Scholarships

Scholarship applications for 2023 are closed. Please check again next spring.

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Prism Foundation provides scholarships to empower outstanding students who are making a positive impact on the Asian & Pacific Islander and LGBTQIA+ communities.

Our scholarships range from $1000–$5000, and our portfolio of recipients have included both undergraduates and graduates across a spectrum of ages, gender identities, sexual orientation, racial and ethnic background, and more. We have funded artists, activists, researchers, lawyers, therapists, and hope to continue highlighting and empowering our student community.

Featured Scholarship Recipient

 

Emma Brockway
Attorney, Doyle Dennis LLP

Emma Brockway grew up in Houston, Texas. She was a campus organizer for Texas Rising, an LGBTQ+ equality and social justice nonprofit and registered hundreds of voters on campus. Emma has also volunteered for Battleground Texas, Wendy Davis' 2014 campaign, and Beto O'Rourke's 2018 campaign. She won a scholarship from Prism Foundation in 2019. Now, she is now on the Board of Directors for the Texas Freedom Network and Prism Foundation. She currently practices law in Houston and represents a wide variety of workers, consumers, and injured people across the country.

"Encouraging LGBTQ+ students like me to pursue our roles is an investment in our representation in society in spaces where we have historically been told we do not belong."

 
 

Frequently Asked Questions

I. About

What is the Prism Foundation Scholarship?
The purpose of the Prism Foundation Scholarship is to celebrate and reward outstanding scholar activists who are making a positive impact on the API and LGBTQIA+ communities. 

How much is the Prism Foundation Scholarship?
The Prism Foundation Scholarship will range from $1000–$5000, and several scholarships are awarded in a calendar year.

II. Eligibility

What are the minimum eligibility requirements for this scholarship?
You must be attending a post-secondary institution in the United States in the upcoming academic year (starting in the Fall of this current year) when applying. The application is open to students who attend community college, university, and trade/vocational school. Applicants should have a strong history of engagement within the API and/or LGBTQIA+ communities.

When are applications due?
Applications are due on Friday, June 30, 2023 at 11:59:59 PM PT. Late applications will not be considered.

I am an international student and/or not a U.S. citizen. Am I still able to apply?
Yes, as long as you are attending/enrolled in a U.S. accredited institution in the upcoming academic year. 

Can this scholarship be applied toward Study Abroad?
Yes, as long as your Study Abroad program is funded through your U.S. accredited institution. 

I am not Asian, South Asian, Pacific Islander, or LGBTQIA+. Am I still able to apply?
Yes, we welcome everyone to apply, but the Prism Foundation will give consideration as to whether an applicant identifies themselves as part of the API and/or LGBTQIA+ community.

I have applied for a Prism Foundation scholarship in the past. Can I reapply?
Yes, past applicants can still apply. 

I have received a Prism Foundation scholarship in the past. Can I reapply?
Yes! Prism Foundation Scholarship Recipients are eligible to receive multiple scholarships over the course of their combined undergraduate and post-graduate education, up to a $10,000 cap in total funding. That said, every candidate application, regardless of whether they have received a scholarship in the past, will be evaluated equally, and their prior scholarship recipient status will remain undisclosed until the final portion of the deliberations process.

When will I know whether I am selected as a Prism Foundation Scholarship recipient?
We will notify all candidates the status of their application via email by early Fall. 

If I am selected as a Prism Foundation Scholarship recipient, where will the check be sent to?
The check will be mailed directly to the office at your institution of learning that handles Outside Scholarships. 

III. Application Information

OK, sounds great. How do I apply?
Eligible candidates must complete an application form by answering short response questions, one essay prompt. 

They must also provide the following supporting documentation:

  • Current or most recent academic transcript(s).

  • One letter of support highlighting your community engagement and/or leadership skills from someone who can speak to your abilities, such as a peer, colleague, teacher, school administrator, counselor, employer, or community leader.

    Note: If the person writing your letter of support wishes to send it to us directly, they can upload it here.

Note: Applications for 2023 are closed. Please check again next spring.

Is there anything else I should know about the application process?

  • If additional evaluation of candidates is necessary to determine final recipients, the scholarship committee may require a follow-up questionnaire or interview.

  • We will notify all candidates the status of their application via email by early Fall.

  • Eligible applicants must apply online using an email account hosted by or associated to Google.

Why is a Google account required to apply?
As part of the application process, several documents are attached to the application. Google Forms requires the use of a Google Account to use this feature for security purposes.

What does the process look like if I’m selected as a scholarship recipient?

  • Awards will be granted directly to the recipient’s Outside Scholarship Office.

  • The recipient’s name and portions of the recipient’s application and essay may be used for Prism Foundation’s publications and reports.

  • Prism Foundation hosts an award ceremony for recipients at our Community Connections event in the Bay Area. The date is to be determined, but will be included in the recipient contract.

  • Recipients will be required to send a video testimonial for Community Connections.

The person writing my letter of support prefers that I not read their letter. Is there any way that they can send it to you directly?
Follow the instructions below:

  • Upload a word document titled 'Sent via Supplemental Form” in your application.

  • Have the writer upload their letter to this form (click here).

  • Please note that a Google account is required for Google's security policy.

  • We require that the letter to be sent before the due deadline.

Where do I go if I have more questions?
Please check to see if your question(s) has been answered on this FAQ. We will do our best to keep this page updated with any new information.

If you have any remaining questions, please contact us at scholarship@theprismfoundation.org.

 
 

 Past Scholarship Recipients

2022

  • Emery Yu | University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH
    * Donald Masuda Memorial Scholarship Recipient

  • Aian Mendoza |University of California Berkeley, CA

  • Saxon Kennedy |Berklee College of Music, MA
    * Kevin & Hieu Tan-Tran Scholarship Recipient

  • Dawson Dang |
    * Kevin & Hieu Tan-Tran Scholarship Recipient

  • Kirandharshini Ganesh |Rutgers University, NJ

  • Mai Tran | Sarah Lawrence College, NY

  • Quyen Ballagh |Pomona College, CA

  • Aran Glynn |Babson College, MA

  • Mel Liu |University of California Los Angeles, CA

  • Haneen Alkabasi |Central Connecticut State University, CT

  • Rumjhum Hemnani |University of California Los Angeles, CA

  • Hanh Nguyen |University of California Davis, CA

  • Lauren Ton |Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, MD

  • Mark Chih-Wei Liang |University of California, Irvine, CA

  • Iris Ghorbani |Columbia University, NY

  • Nikki Chang |University of Iowa, IA

2021

  • Seth Canada | Georgetown University, DC

  • Evan Gilbert | Boston University, MA

  • Celeste Good | The Pennsylvania State University, PA

  • JT Huynh | University of California Davis School of Medicine, CA
    * Donald Masuda Memorial Scholarship Recipient

  • Chali Lee | Stanford University, CA

  • Jenesis Merriman | Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, NY
    * Kevin and Hieu Tan-Tran Scholarship (Health) Recipient

  • Ranen Miao | Washington University in St. Louis, MO

  • Loan Tran | Goddard College, Plainfield, VT
    * Kevin and Hieu Tan-Tran Scholarship (Arts) Recipient

  • Madhvi Trivedi-Pathak | California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, CA
    * George Choy Memorial Scholarship Recipient

  • Iris Xie |University of California, Davis, CA

2020

  • Carolyn Chu | University of California, Los Angeles, CA

  • Justin Dela Cruz | University of California, Berkeley, CA

  • Lindsay Guinan | California College of the Arts, CA

  • Adrian Huq | Tufts University, MA

  • Tausif Karim | University of Maine, ME
    * Kevin and Hieu Tan-Tran Scholarship (Arts) Recipient

  • Thomas Manglona | Stanford University, CA

  • Akshaya Natarajan | Emory University, GA

  • Thao Nguyen | University of Michigan, MI

  • Justin Nguyen-Amigo | Walden Univerisity, MN
    * Kevin and Hieu Tan-Tran Scholarship (Health) Recipient

  • Dang Khoa Nguyen Ngoc | University of California, Berkeley, CA
    * George Choy Memorial Scholarship Recipient

  • Kei Tsuruharantani | SUNY Empire State College, NY

  • William Walker | University of Washington, WA

  • Kevin Wei | Georgia Institute of Technology, GA

  • Hao Zhou | University of Iowa, IA
    * Donald Masuda Memorial Scholarship Recipient

2019

  • MD Rasel Ahmed | Columbia University, NY
    * Kevin and Hieu Tan-Tran Scholarship (Arts) Recipient

  • Amber Rose Barcel | University of Washington, WA

  • Emma Brockway | University of Houston Law Center, TX

  • Santino Camacho | University of Washington, WA
    * Kevin and Hieu Tan-Tran Scholarship (Health) Recipient

  • Seth E Canada | The Catholic University of America, DC
    * Donald Masuda Memorial Scholarship Recipient

  • Keisuke Lee-Miyaki | University of California, Berkeley, CA
    * George Choy Memorial Scholarship Recipient

  • Jason Li | Harvard Medical School, MA

  • Keegan Thoranin | University of Illinois, IL

  • Jakob Tran | University of California, Santa Barbara, CA

2018

  • Syd Abad | Santa Barbara City College, CA
    * Donald Masuda Memorial Scholarship Recipient

  • Bo James Hwang | University of California, Los Angeles Extension, CA

  • Harim Jung | University of Pennsylvania, PA

  • Jenny Vu Mai | Wake Forest University, NC

  • Vince Nguyen | Michigan State University, MI

  • Madison Sandoval-Lunn | University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV

  • Brian Francis Villa | University of California, Berkeley, CA
    * George Choy Memorial Scholarship Recipient

2017

  • Weiwen Balter | University of California, Los Angeles, CA

  • Maria Hu Wu | San Francisco State University, CA
    * Donald Masuda Memorial Scholarship Recipient

  • Raksak Kongseng | Boston University, MA

  • Suny Um | California State University, East Bay, CA
    * George Choy Memorial Scholarship Recipient

  • Irene Van | California Institute of Integral Studies, CA

  • Koen Zhang | University of California, San Diego, CA

2016

  • Jonathan Azterbaum | Ptizer College, Claremont, CA

  • Aaron Chen | Chapman University, Orange, CA
    * George Choy Memorial Scholarship Recipient

  • Leila Elaqad | Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
    * Donald Masuda Memorial Scholarship Recipient

  • Aimee Hanna | UC Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA

  • Landyn Pan | Chapman University, Orange, CA

2015

  • Jerome Chelliah | UC San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

  • Kaiya Kramer | Santa Rosa Community College, Santa Rosa, CA

  • Javan Santos | University of Guam, Guam
    * Donald Masuda Memorial Scholarship Recipient

2014

  • Bryan Chen | Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA

  • Tonhu Dao | UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

  • Howard Li | UC San Deigo, San Diego, CA

  • Tiffany Lin | Parsons New School, New York City, NY
    * Donald Masuda Memorial Scholarship Recipient

  • Hieu Pham | Rush Medical College, Chicago, IL

2013

  • Vinita Chaudhry | Washington University, St. Louis, MO

  • Timothy Mok | UC San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

  • Lucy Ngo | Westminster High School, Westminster, CA

2012

  • Lily Zheng | Carlmont High School, Belmont, CA

 
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Make a difference for Asian & Pacific Islander LGBTQIA+ student leaders.

Our students come from a diverse background of identities and communities, and many need core funding to support their education.

As an exclusively volunteer-run organization, a vast majority of your donation will go directly back into Prism Foundation programs, such as our scholarships.