Scholarship essays frequently require students to write about a challenge they overcame or a future goal.
But what if they could earn some extra money by sharing their feelings for Sabrina Carpenter, suggestions for improving “Love Island,” or visions for the future of “The Bear”?
That is now a reality, courtesy to bold.org, which has created a series of pop culture-themed challenges, including a $500 “Bear Fan Scholarship.” Fans of the Chicago-based FX show can send in 200 to 600 words proposing their ideal ending to the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning series until July 2025. The scholarship is open to high school and college students of any level and GPA, and entries are taken online on a monthly basis. The next deadline is September 30.
The entirely remote bold.org scholarship company was founded in 2019 by entrepreneurs from Colorado, Florida, and Puerto Rico. In addition to designing its own personalized scholarships, the organization helps donors design their own prizes. It also offers students free access to a database containing thousands of scholarships.
Social media team lead Penelope Gregory, based in Chicago, conceived the “Bear Fan Scholarship.”
“I like to keep in touch with what is trending,” she said. “I definitely felt like ‘The Bear’ is something that I was seeing a lot on social media. And there was the Emmys, where it set records.”
Gregory also said the small staff at bold.org was “captivated” by the show.
“Even in our company meetings, everyone said they were watching it, and we saw how deeply it resonated with audiences. The storylines, the characters and especially the celebrity stardom of Jeremy Allen White is something that we felt our fans and our students would really resonate with.”
Gregory stated that bold.org does not currently provide any other Chicago-related scholarships, although students who are lovers of the Chicago Bulls and video games may be eligible for the “NBA 2K25 Fan” scholarship, which does not require an essay.
Gregory also stated that bold.org is interested in adding professional players from Chicago to its current roster of celebrity partners who work on scholarships.
Since its establishment, bold.org has awarded approximately $10 million in scholarships. So far, the firm has received hundreds of applications for the Bear Fan Scholarship. The winner will be chosen based on enthusiasm, innovation, and narrative, Gregory explained.
And what is her perfect ending to “The Bear”?
“I know it’s cheesy, but for everyone to be happy, that’s the best ending,” she said. “It’s a pretty stressful show sometimes, so a nice, blissful ending would be great.”