The LupusChick/Ivy Shapiro 18th College Stipend is Open to Applicants!

The entire LupusChick team is excited to announce this Fall’s College Stipend award is now open thanks to the generosity and support of Ivy’s family and friends. This season’s award – our 18th award – is once again in honor of Ivy Ann Shapiro, 39, of Clermont, Florida (formerly of Sunrise, Florida), who passed away on June 21, 2019, due to complications from Lupus and other auto-immune diseases.

Ivy was a true Lupus warrior. She battled through her Lupus, was able to complete her college education and obtain a Bachelors degree in Special Education from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida. Unfortunately, she was only able to work at her profession for a short time due to her illness. Through it all, she maintained a positive attitude and refocused her energies to help spread the word about Lupus as a member of the Board of Directors of the Lupus Foundation of America.

Ivy also spent countless hours connecting with fellow Lupus patients both on the phone and on social media to provide support, comfort, friendship, and guidance. As her condition worsened, Ivy took solace in the spiritual side of life and was eventually introduced to Reiki, where she was able to obtain some level of pain relief from sessions with a Reiki Master. She became fully immersed with the holistic benefits it provided and eventually became a Reiki Master herself and was able to provide benefit to numerous people who struggled with Lupus and chronic pain. Ivy was a woman of great character, strength, and consistently brave in the face of constant pain and illness. Through it all, she was always able to maintain a hopeful, sunny, and cheerful personality. She is deeply missed by her family, friends, and the online community that she supported each day. We know that Ivy would love that this scholarship is being gifted in her memory to a fellow Lupus Warrior, by her long-time friend, Marisa (LupusChick Founder).

The Generosity of Sponsors for Our Stipend

I can’t stress enough how grateful we are to our sponsors and donors each year and how important they are to keep our college stipends going. We run solely on donations and are often overlooked as a small nonprofit – please consider us for your birthday fundraisers, lupus fundraisers, etc. Why? Because ALL of your donation goes to our stipend and this year will be our 18th stipend award! That’s 18 men and women we have helped in college who are battling this horrible disease. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of others! Thank you again to the amazing Shapiro family and friends.

How to Apply to the Stipend

Applications for the Ivy Shapiro College Stipend Award are open until November 20, 2023. You must be currently attending a technical program, community college, university, or certification program for the Fall 2023 and Winter 2024 semester to be eligible. The following must be included in your lupus scholarship application:

1. An essay about your journey with lupus (up to 1500 words), what you are studying, and how you help to increase awareness in the lupus community and beyond.
2. A screenshot or attachment showing college schedule for the Fall 2023 or Winter 2024 semester.
3. If you are the winner, you must be able to furnish a single sheet medical record paper or doctor’s note with the lupus diagnosis/or diagnostic code on it. (If you already have this, you can send it in with your essay).

Please send all material to Marisa@lupuschick.com by November 20, 2023. Stipend can be used for tuition, housing, supplies.

The winner will be notified by December 15, 2023.