1,000 Dreams Fund's Paliwal Club of 100 Scholarship Winners for 2020 Announced

Scholarship program fuels the dreams of the next generation of women leaders in STEAM

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Dec 17, 2020, 15:00 ET

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- 1,000 Dreams Fund (1DF), a national nonprofit that supports the dreams of talented young women in need, today announced the 2020 winners of its Paliwal Club of 100 Scholarship Program. Eleven talented female students from across the country won awards of $1,000 each to support their career ambitions in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics ("S.T.E.A.M.").

1,000 Dreams Fund and the Ila and Dinesh Paliwal Foundation partnered to launch the Paliwal Club of 100, a scholarship program that will fund the dreams of 100 budding leaders in S.T.E.A.M. fields — science, tech, engineering, arts and math

In partnership with the ILA and Dinesh Paliwal Foundation, the Paliwal Club of 100 Scholarship Program aims to fuel the aspirations of high-potential female college and graduate students. Over the next 10 years, the scholarship program, now in its second year, will fund the dreams of 100 budding female leaders in STEAM fields.

Dinesh Paliwal is the retired Chairman and CEO, of HARMAN, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, and is a Board Member of Bristol Myers Squibb, Nestlé and Raytheon Technologies. ILA Paliwal is an award-winning global recording artist, song writer, composer and producer based in New York. The Paliwals are also providing one hour of mentorship to the winners as part of their prize.

"We are very excited to partner with 1000 Dream Fund in supporting these exceptionally talented young women in the field of STEAM. Women are the backbone of any successful society and they need stronger representation in every field," said ILA Paliwal, Chair of Paliwal Foundation.

The 2020 Paliwal Club of 100 Scholarship winners were selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants based upon their commitment to career goals and a precise vision for how being named to the Paliwal Club of 100 would help to advance their dreams. Each winner is working to complete their postsecondary or graduate education, and aspire to become leaders in their respective fields. The scholarship program provides support for life-changing opportunities, including conference travel, instructional programs, tech devices and research for ground-breaking projects.

"We are so inspired by our winners' ambition and are thrilled to help accelerate their progress in partnership with the ILA and Dinesh Paliwal Foundation. The most important thing we can do as a society is to invest in the bright futures of these determined stars in STEAM, and 1,000 Dreams Fund is proud to drive this important work forward in partnership with the Paliwal Family," said Christie Garton, Founder and CEO of 1,000 Dreams Fund.

Introducing 1DF's 2020 Paliwal Club of 100 Winners:

Winnie Chan, pursing a B.S. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison – "My dream is to work in engineering-related policymaking and help decision-makers draw up climate-friendly policies in areas such as transportation and utilities infrastructure."

Sarah DePetris, pursuing a M.F.A. in Studio Art at the University of North Texas, College of Visual Arts and Design – "My dream is to be a full-time, professional artist."

Maria Gorchicko, pursuing a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at Vanderbilt University – "My dream is to be a space electronics engineer and contribute to the progress in space exploration."

Rachel Johnston, pursuing a Ph.D. in Molecular Cell Biology at Washington University in St. Louis – "My dream is to continue to advocate for the advancement of women in STEAM fields at all stages of their lives. After I finish my PhD, I hope to continue to do research in a university or industry setting."

Keia Jones, pursuing a degree in Agricultural Economics/Rural Development at the University of Arkansas – "My dream is to aid people through policy and advocacy."

Lia Kelly, pursuing a degree in Biotechnology/Biology at Worcester Polytechnic Institute – "My dream is to become a licensed veterinarian and I want to help contribute to animal studies and research."

Chloe Lopez-Lee, pursuing a degree in Neuroscience at Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences – "My dream is to continue conducting research professionally while teaching at the collegiate level."

Senaida Ng, pursing a degree in Recorded Music at New York University – "My dream is to be the first Asian woman to win the GRAMMY for Producer of the Year, and I also want to become an established producer in music technology by exploring ways to implement artificial intelligence into the music creation process."

Katilyn Oliver, pursing a B.S. in Physics at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College – "My dream is to continue conducting research professionally while teaching at the collegiate level."

Sophie Penn, pursuing a B.F.A. in Film at Syracuse University – "My dream is to be a feature film director and writer."

Kerritt Saintal, pursuing a degree in Clinical Epidemiology at Kent State University – "My dream is to transform data and research into tools for underrepresented populations to better empower themselves."

To learn more about the 1DF Paliwal Club of 100 Scholarship Program, visit: https://1000dreamsfund.org/paliwal-club-of-100/

About 1,000 Dreams Fund

1,000 Dreams Fund (1DF) is a national scholarship fund for American girls in high school and college. 1DF believes that big expenses should never stand in the way of big dreams. Since its launch in 2016, over $200,000 in funding has been granted to talented young women in need, helping them pay for the "extras" in school like study abroad, tech devices for the classroom and travel to conferences and seminars. 1DF has been featured in NBCNews.com, USA Today, MarketWatch, Forbes, Huffington Post, Chicago Tribune, Entrepreneur, TODAY and others. To learn more about 1DF, visit http://1000dreamsfund.org/

About the ILA and Dinesh Paliwal Foundation

The ILA and Dinesh Paliwal Foundation is dedicated to creating positive social and economic outcomes for worldwide communities and their future leaders. By providing both financial and advisory support to underrepresented populations in science, tech, engineering, arts and math, the foundation promotes innovation across the board.

Editorial Contact:
Laura Roberts, Laura Roberts Marketing
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SOURCE 1,000 Dreams Fund