Scholarship

The Beckley PRIDE Scholarship

The Beckley Pride “Micheal Quesenberry & Larry L. Williams Memorial Scholarship ” was created to provide support and recognition to LGBTQIA+ youth in Southern West Virginia who seek to further their education. Through this scholarship, graduating high school seniors who openly identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community can apply for funds for education-related expenses to pursue a degree from an accredited college, university, or technical/vocational program. The scholarship will be awarded to 2 winners in the amount of $1500 totaling $3000. The scholarship is a one-time award paid directly to our selected winners during the month of June at our annual Pride event.. 

Scholarship program requirements:

  • Must reside within the following counties of Southern West Virginia: Fayette, Greenbrier, Mercer, McDowell, Monroe, Nicholas, Raleigh, Summers, or Wyoming, 
  • Must be a high school senior in the year they apply for the scholarship. High school transcripts must be included with this application
  • Must be enrolled in an accredited college, university, or vocational school within the United States for the following Fall Semester or sooner. Proof of acceptance/enrollment is required. 
  • Complete a personal essay as outlined on the following page.
  • Provide 2 letters of recommendation from non-family members.
  • Prepare a detailed list of community involvement with special consideration given to those with a demonstrated history of LGBTIA+ community leadership and/or activism. 
  • Sign an acknowledgement form agreeing to the outline terms and conditions of the application. 

2023 Scholarship Timeline

  • Application acceptance is open from March 1, 2023 through April 29, 2023. 
  • Applications will be reviewed and judged. The winners will be contacted via email & phone number provided and announced formally via social media on May 20, 2023.
  • The check presentation to the winner(s) of the “Micheal Quesenberry & Larry L. Williams Memorial Scholarship” will be made at the 2023 PRIDE celebration.

Submission

Mail in your completed application, official High School transcripts, proof of enrollment, and your two letters of recommendation to Beckley PRIDE either via email at BeckleyWVPride@gmail.com or by US mail to:

Beckley PRIDE

PO Box 5093

Beckley, WV 25801

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE APPLICATION

***Disclaimer: Proof of enrollment is mandatory prior to distribution of funds. If you do not have proof of enrollment at the time of submission of this application, proof of acceptance can be used to hold your place until proof of enrollment is provided. Failure to submit the proper documentation will result in forfeiture of the program.

2022 Scholarship Timeline:

  • Application is open from March 21st through April 30th. 
  • Applications will be reviewed in April through May and the winners will be connected via email & phone number provided on May 28th.
  • Announcement of the winner of the “Larry L. Williams Memorial Scholarship” will be made at the 2021 PRIDE celebration on June 12th. 

We want all students to be successful! Be sure to review all requirements carefully! Failure to adhere to these requirements or complete the application in its entirety will automatically disqualify the applicant from this scholarship program.

Scholarship Essay

The applicant essay must be a minimum of 1000 words. Applications have the opportunity to select one of the following topics to write about (Place a check or “X” next to one): 

  • How do you plan to give back to the LGBTQIA+ community in the future? 
  • Tell us about a time when being LGBTQIA+ has been challenging for you. 
  • Benefits to being LGBTQIA+

click here to apply online