Scholarship Applications are now Live!
Meet Our Founder and Executive Director
Cameron Sanders is a rising sophomore Honors Political Science and Environmental Studies double major, philosophy minor from Chicago, Illinois. He is a 2025 alumnus of Lindblom Math and Science Academy, where he began his rigorous academic journey in the academic center program. He grew up on the South Side of Chicago, where he is a lifelong member of Trinity United Church of Christ. Rooted in faith and inspired by Black excellence, Cameron is very passionate about giving back to his community. He aspires to become an environmental lawyer to advocate for marginalized communities disproportionately facing environmental burdens.
Connect with Cameron on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-joel-sanders
His "Why"
I was blessed to receive several scholarships during my senior year of high school. While this blessing brought great joy, I was disheartened to see the same group of students at nearly every single scholarship reception. I remember speaking with some of my friends about scholarships, and many shared how discouraged they had become after repeated denials—constantly opening emails that read: “Thank you for your application. We had a competitive pool this year. Unfortunately, you were not selected.”
It was then that I began to recognize how scholarship selection processes can sometimes overlook deserving students. If organizations and donors select only those with the strongest GPAs, extracurricular involvement, and accolades, many recipients will naturally be those with the highest measurable achievements. But what about everyone else? If scholarships are based solely on financial need reflected through FAFSA scores, what about students whose circumstances are not fully captured by those numbers? If scholarships are merit-based, what about students from schools that lacked access to dual enrollment, AP courses, college preparatory programs, or other opportunities that could strengthen their applications?
Recognizing these gaps, I sought to create a scholarship fund that would approach selection with greater intentionality. Though we may not yet have the financial resources of larger organizations or nonprofits, we still seek to provide meaningful value to every applicant, even if they are not selected to receive a grant.