingly complex issues of higher education.
Lilibeth aspires to become a university cultural center director, organizing events that celebrate diversity. She aims to use research to address inequities, drive change, and support marginalized populations in colleges and universities.
We are confident that Lilibeth will thrive in her program and excel in her field. YUWO is proud to help Lilibeth earn her master’s in higher education and student affairs.
Yudilyn
At age 16, Yudilyn moved to the United States, where she had to conquer language barriers and a distrust of healthcare. With determination and years of hard work, she mastered English and earned a bachelor of science degree in community education and a master’s in public health. Yudilyn accomplished all this while raising three children, one now in college and another ten-year-old with special needs.
More About Yudilyn
Yudilyn now works full time, focusing on cognitive behavioral therapy for substance use disorders in Spanish-speaking populations. Her dedication to making a difference for Latino and Spanish-speaking populations serves as an inspiration to her co-workers.
YUWO is proud to assist Yudilyn in earning her doctoral degree in public health. Her research on health disparities will help ensure the Latino population has access to the healthcare they need.
Amadae
When Amadae attended the funeral of a high school teacher, the service was crowded with students. She was inspired to see how he had motivated so many young people. Amadae became determined to make a radical change in her own life. She moved from a dead-end retail job to working with mental health practitioners helping terminally ill patients and their caregivers make vital decisions.
More About Amadae
While working full time as a strategy associate at a medical school, Amadae is now pursuing a healthcare career using her skills as a business administrator. She is a fierce advocate for increasing diversity in the workplace and for bringing women to the tables where decisions are made.
We are confident that Amadae will excel in her career and help communities understand the roots of healthcare inequities. YUWO is thrilled to help her complete her master’s in public health this year.
Liz
Liz immigrated to the United States at the age of 21, fleeing years of terrorism and a failing economy in Peru. Just a year after arriving in the US, Liz began her college education, earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology, working two jobs, and taking out student loans. She continued working and studying, completing her MSW in 2014.
More About Liz
Liz provides assistance to individuals dealing with trauma related to sexual misconduct, offering crisis support, advocacy, and referrals for ongoing care. Liz copes with workplace stress by finding personal fulfillment through volunteering for non-profit organizations.
With YUWO’s support, Liz will complete her doctorate in social work. Liz has ambitious plans to establish a private practice providing services to immigrant bilingual families who need trauma therapy.
Michelle
Michelle’s father taught her that education was the way to break free from the cycle of poverty. He led by example, getting his bachelor’s degree in his late 30s. Michelle postponed her dream of earning a master’s degree for 20 years, but after facing personal hardship, she took the bold step of applying for a master’s program to pursue her long-delayed dream.
More About Michelle
Michelle is a single mother balancing full-time work and studying for an advanced degree while raising a child. She has shown resilience, perseverance, and a strong work ethic. Michelle aspires to be a trauma-informed specialist who can support individuals impacted by violence, betrayal, and abuse.
We are proud that YUWO can help make Michellle’s dream of being the first in her immediate family to pursue a graduate degree come true. With YUWO’s support, Michelle will pursue a master’s degree in clinical counseling.
Mariana
Mariana transformed what could have been a challenging year into a period of personal growth and healing. Mariana thought that she might burn out, juggling the roles of student, full-time employee, and mother. Instead, her commitment to earning an MBA kept her grounded, forced her to maintain a schedule, and allowed her to connect with other students in meaningful discussions.
More About Mariana
A strong support system provided by her family gave her the extra time needed to study. Giving back to the community is important to Mariana, so she makes time to volunteer at local organizations and work in a community garden. Mariana has demonstrated that she can indeed balance work, family, and school.
YUWO is glad to provide a scholarship so that Mariana can complete her MBA this year as she continues to inspire her family and community.