Stryker Institute for Leadership Development

The Stryker Institute for Leadership Development is a participation-based scholarship program. The Stryker Institute serves scholars from under-represented groups and supports scholars in their identity and leadership development.

We accomplish our mission by:

• Providing access to educational opportunities focused on identity development, social justice, leadership and mentorship
• Cultivating a sense of belonging through connectedness and community
• Empowering scholars through encouragement and facilitation of personal growth
• Establishing a network of support through collaboration with campus and community partners

We envision a world in which leaders bring awareness to social injustices and find liberation in dismantling systemic barriers that prevent us from achieving our goal of thriving in an equitable society.

We approach our work with the following values:

• Celebrating the unique intersecting identities of each scholar and the strength of our collective voice in positively impacting our families and communities
• Maintaining an open mind to explore and find healing in telling our stories
• Cultivating individual and collective success of students through social justice and leadership development
• Supporting an inclusive learning environment where dissonance and differences are understood, respected, appreciated, and recognized as a source of strength
• Demonstrating diligence and accountability as we challenge ourselves through identity exploration to become better advocates

As a result of receiving the Stryker scholarship, Stryker scholars will be able to:

• Identify and define at least two of their social identities
• Explain privilege and oppression within a societal context through an intersectional lens
• Describe how their leadership is influenced by their core values and identities they hold
• Demonstrate the use of mentoring techniques applied through a mentor and mentee relationship
• Identify an injustice that resonates with their identities and create a plan to enact positive social change

Check back for updates!

• Log in to your UNC Ursa account.
• Click the Financial tab at the top of the page.
• Click on the link to the “University Scholarship Application”.
• This will open the “University Scholarship Application”. You will need to select specific boxes to generate the Stryker Scholarship.
• Choose the following statements that apply to you: “I am a member of an underrepresented group at UNC”
• The Stryker Scholarship Application should generate in the “Our Opportunities” section.
• If the Stryker Scholarship Application does not generate in the “Our Opportunities” section, you can search for “Stryker Institute for Leadership Development” to find the Stryker Scholarship Application.
• Please select the option that has the following description:
• Award: “The Stryker Institute for Leadership Development: The Stryker Institute for Leadership Development is awarded to students from underrepresented groups.”
• Please copy the Qualtrics link provided at the end of the “Supplemental Questions” section and paste it into a new internet browser tab.
• Fill out the Qualtrics Survey. The survey is your Stryker Application.  You must complete the entire application to be considered for the Stryker Scholarship.
• Please note that 3 references (personal, professional, academic) are required for the Stryker application. There will be a section in the survey where you can list your references’ contact information. Please get their consent to be your reference before you submit your application. The Stryker Scholarship Application Committee will contact your references about you as an applicant via email.

As there are many ways to identify within underrepresented groups, a student must hold one or more underrepresented identities.

Please reach out to us at Stryker@unco.edu or 970-351-2941 if you have any questions about what qualifies as an underrepresented group.

Yes! If you meet all of the eligibility requirements, you are able to apply.

Applicants for Stryker can be in any UNC degree seeking program as a full-time (fall and spring semesters) student.

We are not currently accepting applications for graduate students as the scholarship aims to support students seeking their first degree.

Yes! International students and students who are nonresidents of Colorado are welcome to apply. If you are paying an out-of-state rate, it may be helpful to know that the Stryker Institute scholarship only covers a portion of your tuition.

Yes! All UNC students who identify as a member of an underrepresented group who are enrolled full-time in a degree-seeking program are eligible. If accepted into the program, you would need to attend all workshops on UNC’s campus in Greeley, keep this in mind.

No, all participants are expected to fulfill at least one year of the Stryker experience.

No, selection of new incoming scholarship recipients only occurs once per year and are awarded in the fall semester.

No, this tuition scholarship is only awarded for/can be used for fall and spring semesters.

No, as the scholarship aims to support students seeking their first degree.

No. The Stryker Institute requires participants to be enrolled in a degree-seeking program and at full-time status.

Yes, you are still eligible to apply! In your Stryker Institute application, please indicate you have been previously involved with our program as a participant.

The first year participants engage in monthly workshops on a select Friday from 4:30pm – 6:30 pm. All participants are required to attend all workshops. The second, third, and fourth year participants have varying schedules (typically Friday 4:30-6:30pm or Saturday for some third year participants workshops) and will be distributed before each academic year begins at end of summer retreat. The scholarship program is an estimated 30-40 hours per academic year (end of summer retreat, monthly workshops, celebration banquet at the end of semester, reflection & evaluation activities).

The expectation in providing you with dates ahead of time is that you will make workshop dates a priority in your schedule. This provides you with ample time to talk with supervisors, family, babysitters, instructors, etc. to avoid missing workshops. Please stay in active communication with Stryker Director to make up any work you might miss so you continue to remain in active participation in the program and eligible for the scholarship.

The completed application must be submitted by June 1.

Applicants must complete the University Scholarship application on Ursa. Once you complete this application, a list of scholarships you are eligible for will be available. Within this list, search for the Stryker Institute for Leadership Development scholarship. Copy the link to the full Stryker Scholarship Application on Qualitrics, paste the link into your browser to complet and submit the application.

No. Please submit all materials online through the University Scholarship Academic Works website.

You Identify as a person from an underrepresented group at UNC. Please reach out to us at Stryker@unco.edu or 970-351-2941 if you have any questions about what qualifies as underrepresented group.

If you are eligible, but the application is not available to you, please contact the Office of Financial Aid (970-351-4862).

If you are having technical issues completing the application, please contact the Office of Financial Aid (970-351-4862).

We will reach out to notify all applicants the status of their application before the fall semester begins. Please, check your email and/or voice mail for updates during the summer.