Beyoncé Announces the First Winners of Her Formation Scholarships

Beyoncé may be busy, you know, giving birth to twins, but she’s still found time to hand out college scholarships to a group of talented female students. Queen Bey announced her “Formation Scholars” program back in April to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Lemonade and on Thursday she gave out the very first scholarships to four inspiring young women.

“The Formation Scholars award encourages and supports young women who are bold, creative, conscious, confident, and unafraid to think outside the box. Students’ disciplines included creative arts, music, literature, and African-American studies,” a post on her website read. While finalists and winners were “selected by committees from the colleges and universities,” these young ladies definitively have Bey’s stamp of approval.

1. Sadiya Ramos

Ramos is a sophomore at the Berklee College of Music who is studying dance at Boston Conservatory. She began dancing at age six under Arthur Mitchell at the Dance Theatre of Harlem, and her dance routines to Queen Bey are out of this world.

2. Avery Youngblood

Youngblood graduated from Stanford University, and is currently a second-year student in the graphic design program at Parsons School of Design at The New School. At Stanford, she studied Linguistics and Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity. “As we reach across boundaries of race, gender, sexuality, religion, political stance, and so much more, Avery is prepared to take an active role in building relationships and reaching out to an audience that represents the diversifying voices of our social world through design and other creative outlets,” the release reads.

3. Maya Rogers

Rogers, a songwriter and vocalist, is a grad student at Howard University. She returned to school to study music therapy after recovering from a traumatic brain injury in 2013. “She describes her recovery as the most frightening and fascinating time of her life, and music played a large role in her regaining the ability to read, write, play music, and sing.”

4. Bria Paige

Paige is a junior at Spelman College, who holds membership and leadership positions in various academic societies. “Recently, Bria was selected as a UNCF Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow, which will provide support and training towards her plan to pursue doctoral studies in English literature and Black feminist scholarship.”