THE AYANA J. MCALLISTER LEGACY FOUNDATION
ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP 2026
Complete the Online Form Below
Application Criteria
1. The student/applicant is a high school senior or current college student from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area (Southern Maryland, Washington, DC, or Northern Virginia), who plans to attend or is currently enrolled in a four year college, or community/junior college in Fall of 2027.
2. The student/applicant has to have been impacted directly, or indirectly, by gun violence. Examples of indirect impact can include gun violence’s effect on family, friends, or members of the applicant’s community.
3. The student/applicant must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 and provide an official transcript.
4. The student/applicant must submit two letters of recommendation on official school, or organization, letterhead identifying why you are an excellent candidate to receive this scholarship and meet the eligibility criteria outlined:
Letters may be provided by: an instructor or professor, a university/ school administrator, a guidance counselor, or an adult mentor who knows the applicant well. The letter should include a description of how the reference knows the applicant.
5. The student/applicant will submit a 300 word typed written essay on the topic listed in the application.
6. You will provide a professional photo – school photo, graduation photo, etc..
7. All documentation and photos submitted will become the property of the The Ayana J. McAllister Legacy Foundation and signature on this application provides permission for these items, if selected, to be posted on our foundation public website and social media outlets.
8. In order to receive funding, awardees will be required to participate in a brief interview with with the Foundation upon selection.
Essay Questions
Please answer either Question 1 or Question 2. There are two parts to each question.
Question 1
- If you were on a panel of youth experts, what would you say in your speech to school and city officials about ways to decrease gun violence in the DMV among your peers?
Question 2
2. In what ways does social media play a potential positive and negative role in gun violence? How could it be used for good?
Submission Requirements
No later than Friday, May 1, 2026, applications, including letters of recommendation and the essay, are to be emailed to: ajmlegacyfoundation@gmail.com
Official transcripts must be mailed under separate cover to the Foundation address listed below, but they must be postmarked by May 1, 2026:
The Ayana J. McAllister Legacy Foundation
2021 Academic Scholarship Committee 9103 Woodmore Centre Drive #258
Lanham, MD 20706