We have scholarships on a rolling basis for The Unexpected Shape Writing Academy). We are also searching for people to help sponsor scholarships.

We have recently awarded four scholarships for four six-month places in the Academy, sponsored in honor of Vanetta Cutchin (see below), and ten scholarships for ten three-month places in the Academy for disabled writers, sponsored by Disability Visibility.

Scholarships

The Vanetta Cutchin Memorial Fellowship

The Vanetta Cutchin Memorial Fellowship is named after Carli Cutchin's mother, a second-generation Cuban-American who, while living with significant physical and mental health disabilities, became an accomplished quilter and seamstress, as well as a dedicated homeschooling mom. Vanetta loved gospel music, old Hollywood films, and slow drives through the coastal California redwoods.

We thank Carli Cutchin with our utmost gratitude for her donation.

Most recently, scholarships have been awarded to:

Elizabeth Kim
Leslie Contreras Schwartz
Gary Alstadt
Tangina Stone
Michele Brose

Disability Visibility Fellowships

The Disability Visibility Fellowships are sponsored by Alice Wong (she/her), a disabled activist, writer, editor, and community organizer. Alice is the founder and director of the Disability Visibility Project, an online community dedicated to creating, sharing, and amplifying disability media and culture.

We thank Alice Wong with our utmost gratitude for sponsoring these fellowships.

Most recently, scholarships have been awarded to:

Lily Orion
Jenn Deerinwater
Ann McHugh
Andrea Metheney
Amelia-Marie Alstadt
Amber Jackson
Rikki Poynter
Taryn Goodwin
Emmett Patterson
Ola Ojewumi

Though we'll make sure to notify you every step of the way, you are welcome to email Dan at dan@esmewang.com with any questions that might come up. However, please do not email to nudge us; we will notify you if you receive a scholarship.

I look forward to receiving your application! & thank you for taking the time to apply.

Please fill out the following application (if the embedded form doesn't load, please click here):

Deadline: June 15, 2024 for ten scholarships for disabled students, funded by Alice Wong.

Late July 2024: Announcements made for the ten Disability Visibility Fellowships.

Scholarships are both need- and merit-based.

If you can, please help.

The Disability Visibility Fellowships

Going through hundreds of qualified applications for our most recent scholarship applications, most of whom are at the poverty line, helped me realize that we need ongoing funding.

Hence: a GoFundMe to allow people to donate small or big amounts for the goal of creating 10 more fellowships at six months each.

DONATE

How do I sponsor a scholarship?

Are you interested in helping to sponsor a scholarship?

If yes, then thank you so much.

We are honored that you have decided to support our ever-growing community of ambitious writers, and are grateful for the future student(s) that, because of your generosity, are well on their way in pursuing their writerly goals.

Please complete the following steps in order to become a sponsor for the Academy.

1. Do you want to be an anonymous donor? If not, please specify who or what your sponsorship is on behalf of

2. Specifications of donation (amount, etc.)

3. Do you have a timeframe in mind that you'd like to make these scholarship(s) available?

4. Would you like to help choose who receives the scholarship(s)?

5. And lastly, is there anything else you'd like to include that I didn't mention in the above questions?

Email Dan at dan@esmewang.com with your answers to the following questions.