Building Opportunities for Sistas to Shine (B.O.S.S.) Scholarship 2025

At work and in life, Black women face discrimination and systematic racism every day, and therefore, as an organization founded by a Black woman, EverGreen Dreams wanted to provide a scholarship that focused on supporting Black women. As part of our commitment to helping young Black women achieve educational and professional excellence, EverGreen Dreams helps to ease the financial burden for two graduating high school seniors by providing them with a scholarship of at least $1,000.

The Building Opportunities for Sistas to Shine Scholarship (B.O.S.S.) aims to make racial equality a reality by helping outstanding Black cis or transgendered women high school students achieve their dreams to continue their education. 

How to Apply

To apply for the Building Opportunities for Sistas to Shine (B.O.S.S.) Scholarship, submit your application online through Kaleidoscope by no later than March 31, 2024 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time with the following items:

1 Letter of Recommendation. At least one letter of recommendation MUST BE PROVIDED and MUST MEET the following requirements:

-       From a faculty or staff member at your school

-       On school letterhead of applicant

- Addressed to EverGreen Dreams

- Reference the Building Opportunities for Sistas to Shine (B.O.S.S.) Scholarship

-       Signed (handwritten or electronic) by faculty or staff member (includes their title)

It is your responsibility to inform your recommenders of these requirements. Applications that are not specifically addressed to EverGreen Dreams or do not specifically reference the Building Opportunities for Sistas to Shine (B.O.S.S.) Scholarship WILL NOT be reviewed.

Résumé. A résumé MUST BE PROVIDED. Your résumé should be 1-2 pages, attached as a .pdf (NOT a .jpeg, .png, or Word file) and should include the following information:

- Education

- Work experience

- Skills

- Achievements (academic or extracurricular)

- Volunteer Work

- Honors and awards

Resumes that are more than 2 pages or attached in any format other than .pdf WILL NOT be reviewed.

Picture of yourself. Pictures must be in color. With your consent, the picture will be used on the organization’s website and in social media posts.

Transcript. Include a copy of your current academic transcript. (Official or Unofficial copies will both be accepted.)

Two Essays.

—   Essay #1: (250-500 words): How do you personally (i.e., what actions do you take) celebrate the beauty, power, and resilience of Black women?

—   Essay #2: (no more 250 words): Explain the challenges you are personally facing (i.e., working to fund school, financially supporting other family members, planning to take significant debt to afford education, etc.) regarding your financial need for this scholarship.

All materials MUST be submitted through Kaleidoscope’s website: https://apply.mykaleidoscope.com/scholarships/BOSS2025 or through the “Apply” link on EverGreen Dreams’ website (www.evergreendreams.org). Emailed or mailed documents will not be accepted. For questions, please mail [email protected].

Requirements

To be considered for a B.O.S.S. Scholarship, you must meet the following criteria:

• Cis or Transgender woman

• At least one parent of African descent (e.g., African-American, African, Black Caribbean, Afro-Latina)

• Graduating High School Senior

• Have been accepted at a two- or four-year college/university or vocational/technical school and plan to attend in the fall of your high-school graduation year

• Legal U.S. citizen or permanent resident

• Less than 20 years of age

• Have a cumulative nweighted GPA of 3.5 or higher (based on a 4.0 scale)

Scholarship Timeline:

• February – Scholarship applications are available on February 1st.

• March – The application deadline is March 31st, 11:59 p.m. EST.

• Beginning of April through Mid-May – Applications reviewed.

• End of May - The selected recipients will be notified via email of their awards and are required to complete award acceptance steps.

• End of May to Beginning of June – The Executive Director of EverGreen Dreams mails scholarship checks to recipients.

How Recipients are Selected

In selecting B.O.S.S. scholarship recipients, EverGreen Dreams will look for candidates who have the potential to excel as scholars, as leaders, and as contributors to the celebration of the beauty, power, and resilience of Black women. Applications will be reviewed and scored based upon the following criteria:

• Academic Performance (GPA)

• Resumes or CVs

• Essays

• Letters of recommendation

• Responsibilities and Financial Need