By Erica Gaspar and Nestor Manzanares
Every year, a UC Santa Barbara Professional Writing Minor alum provides a gift to the Writing Program to give two first-generation students in the Minor program a $1000 scholarship.
For the 2024-25 school year, Jolie Pierre-Louis, a fourth-year Sociology student minoring in the Civic Engagement Track, received one of these awards.
Pierre-Louis, a native of Marin County who was born to a Haitian father and a Mexican mother, has witnessed firsthand the impacts of wealth inequities on low-income communities. She acknowledges the help of scholarships in aiding first-generation students like herself with their college expenses — providing relief for those who don’t want to place financial burden onto their families.
Through her work in the Writing Minor, Pierre-Louis was able to develop her writing skills in a way that will help effect change and expand opportunities for those who are economically disadvantaged.
In a video interview Pierre-Louis talks about what inspired her to choose this route in her studies and how she secured this scholarship.
Editor/Producers:
Erica Gaspar is a third-year Communication major at UC Santa Barbara pursuing the Professional Writing Minor with a focus in Journalism. She is passionate about creating accessible media content that can help shine light on the stories of underrepresented groups.
Nestor Manzanares is a Communication major at UC Santa Barbara, minoring in Spanish and pursuing the Professional Writing Minor with a focus in Journalism. He is an actor, a storyteller dedicated to amplifying the voices of those who are often unheard.