The Brandon Hendricks scholarship will be awarded to two Bronx natives striving toward higher education and will include continued mentoring from the Oyate Group over the course of the winners’ college educations
Today, Oyate Group, a nonprofit organization on a mission to alleviate poverty by creating sustainable and holistic solutions that empower underserved communities all across New York City, announced that its annual Brandon Hendricks Scholarship will now award $20,000 to two applicants.
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The organization known for its Bronx Rising Initiative, created the scholarship in honor of Brandon Hendricks, a young man from the Bronx headed to college with a full ride who lost his life to senseless gun violence. As part of its ongoing effort to reduce gun violence and empower under-resourced youth, Oyate Group is changing the format of its scholarship to offer students $5,000 per year of winners’ education. Previously, the organization offered $5,000 total in scholarship funds.
“Too often youth in our most underserved neighborhoods do not have access to higher education,” said Tomas Ramos, founder, president and CEO of the Oyate Group and its programs. “The Brandon Hendricks scholarship aims to transform our communities by encouraging our youth to seek higher education, thrive in school and participate in campus activities to enhance professional development. Education is critical to ending the cycle of poverty, and we’re looking forward to the impact our scholarship winners can have on future generations. We know Brandon would have been a transformational force for the Bronx, and we hope to support others like him on their journeys.”
Since 2020, Oyate Group has sent 15 students from the Bronx to college with $100,000 in scholarships.
For the first time in the scholarship’s four-year history, Oyate Group will now select two students to be awarded $20,000 each toward their college education over a four-year period. Applicants must be from the Bronx and graduating seniors headed to college. To continue receiving $5,000 per school year, scholarship winners must maintain a 3.0 GPA and be involved in one extracurricular activity at their college. The organization will work closely with the students to ensure they are receiving the resources and mentoring needed to succeed in school.
Applications for the Brandon Hendricks Scholarship are currently open. Applicant essays will consist of a written reflection on Brandon’s life and details on how applicants aim to use the funds to improve the quality of life in the Bronx. Once applications close on April 30, 2023, 10 applicants will be selected for interviews and final recipients announced on June 7, 2023.
To apply for the Brandon Hendricks Scholarship please visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JWBS858.
