Wigs.com Hair Loss Scholarship Recipients

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Wigs.com Hair Loss Scholarship Recipients

The team at Wigs.com works very closely with clients who have alopecia, cancer, Trichotillomania, autoimmune disorders, and diseases that cause partial or complete loss of hair. Our clients and their hair loss journeys inspire us every day and are the reason why we are so passionate about creating a community of support and education about wigs, hair care, and hair loss. One of the ways we are living out this mission is by offering a scholarship for hair loss.

What is the Wigs.com Hair Loss Scholarship?

The Wigs.com Hair Loss Scholarship is a $1,000 scholarship award specifically for incoming and current college students who have experienced any form of hair loss. Created in 2019, we've received dozens of incredible applications with deeply insightful words about hair loss and the ways it has influenced these applicants' lives and aspirations. We want to highlight our Wigs.com Hair Loss Scholarship recipients within our community to provide insight and inspiration to those afflicted by these conditions and know there is hope for the future.

2024 Wigs.com Hair Loss Scholarship Recipient: Madison Arnold

2024 Hair Loss Scholarship Winner Madison Arnold

Madison Arnold attends the University of Arkansas and is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry. In her essay, she opens up about her experience with Alopecia Areata and how she plans to raise awareness about her condition.

When asked what this scholarship means to her, she states: “I am eternally grateful to Wigs.com for not only selecting me to be the 2024 scholarship recipient but also for sharing the stories of young women my age going through the same experiences. Going through hair loss and discovering I had Alopecia Areata was an overwhelming experience for me, but with time and the recognition of self-love, I learned that it does not define my beauty internally or externally. It means a great deal to me that this company has given me an outlet to share my story and give insight to other young women in my shoes. I love everything Wigs.com stands for and I am forever thankful for the opportunity it has given me.”

Wigs.com is honored to award Madison this scholarship this year, and we wish her luck for the upcoming school year!

Previous Winners of the Hair Loss Scholarship

2023 Wigs.com Hair Loss Scholarship Recipient: JM

“First and foremost, I would like to thank the Beauty and Hair team for honoring me as the recipient of the Hair Loss Scholarship. It is a grand honor to receive this scholarship that will aid in my college path. I am beyond grateful for this opportunity and the kind words.”

2022 Wigs.com Hair Loss Scholarship Recipient: Malia R. Erwen

2022 Hair Loss Scholarship Winner Malia R. Erwen

Malia is currently a student in a Master’s Program at the University of Kentucky where she is double majoring in Music Therapy and Music Performance: Voice. With this, she plans to pursue a career in Music Therapy and further her education in General Therapy. She hopes to one day bring more awareness to hair loss disorder and become “the person I needed when I (she) was younger.”

“Hair loss is not widely talked about and is often pushed aside. Hair loss comes in so many different forms, and I am determined to help young people find their voice to bring awareness to this cause. I am passionate about finding outlets for people with these disorders because I want to be the person I needed when I was younger. I know that there are people who have no one to turn to, and I would like to create spaces just for them and for anyone who experiences hair loss in any form.”

Our Winners for 2021: Sierra Allred & Abigail Wilson

Because 2020 & 2021 have been unprecedented, we have decided to award TWO scholarship recipients for the 2021-2022 academic year. Congratulations, Sierra Allred and Abigail Wilson.

2021 Wigs.com Hair Loss Scholarship Recipient: Sierra Allred

2021 Hair Loss Scholarship Winner Sierra Allred

Sierra attends Brigham Young University - Hawaii and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Intercultural Peacebuilding with a minor in Anthropology. Sierra wants to work with refugees from war-torn countries to help them find stability, peace, comfort, and prosperity.

Sierra has Trichotillomania, which is a rare hair-pulling disorder. In her scholarship application essay, Sierra detailed the stress her condition has caused and how she found inspiration in the Trichotillomania community she discovered on TikTok. When asked what this scholarship means to her, she stated “I am grateful to the Wigs.com team for creating a scholarship that allows me and others experiencing hair loss to feel included, validated, and seen. I hope that my story inspires others with Trichotillomania or other forms of hair loss to develop a deep sense of self-love, to find peace in the pain, and hope in the unknown. I know that my fight with Trich is far from over but I’m ready to live a full and joyful life, with or without natural hair.”

Fun fact: Sierra’s favorite wigs from Wigs.com are Rachel, Lennox, Simmer, Blaze, Blake, and Margot!

2021 Wigs.com Hair Loss Scholarship Recipient: Abigail Wilson

2021 Hair Loss Scholarship Winner Abigail Wilson

Abigail attends the University of Pittsburgh and is pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in the Science of Nursing. She wants to become a pediatric nurse to help others just like the nurses that helped her while she was a child in the hospital. Abigail has Alopecia Areata, which is a condition in which the body attacks itself - the immune system sees what should be viewed as normal as a threat and attacks and in this case the body attacks hair follicles.

When asked what this scholarship means to her, Abigail said, “I am so appreciative of this scholarship for allowing me to share my story and hopefully inspire others who, like me, [saw] a silver lining to hair loss. Hair loss can be so scary, but the experience of being diagnosed with Alopecia Areata has made me more empathetic and will inspire me throughout my future career as a nurse. Thank you so much Wigs.com for this opportunity and for allowing me to share my story.” Wigs.com is honored to award Abigail this scholarship this year, and we wish her luck for the upcoming school year!

Fun fact: Abigail’s favorite way to wear her hair is half-up-half-down!

2020 Wigs.com Hair Loss Scholarship Recipient: Angelina Manasan

2020 Hair Loss Scholarship Winner Angelina Manasan

Angelina was the 2020 Hair Loss Scholarship Recipient. She attends Creighton University and is pursuing a major in Spanish and Hispanic Studies and Theology. Angelina has been diagnosed with Primary Membranous Nephropathy, which has resulted in hair loss. Her autoimmune disease has influenced her life and aspirations by becoming an advocate and aid for pediatric patients afflicted by similar illnesses.

When asked what this scholarship means to her, Angelina said, "[This] generous scholarship is meaningful because it will help bring down the cost of my tuition, living expenses, and textbooks. More than that, this scholarship is meaningful to me because it allows me the opportunity to share my story which turns out to be one of inclusivity. Including my story among the many you have received means that another patient going through my specific journey can see that while hair is important to our self-identification, it's not the most important thing. Finding self-worth, without meeting external beauty standards, is a story we can all relate to regardless of what we are "missing". True beauty is living in the acceptance and truth of who we are. It is our freedom.”

2019 Wigs.com Hair Loss Scholarship Recipient: Alexis Seith

2019 Hair Loss Scholarship Winner Alexis Seith

Alexis was the 2019 Hair Loss Scholarship Recipient. Alexis attends the Georgia Institute of Technology and is pursuing a major in Neuroscience. Alexis has Alopecia Areata, which is an autoimmune disease where the body attacks the hair follicles. Alexis's autoimmune disease has influenced her life and aspirations by committing herself to bring awareness to the homeless veteran population in her community and driving her to pursue a degree in neuroscience

When asked what receiving this scholarship means to Alexis, she said, “I am so grateful to wigs.com for recognizing me for this scholarship. It’s so inspiring to know that I can share my story with them and others – and hopefully encourage another kid like me to make a difference as well. This scholarship will help lessen my financial burden as I begin college, and allow me to focus during my first school year (without worrying about a part-time job at the same time).

I admire the initiative Wigs.com is taking to support people with hair loss, whether it be from alopecia, cancer, or other conditions. Most people don’t think of hair loss as much of a setback, but I can say from my personal experience that it has changed my life drastically. By getting the word out there via this scholarship, Wigs.com may bring us a step closer to finding a cure.”

Final Thoughts

These recipients have impacted our team at Wigs.com because we saw how their missions aligned with our own to help others. These recipients will go on to inspire countless others just as they have inspired our team here (and hopefully you reading this!). We wish them the best in their future academic endeavors.

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