Pedro Zamora Young Leaders Scholarship

These $5,000 scholarships support those who are working toward and committed to making a difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS and/or advancing health equity and social justice. This award program is open to applicants who study or reside in the U.S.

HIV/AIDS is a disease that intersects with social justice issues, such as discrimination, economic inequality, and human rights. Social justice initiatives can help fight HIV/AIDS by addressing these issues and improving access to healthcare. Therefore, our scholarship/award programs are not exclusive to HIV/AIDS work and activism.  If your work is change-making in other areas of health, racial, or social justice, please consider applying!

WHAT IS THE PEDRO ZAMORA YOUNG LEADERS SCHOLARSHIP?

Dedicated to continuing Pedro’s legacy, the Pedro Zamora Young Leaders Scholarship supports the academic pursuits of young activists working in their communities who carry Pedro’s torch forward. These young activists share the National AIDS Memorial's bold vision: never again will a community be harmed because of fear, silence, discrimination, stigma, or hate.

When the National AIDS Memorial launched the program in 2009, its focus was on selecting scholars who were pursuing careers and community work around HIV/AIDS. Fifteen years later, the program has evolved to also support young students who are actively engaged in health equity and social justice issues beyond HIV/AIDS activism and research. This includes, but is not limited to:

• HIV/AIDS research, prevention, treatment, access and activism
• Public health and health justice
• Reproductive health
• Serving in peer education, prevention, and community resource programs
• Racial justice
• Immigrant rights
• LGBTQ+ equality and rights
• Environmental justice
• Drug policy and drug sentencing reform
• Employment and economic justice issues
• Housing and homelessness
• Technology innovation that supports justice work

The Pedro Zamora Young Leaders Scholarship strives for equity across all lines. From increasing scholarship offerings to HBCU and HSI recipients to expanding visibility for LGBTQ+ students, this scholarship strives to ensure that young activists from all walks of life have the opportunity to carry Pedro’s torch forward and make a difference in their communities.

WHO CAN APPLY?

The scholarship is open to current or incoming undergraduate students (ages 27 and younger) enrolled in a U.S. community college or four-year university. Since 2009, more than $700,000 has been provided in financial support to 179 scholars through the generous support from Gilead Sciences and other partners.