Scholar Spotlight: Talia S.
Talia S. is pursuing a double degree in psychology and early childhood education at Queens College in New York City. Her life goal is to empower others as others have empowered her, by encouraging them to complete their education and to develop “the tools to achieve success.”
“I especially want to empower Latina women” like herself, Talia explains, so that they can empower their families. “It’s a ripple effect of empowerment.”
Talia is a PIPs for School (P4S) Scholar at River Fund, a poverty fighting nonprofit based in Queens, NY. Students accepted to be a P4S Scholar get access to a customized version of the PIPs Rewards App. The app tracks and rewards participating students with a “currency of good” called Positive Impact Points (PIPs) for completing actions that benefit health, community and the environment. As PIPs accrue, they can be converted into scholarship grants for school. Students can unlock up to $1000 in grants per year.
“I used to recycle bottles for money,” Talia noted. Recycling for grants that help pay for school is “even more powerful” in her view. Earning points riding a bicycle, recycling, doing volunteer work, drinking water, everyday good things that “not only make a difference but translate into education.”
Talia plans to use her grant money to pay for books. “Textbooks are really expensive and sometimes I opt out from buying a textbook and [instead I] go to the library and scan documents. So it’s very helpful for me to use that grant for textbooks.”
Talia wonders “why PIPs is not operating on a “larger scale throughout New York or throughout the world, because it could bring so much… it could make such a difference.” Talia volunteers at River Fund, helping families in need. Engaging with PIPs “has taught me a lot about myself. I’ve become more conscious…more aware. I take more time in my day to stop and actually see the people who are around me and who need my help. And it’s very rewarding to go back home and share [what I have done] in the PIPs App.”
