I received my Purple Collar wellness scholarship just in time for the December shopping rush and was able to use seasonal sales to spread the funds even further than anticipated! To support my daily back-care and hydration routines, I purchased an ergonomically designed backpack and two leak proof hydroflasks that I use whenever teaching since I move from my office to several classrooms across campus throughout the day. I was also able to get a new pair of walking shoes and a

I was awarded a Wellness Scholarship in early January of 2026. When I initially applied for a scholarship, I had a plan to join a gym, but I later realized that I would much rather split my scholarship to pay for multiple class packs. Over the course of the last 8 weeks, I tried the following wellness classes: Meditation + Sound Bath Yoga + Stretch Low Impact HIIT Flex Class (Heavy Weights) Each class brought joy to my routine and made me excited to get up the next day to t

SJ and friend watching videos at the Black Music Walk of Fame in Cincinnati, OH. During my (hopefully) last year in my PhD program, I have not lived near any family or close friends. My closest friend in the MA program graduated and entered a PhD program in Ohio fall of 2025. We planned to attend NCTE Conference for College Composition & Communication (CCCC) in 2026 together. Funding for this opportunity was limited in my department. Funding from Purple Collar Project Wellne

When I received the award from the Purple Collar Project Wellness Scholarship, I have to admit it was a bit of a wakeup call. I had applied for the scholarship with the goal of purchasing books to use in choosing comp titles and creating a marketing plan for my own upcoming book, but the award letter I received made a point to stress the project’s more informal sentiment “take a break; it’s on us.” It was a small comment, but it made me pause. It made me realize that, even wh