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Women Funding Women’s Education
The Sunflower Initiative logo
Women Funding Women’s Education

Carolyn Bell on the Sunflower Initiative

Posted on March 7th, 2019
November 4, 2015
Dear Friend of Women’s Colleges,

I’m a proud supporter of The Sunflower Initiative, now in its seventh year and going strong.  For young women who want to attend women’s colleges and need financial assistance, TSI is a godsend.  I’m asking you to consider becoming a contributor to this noble cause.

I’m delighted to report that TSI scholarships are now supporting four bright and ambitious women in their undergraduate education at women’s colleges.  Each of these scholarship winners receives $10,000 a year in aid from TSI.

The first scholarship winner (2012), Aastha Sharma from Nepal, is now a senior with a stellar record at Wesleyan College. Aastha has received a TSI scholarship for every year of her study. She is majoring in chemistry and applied mathematics, minoring in economics, and planning to attend graduate school in materials science and engineering, with a specialization in renewable energy research. Aastha intends to return to Nepal in several years to help out with restructuring and rebuilding after the catastrophic earthquake there.  She says that she wants “to encourage people from [her] country, especially women, [to believe] that they can live their dreams with perseverance and hard work.” If you haven’t looked at the TSI website lately, you’ll want to view the biographies of all of our winners and to see the special video featuring Aastha .
View scholarship winners’ biographies (with video)
Chelsea Osademe, from Arkansas, is now a junior at Spelman College, where she’s majoring in English, serves as a resident adviser, and is active in the ROTC. Marley Forest, from Oregon and a sophomore at Wellesley College, spent a rewarding and life-changing summer in the Middle East, where she experienced firsthand the complicated and long-running conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians. Our most recent winner is Emily Moss of Massachusetts, a freshman at Wellesley, who intends to major in economics, international law, and public policy.

All of these fine young women must show good academic progress in order for their scholarships to be renewed each year. Each is extremely grateful for the opportunity to experience the vibrant intellectual life at a woman’s college, an environment that, as we well know, nourishes and encourages individual achievement. Because of our collective generosity and belief in the value of the woman’s college experience, these women and others will enjoy a life more abundant.

I hope you will join me in donating to The Sunflower Initiative.  You may do so by sending a check to The Sunflower Initiative, P.O. box 378, Bedford, VA 24523 or by visiting the website and contributing on-line.

Sincerely yours,

Carolyn Wilkerson Bell, R-MWC Class of ’65