Alzheimer's
Foundation of America

AFA’s Teen Scholarship Essay Contest

AFA’s Teen Alzheimer’s Awareness Scholarship 2022

AFA’s Teen Alzheimer’s Awareness Scholarship provides educational funding to college-bound high school seniors who have been impacted by Alzheimer’s disease. Applicants are asked to write an essay (1,500 word maximum) describing the impact of Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia-related illness on themselves, their families or their communities, and what they have learned from it. Winners are chosen based off of their essay scores. The grand prize winner receives $5,000, with additional prizes awarded for runners up. More than $350,000 in college scholarships have been awarded since the program’s inception.

Entries for the 2022 contest are now being accepted. The entry deadline is April 1, 2022.

Click here to register

Congratulations to Our 2021 Scholarship Winners!

First Place Winner ($5,000 Scholarship)

Sharada Vishwanath (Northborough, MA)


Second Place Winner ($3,500 Scholarship)

Sisy Chen (Chicago, IL)


Third Place Winner ($2,500 Scholarship)

Hunter Field (San Antonio, TX)


Third Place Winner ($2,500 Scholarship)

Liana Chen (Austin, TX)


Fourth Place Winner ($1,500 Scholarship)

Eryn Edwards (Ladson, SC)


Fifth Place Winner ($1,000 Scholarship)

Mackenzie Wright (Gaylord, MI)


Sixth Place Winners ($750 Scholarship)

  • Hannah Fink (Wonder Lake, IL)
  • Ethan Lam (Huntington Beach, CA)
  • Bryce McKay (Mountain Home AR)
  • Alexa Wickland (Chippewa Falls, WI)
  • Phillip Wilder (Valdosta, GA)
  • Amira Barrett (Atlanta, GA)
  • Isabella Caso (Tulare, CA)
  • Maya Cavounis (Queens, NY)
  • Chloe Fischer (Wheaton, KS)
  • Emma Khoury (Shrewsbury, PA)
  • Chitra Mukherjee (Palo Alto, CA)
  • Bala Vinaithirthan (Danville, CA)
  • Audrey Wessinger (Mount Pleasant, SC)
  • Charlotte West (Montclair, VA)

Seventh Place Winners ($650 Scholarship)

  • Katherine Bates (Collegeville, PA)
  • Catherine Cavanaugh (Lansdale, PA)
  • Gabriela Colon (Homestead, FL)
  • Emily Connell (Rosedale, MD)
  • Anthony Fatigante (Tulsa, OK)
  • Emmanuel Mekasha (Woodbine, MD)
  • Hannah Costa (Bayville, NJ)
  • Abigail Roth (Swanton, OH)
  • Olivia Williams (Arlington, TN)
  • Madelyn Williams (Murfreesboro, TN)
  • Ella Arrant (Knoxville, TN)

Eighth Place Winners ($550 Scholarship)

  • Bella Carlino (Crystal Lake, IL)
  • Sydney Fenner (Sussex, WI)
  • Gracie Holbrook (Cary, NC)
  • Julia Johnson (Atlanta, GA)
  • Brynn Jongetjes (Escondido, CA)
  • Karisa Kopeck (San Pedro, CA)
  • Sarah Lawrence (Republic, MO)
  • Niamh McDade Clay (Rochester, NY)
  • Grace McGuire (Cabin John, MD)
  • Kobe Mercea (Tucson, AZ)
  • Nickolas Veliz (Forest Grove, OR)
  • Ashley Woody (Sherwood, OR)
  • Udit Garg (Breinigsville, PA)
  • Sara Widerhold (Glendale, NY)
  • Skylar Wingate (Fairfield, CT)
  • Alyssa Barta (New Lenox, IL)

Ninth Place Winner ($525 Scholarship)

  • Daniel Wysocki (Palos Heights, IL)

Tenth Place Winners ($500 Scholarship)

  • Caitlyn Chason (Raeford, NC)
  • Preyashi Chaudhuri (East Amherst, NY)
  • Daniella Clayborn (Alpharetta, GA)
  • Erin Fiedler (Grayslake, IL)
  • Sadie Forbes (Andover, NJ)
  • Adrianna Fusco (Revere, MA)
  • Emma Hill (Chapin, SC)
  • Sherell Jeudi (Roslindale, MA)
  • Cory Johnson (North Huntingdon, PA)
  • Stephanie Mayer (Arlington Heights, IL)
  • Julia Merolle (Harrison, NY)
  • Sophie Redwine (Franklin, MA)
  • Joshua Wallington (Troy, MI)
  • Abigail Burris (Valley Grove, WV)
  • Austin Ladd (Rio Rancho, NM)
  • Emma Seymour (Port Neches, TX)
  • Jessica Sperle (Colorado Springs, CO)
  • Sweet Pea Wales-Miller (Cincinnati, OH)
  • Kayleigh Wiley (Kokomo, IL)
  • Bailey Williams (Jackson, WI)
  • Avigayil Yacoby (Los Angeles, CA)
  • Chaya Bellamy (Elkins Park, PA)

Honorable Mention ($400 Scholarship)

  • Katherine White (South Boston, VA)