Meet The Four Black Women Who Won The 'Formation Scholarship'

Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Beyoncé has announced the four winners of the $25,000 Formation Scholars Award for the 2017-2018 academic year. The merit-based scholarship was announced on April 24, celebrating the one year anniversary of LEMONADE, Beyoncé’s record-breaking visual album.

Current and incoming female undergraduate and graduate students at Berklee College of Music, including those enrolled at the college’s campuses in Boston and Valencia, Spain, Berklee online and Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Howard University in Washington, DC, Parsons School of Design at The New School in New York City, and Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, were eligible for the competitive scholarship.

Meet the winners below.

Named clockwise: Sadiya Ramos – Berklee College of Music Avery Youngblood – Parsons School of Design Bria Paige – Spelman College Maya Rogers – Howard University 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. All applicants maintain a 3.5 GPA or above and submitted a short essay stating how LEMONADE inspired their educational goals. All finalists and winners were selected by committees from the colleges and universities. Congratulations to each of these ladies! #Formation #FormationScholars #Berklee #Parsons #Howard #Spelman #Education #University #BeyGood #Parkwood #BlackGirlMagic #BlackGirlsRock #BlackExcellence

A post shared by Beyoncé, Solange and others (@formation.tour.2016) on Jun 15, 2017 at 6:53am PDT

The Formation Scholars are Sadiya Ramos, a sophomore studying dance at Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of Music, Avery Youngblood, a second-year student in the AAS (Associates) Graphic Design program at Parsons School of Design at The New School, Maya Rogers, a graduate student studying music therapy at Howard University, and Bria Paige, a junior studying English at Spelman College.

Selected by committees from the colleges and universities, the winners of the scholarship have maintained a 3.5 GPA or above and submitted a short essay explaining how LEMONADE inspired their educational goals.

The scholars are currently studying creative arts, music, literature, and/or African-American studies at their respective institutions.

Congratulations ladies! This is truly #BlackGirlMagic.

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