On his son’s first birthday Wednesday, GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and his wife announced their commitment of $250,000 to fund a new scholarship to “foster national pride among young Americans.”
In honor of our son's 1st birthday today, Apoorva & I are committing $250,000 to fund a new scholarship to foster national pride among young Americans. Only 16% of Gen Z says they're proud to be American. 60% of teens on TikTok would rather give up their right to vote than their… pic.twitter.com/HHtG5tvPp3
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) July 5, 2023
“As an entrepreneur, I believe in solving problems through private behavior whenever possible. That’s why we are funding a new scholarship to revive patriotism: this year, ten high school students will be eligible to receive a $25,000 scholarship for concisely articulating what it means to be an American in 2023,” Ramaswamy explained.
Students interested in applying for Ramaswamy’s American Identity Scholarship must submit a “compelling and concise” 2-minute video answering the question: what does it mean to be an American?
Applications are due by Friday, August 18 at 9PM Eastern Time. Applicants must be recent Class of 2023 graduates or going into grades 9-12 this upcoming high school year.
Submissions will be evaluated based on their “thoughtfulness, insight, and ability to stimulate discussion about the topic.” Awarded students may use the funds for post-secondary education, entrepreneurial endeavors, or their commitment to serve in the military or law enforcement role.
Citing statistics including last year’s 25% military recruitment deficit and polls that showed only 16% of Gen Z said they’re proud to be American and 60% of teens on TikTok would rather give up their right to vote than their social media account, Ramaswamy stated that he refuses to “sit around and wait for the government to solve all of our problems.”
“As an entrepreneur, I believe in solving problems through private behavior whenever possible,” the GOP presidential candidate added. “Actions speak louder than words & I believe in putting our money where our mouth is.”
This morning, @VivekGRamaswamy announced the American Identity Scholarship (run by Incubate Debate). It awards 10 high school students with $25,000 each for explaining "what it means to be an American" in a two-minute video.
Students can apply today: https://t.co/qlIw0iU4Ug pic.twitter.com/WndEcPNK2X
— Incubate Debate (@Incubatedebate) July 5, 2023
The scholarships, according to Ramaswamy, will be administered by the nonprofit organization Incubate Debate, which “leads U.S. students to debate important issues of public importance.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Independence Day with Vivek Ramaswamy and Family” by Vivek Ramaswamy.
