Richard B. Watkins Scholarship

The Richard B. Watkins scholarship is open to rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors in college and those embarking on their final year of junior college. The premise of this scholarship is to diversify, and therefore strengthen, the talent pool of future communications and design professionals while providing more opportunities for the next generation of passionate storytellers. Eligibility and application details are outlined below.

The name of the scholarship is in honor of Julia Strasdauskas’, a Collins + Co. Team member, late father. Richard's indelible mark on this world was created by his kindheartedness, generosity, compassion, fierce intelligence and boundless love for others. This scholarship aims to capture his spirit of often anonymous support for others while supporting a field of study his daughter loves so deeply.

As a collective, Collins + Co. Will review applications and identify recipients whose applications make a strong case for their love of storytelling and desire to elevate the industry with their unique perspectives. In addition to the scholarship monetary award, recipients will be offered an immersive apprenticeship for two weeks with Coco. To shadow and learn the application of their future craft.

The scholarship will be granted to up to four students at the start of the fall semester. The sum of the annual scholarship is $20,000, with $5,000 being the value of each one-time award.

Eligibility

• Identify as Black or African American
• Be enrolled in a university, college or community college in Maryland, Virginia or Washington, D.C.
• Have a major or concentration of study in public relations, marketing, graphic design, social media, communications or related fields.
• Must qualify as a rising sophomore, junior or senior or be in their final year of community college

Applicants will be required to fulfill the following essay questions, submit a copy of their transcript and supply one letter of recommendation.

1. Tell us about yourself; please include why you chose the field of study you are pursuing.
2. What brand or organization inspires you? Speak to the "why" of their marketing, communications strategies and/or design - why is it impactful and why is it different?
3. Who is someone in your life that you admire? How have they played a role in shaping who you are?
4. What do you hope to do in the future? How would this scholarship aid in pursuing your dreams?
5. Please include your name, school, email, advisor contact information and best phone number to reach you. We encourage you to share your social media handles, too!