18 Scholars will receive scholarships raised from the ESA Foundation’s 22nd Annual Fundraiser ‘Nite to Unite’
The ESA Foundation announced its 2024 Scholars, awarding 18 university students interested in pursuing a career in video game development or esports. The scholarships were made possible through proceeds from Nite to Unite, ESA Foundation’s annual gala. Meet the 2024 cohort here.
The ESA Foundation is dedicated to inspiring future creators in the video game industry and encouraging diversity in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) by offering a variety of scholarships and grants. To date, the ESA Foundation has provided $20 million for a wide variety of causes and more than 450 scholarships over 25 years.
“Part of our mission at the ESA Foundation is to support young professionals and encourage underrepresented creators to become waymakers in the industry,” said ESA Foundation Executive Director Sue Madden. “We’re proud to offer scholarships that continue to build and advance opportunities for students with unique talents and ideas. These scholarships are an industry stepping stone for a more inclusive video game industry and we are so grateful to Nite to Unite sponsors for sharing our vision.”
Applicants were able to apply for three scholarships: Computer and Video Game Arts and Sciences Scholarship, Esports Scholarship, and LGBTQ+ Service Scholarship. In addition to the scholarship the cohort will be able to participate in career focused programming and networking opportunities.
“In the future, I hope to work as a graphics programmer to help create immersive narrative experiences that highlight voices amongst LGBTQ+ community,” said Noah Combatir, ESA Foundation Scholar 2024. “Through the financial support of the ESA Foundation, I’ll have the funds to focus on my education and projects to explore this pathway further and pursue my passion.”
Milan Rozier, a student at Spelman College and 2024 scholar wrote, “I aspire to become a skilled and impactful UX/UI designer within the gaming industry, creating engaging and inclusive user experiences that resonate with a diverse audience. Since every type of person plays video games, I want to ensure they feel represented and have all their needs met. And thanks to this amazing scholarship, I can now focus more on my career goals and studies without having any financial concerns.”
Heading to Penn West Edinboro University this fall, Lolacenza Paolello-Skindell says, “Receiving this scholarship will help me achieve my life-long goals. I think my experiences with diversity, helping others and overcoming the restraints of a large, low-income family will enable me to reach others through video games in an important way.”
Meet the 2024 cohort here.
MEDIA CONTACT
TriplePoint on behalf of ESAF
esaf@triplepointpr.com
Tony Ramos 
Alexandra Kauffman