#LiveLikeLyly Memorial Scholarship

In 2015, we added a new scholarship for aspiring fashion and graphic design students: The #LiveLikeLyly Memorial Scholarship in honor of a special member of the ATG family Lyly Koenig Mendez.

Lyly Koenig Mendez was an orphan brought to the United States through Operation Babylift and whose story is highlighted in ATG’s documentary feature, Operation Babylift: The Lost Children of Vietnam. A great supporter of ATG and the arts, Lyly grew up in Festus, MO, graduated from Crystal City High School in 1993 and earned degrees from the University of Missouri at St. Louis and the Miami International University of Art and Design. She worked in TV and film production, was a skilled graphic designer and fashion designer who also had her work featured in ATG’s 2010 Fashion for a Passion. In addition, she was a cheerleader for the St. Louis Rams in the 1990s as well as the San Diego Chargers from 2000-2001.

Lyly passed away on January 20, 2015, near Houston, TX, at the age of 40, after an eight-year fight against breast cancer. Throughout, she never let the disease take her joy, humor, creativity, compassion, humanity and passion for family, friends and life. As Lyly was a shining example of what it means to “Go Against The Grain,” this memorial artistic scholarship was created in her name specifically to support talented emerging graphic/fashion design students like her and dedicated with love as a reminder of her unique spirit and legacy to #LiveLikeLyly.

SCHOLARSHIP DETAILS

Purpose: To provide financial assistance and promotion of Asian American college students pursuing a major in fashion and/or graphic design.

Awards: $1,000 to be applied towards school tuition and fees

General Eligibility Requirements:

• Must be of at least 25% Asian and/or Pacific Islander ethnicity
• Must be a citizen, national, or legal permanent resident of the U.S.
• Must be either a high school senior or a college student currently enrolled full-time at an accredited U.S. vocational, junior college, or four-year college/university and must be a full-time, associate/bachelor/master degree-seeking student by the upcoming academic calendar year and pursuing a major in fashion or graphic design.
• Have demonstrated leadership abilities through participation in community service, extracurricular, or other activities
• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (unweighted)
• Family members of Board members are ineligible

Selection Criteria: Selection is based on a rating system judged in five major categories. The candidate with the highest combined cumulative points will receive the scholarship. These categories are:

• Quality of content submission (essay, artistic portfolio)
• Academic performance
• Leadership/community service experience and contribution
• Letters of recommendation
• Phone/in-person committee interview

Disbursement: Funds will be disbursed directly to the educational institution in the student’s name.

Please note that Scholarship Winners will be required to submit a short 1 minute thank you video to be uploaded to our social media.