By John Hayden
Education is important and expensive. That much we know. What students may not know is that a new scholarship program could open new opportunities.
Latinos Salud has launched its new Health and Support Services Pride Scholarship program. The program is designed to help the LGBTQIA+ professionals of tomorrow deal with the financial burdens of today.
“Our ultimate goal in funding the Health and Support Services Pride Scholarship is to contribute to a local workforce that treats LGBT community members with kindness, respect, and understanding,” Latinos Salud Executive Director Dr. Stephen Fallon told OutClique. “It’s possible that some of our scholars may find their first job post-graduation waiting for them right here at one of Latinos Salud’s locations.”
And there are lots of opportunities to make that happen. Latinos Salud has offices in Wilton Manors, Miami Beach, Southwest Miami, and North Miami. They offer HIV-testing, vaccinations, a PrEP wellness clinic, and more. What sets their care apart is cultural competency. Many places have a one-size-fits-all system. That is tone deaf and dangerous in a multicultural community like South Florida.
“The scholarship is just one part of Latinos Salud’s overall program to help develop culturally attuned professionals in careers such as nursing, psychology, social work, and public health,” Dr. Fallon said.
The scholarships are up to $2,500 for college freshmen and sophomores, up to $5,000 for juniors and seniors.
Beyond the immediate financial support provided, each scholar also gets to meet with Latinos Salud’s senior staff, to identify any ways that the agency can further support their professional development. These may include offering access to Latinos Salud’s sites for final research projects, contact with the agency’s clinical staff for general mentorship, or formal internship or preceptorship.
Scholars can also re-apply each year, and may be selected for support each year as they progress through their undergraduate education. As this new program evolves, Dr. Fallon noted that the agency may continue to support scholars who continue into graduate programs. “We want to remove barriers for aspiring professionals in the care and service professions, just as our staff strive to remove barriers for community members who need these very services.”
Dr. Fallon says the search for the right candidates was thorough. “Each applicant submitted a personal essay, describing their academic goals, and how their personal experiences may help them to better connect with and serve clients or patients in their future career. Finalists were interviewed by our selection committee, which included the two physicians on our Board of Directors.”
One of the recipients is Luis Silva, a nursing student in his sophomore year at Miami-Dade College. “The scholarship means a lot to me beyond financial support. It means involvement, community, communication towards the people that want to see me thrive and that’s something I will never forget.”
Community is important to Silva, as it was a community function that brought the 24-year-old to Latinos Salud. “I heard about Latinos Salud while I was visiting the pride parade of Wilton Manors last year. I saw them and wanted to be involved in a latin gay community group. I came to the organization and applied for the scholarship to financially support my career as a nurse.”
For more information, visit LatinosSalud.org/PrideScholarship.
