Winners Chosen for Inaugural Paliwal Club of 100 Scholarship

New 1,000 Dreams Fund scholarship program supports women's careers in S.T.E.A.M.

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Jan 23, 2020, 08:00 ET

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- 1,000 Dreams Fund (1DF) today announced inaugural winners of their Paliwal Club of 100 scholarship, a new program that will fund the dreams of 100 young women pursuing careers in S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics).

In partnership with the Ila and Dinesh Paliwal Foundation, the Paliwal Club of 100 scholarship aims to fuel the aspirations of high-potential female college and graduate students.

"An absence of gender diversity in technical and creative fields is unacceptable, and it's time leaders and companies take meaningful action to drive change for future generations," says Ila Paliwal, Chairwoman of Ila and Dinesh Paliwal Foundation. "Through our work with 1,000 Dreams Fund we will create pathways to encourage and support the education, research and career aspirations of high potential female students that may not otherwise have the means to pursue their talents."

Dinesh Paliwal is president and chief executive officer of HARMAN, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. In addition to the HARMAN Board, Dinesh serves on the boards of Bristol-Myers Squibb, Nestlé, and Raytheon Company.

Each talented recipient receives a $1,000 microgrant to put toward her future, covering expenses such as research-related costs, travel to conventions and/or educational conferences, graduate school exams or entry fees, and instructional programs related to creative, artistic, or scientific pursuits.

"We are so proud to partner with the Ila and Dinesh Paliwal Foundation to support young women in S.T.E.A.M. in the U.S.," says 1,000 Dreams Fund founder and CEO, Christie Garton. "Together, we are working to identify those budding young leaders who need and deserve our support. I cannot wait to see what new heights our inspiring five inaugural winners will reach in the future."

Winners were selected based on the quality of their submission, including commitment to their career goals and a precise vision for how being named to the Paliwal Club of 100 will help to further accelerate progress towards their dream.

Winners include:

Angelica Vega, American University - My professional dream is to run for office and stand alongside high-achieving women in S.T.E.A.M. with the intent of redefining our respective fields.

Brontë Johnson, James Madison University - My professional dream is to intertwine the world of technology with the world of storytelling and film.

Busola Sanusi, University of North Carolina - My professional dream is to be a biostatistician at a research institution.

Michelle Bautista, New Jersey Institute of Technology - My professional dream is to become a software engineer with a focus on front-end development.

Sharon Jia, Columbia University - My professional dream is to be an IU/UX designer to create products that enhance human experiences and interactions.

According to Busola Sanusi, being in the Paliwal Club of 100 means being a part of a change.

"It means an opportunity to understand and recognize the hard work and relentless effort involved in making females achieve their goals," said Sanusi, a Ph.D. candidate in biostatistics. "It means being ingrained as a seed that will bloom to help other young women. And, it means being a small part of a big plan towards bridging the gender gap in the S.T.E.A.M. fields."

Applications are now being accepted for the next class of Paliwal Club of 100 winners for Spring 2020. Follow this link for more information and to apply.

About the 1,000 Dreams Fund

The 1,000 Dreams Fund (1DF) is a national scholarship fund for American girls in high school and college. 1DF believes that big expenses should never stand in the way of big dreams. Since its launch in 2016, over $200,000 in funding has been granted to talented young women in need, helping them pay for the "extras" in school like study abroad, tech devices for the classroom and travel to conferences and seminars. 1DF has been featured on Cheddar TV, NBCNews.com, USA Today, MarketWatch, Forbes, Huffington Post, Chicago Tribune, Entrepreneur, TODAY and others. To learn more about 1DF, visit http://1000dreamsfund.org/

Editorial Contact:
Jennifer Toone Corrigan, In Toone Communication
401-258-8830
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SOURCE 1,000 Dreams Fund