Scholarships
Our mission is to build a diverse workforce that advances opportunities for all by creating pathways to nursing, STEM, and public health careers.We seek to do this by addressing health inequities and expanding access to nursing, public health, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) professions through scholarships and mentoring — opening doors of opportunity for students with the talent to thrive.
Applicants must come from communities that have historically faced barriers to accessing higher education in nursing and healthcare, including but not limited to African-American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students, and a demonstrated history of community service. Scholarships are renewable each year provided the criteria are met and funds are available.
Please note: Scholarship recipients are honored in person at The Institute's 10th Anniversary Gratitude Gala on September 12, 2026 at the University of Maryland, College Park. Attendance at the Gala is required to receive your scholarship award. If travel presents a hardship, please contact us at info@institute4equity.org.
The Alana Cueto Nursing Scholarship
Alana Cueto, MSN, RN, CNL is a nationally recognized nurse executive, health equity advocate, and community leader whose career has spanned over three decades. She is a dedicated Latinx Nurse Leader committed to advancing access to healthcare, strengthening the nursing profession, and creating opportunities for underserved communities.
She is a Nurse Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, Past President of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses and Founding Member of Society of Latinx Nurses a nationally recognized professional nursing organization that strives to support innovative, thought-provoking, ethical work representing the multi-generational, multi-cultural and multi-racial views of the Latinx diaspora.
Alana has served in national nursing leadership and public service; having served on the Healthcare Transition Advisory Council of Gov. Phil Murphy (NJ 2017-18). Honors and special recognitions include Bronze Medal of Honor by the United States Congress and the State of New Jersey Joint Legislation Commendation Award. Alana is an avid champion for initiatives that improve population health, promote workforce diversity, and address the social drivers of health.
The Alana Cueto Nursing Scholarship Requirements
Awarded to college-bound high school students, recent high school graduates, or current undergraduate students from communities that have faced barriers to opportunity, who have been accepted into an accredited 2- or 4-year nursing program. This scholarship is open nationally to qualified candidates.
Must demonstrate the following
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above through official transcript
- History of Community Service
- Submit a personal statement (300 words or less) describing solutions you would propose to improve a critical issue in healthcare
- Complete an interview with the selection committee
- Maintenance of a 3.0 GPA or above during college matriculation for continued scholarship funding
The Marion L. Johnson “Hidden Figure” Scholarship for Science, Technology, Engineering & Math
Marion Lee Johnson made history as a Boeing engineer whose data contributed to the first successful manned lunar landing on July 20, 1969. After graduating from Talladega College with a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics, she began her career in 1967 as an Associate Engineer at The Boeing Company in Huntsville, Alabama. Boeing was a leader in building the Apollo Saturn V rocket. Marion Lee Johnson was assigned to the Launch Systems Branch at Boeing and worked on the NASA project for the Marshall Space Flight Center, under the direction of the legendary Wernher von Braun and Arthur Rudolph. While working on the Boeing/NASA team in 1967, Marion Lee Johnson was responsible for preparing data inputs for simulation of vehicle piece impact trajectories.
Marion received significant commendations in March of 1969 for an incredible perfect score of 20 successful missions in 20 attempts. Boeing also recognized Marion for her dedication, technical competence, and high standards of achievements in contributing to America’s successful First Manned Lunar Landing Mission on July 20, 1969, where Neil Armstrong said, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Marion’s name is enshrined in the Apollo/Saturn V Roll of Honor. A copy of this historic roll is in the Library of Congress, as well as the Smithsonian Institution, both in Washington, D.C. The historic achievements of Marion Johnson, and others like her were made famous by the award-winning book and film, Hidden Figures, and underscores the benefits of diversity in STEM.
Click here for more information.
The Marion L. Johnson STEM Scholarship Requirements
Awarded to college-bound high school students, recent high school graduates, or current undergraduate students from communities that have faced barriers to opportunity, who have been accepted into an accredited STEM program. This scholarship is open nationally to qualified candidates.
Must demonstrate the following
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above through official transcript
- History of Community Service
- Submit a personal statement (300 words or less) describing solutions you would propose to improve a critical issue in STEM
- Complete an interview with the selection committee
- Maintenance of a 3.0 GPA or above during college matriculation for continued scholarship funding
The Gloria Addo-Ayensu Public Service (Public Health Sciences) Scholarship
Gloria Addo-Ayensu, MD, MPH is the Director of Health for Fairfax County, VIrginia. In this capacity she provides overall leadership, management, and direction for public health programs in the county, and she serves as the official health advisor to Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors, Health Care Advisory Board, and the Human Services Council. She has more than 15 years of experience leading local, regional, and statewide public health efforts to advance emergency preparedness and health equity.
She is a past Chair of the Virginia State Health Commissioner’s Advisory Council on Health Disparity and Health Equity. Throughout her career, Dr. Addo-Ayensu has promoted community health and resiliency through partnerships and has a long-term record of successfully leveraging community assets to create innovative, practical, and sustainable community-based approaches to complex public health challenges. To improve public health surge capacity during emergencies, she created one of the first and largest local public health volunteer response programs in the United States, the Bioterrorism Medical Action Team, which prepared Fairfax to seamlessly transition to the Medical Reserve Corps program.
In 2008, Dr. Addo-Ayensu established the Northern Virginia Clergy Council for the Prevention of HIV/AIDS and a Public Health Multicultural Advisory Council to build community capacity to better address the health needs of ethnic, minority, and vulnerable populations in Fairfax County. Dr. Addo-Ayensu serves on the Boards of George Mason University College of Health and Human Services and the Institute of Public Health Innovation. She received her medical and public health degrees from Tulane University and her residency training in preventive medicine from the Loma Linda University Medical Center.
The Gloria Addo-Ayensu Public Service (Public Health Sciences) Scholarship Requirements
Awarded to college-bound high school students, recent high school graduates, or current undergraduate students from communities that have faced barriers to opportunity, who have been accepted into an accredited program preparing them for a career in public service. This includes a broad range of fields — such as public health science, epidemiology, social work, human services, health policy, public administration, laboratory science, and related disciplines — within local, state, or federal government or the nonprofit sector. Applicants must articulate an explicit health focus in their personal statement. This scholarship is open nationally to qualified candidates.
Must demonstrate the following
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above through official transcript
- History of Community Service
- Submit a personal statement (300 words or less) describing a critical issue at the intersection of public service and health, the solutions you would propose, and how your intended field of study connects to that work
- Complete an interview with the selection committee
- Maintenance of a 3.0 GPA or above during college matriculation for continued scholarship funding