Eric's Fund: A Scholarship for a Creative

Eric's Fund is an annual, $1,000 scholarship to honor the memory of Eric Dalgo. Eric's Fund is granted to one graduating senior on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and one graduating senior in Seattle, Washington.

This fund will be granted to a student who is pursuing a degree in music, the visual or performing arts, creative writing, philosophy, or a related field. Eric's Fund also aims to reduce stigma around drug use while promoting awareness and education about overdose prevention.

Applications are currently closed. We will begin accepting applications on January 1, 2025.

About Eric

Eric graduated from Ocean Springs High School in 2008 and received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of South Alabama in 2015 with additional studies in philosophy and anthropology. He was kind, funny, shy, curious, sensitive, and had a rich inner life.

Eric was a creative person with many hobbies including playing/composing music – primarily on guitar and piano. He was an autodidact, teaching himself to play pieces such as Moonlight Sonata and Für Elise. He loved nature, photography, thrifting, podcasts, video games, and philosophy. He enjoyed reading poetry by Walt Whitman and Khalil Gibran. He would happily spend an afternoon daydreaming, writing songs and poems, and thinking about words.

In February 2022, Eric died after taking counterfeit Xanax pills that contained a deadly dose of fentanyl, an illicitly manufactured opioid. He was 32 years old.

Eric's Fund aims to honor Eric's generosity and his artistic talents by providing needed financial support to a student who embodies Eric's creative, imaginative, and playful spirit. It also aims to educate young adults heading to college about how to keep themselves and their friends safe if they choose to use drugs.

Application Process

Eligibility Criteria:

Must be a graduating high school senior on the Mississippi Gulf Coast or in Seattle, WA.
Must have financial need for the grant.
Must be pursuing a degree in music, the visual or performing arts, creative writing, philosophy, or a related field.

Application Requirements:

Essay: A brief essay (500-700 words) discussing your passion for your chosen field and what inspired you to pursue it.
Letter of Recommendation: One letter of recommendation from a teacher, mentor, or community leader highlighting your passion for the arts, philosophy, or other creative field.
Resume: A resume outlining their academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and any relevant experience.
Video: Complete the Online Overdose Prevention Training and submit a short video (no greater than 5 minutes) discussing your thoughts on harm reduction and how college students can work to make their campus and community safer.

Overdose Prevention Component:

Online Training: Scholarship recipients will complete the OPC online overdose prevention training. This training will provide information on the signs of an overdose, how to administer naloxone, and ways to reduce the risk of overdose in their communities.
After completing the online training, applicants will receive a Resource Kit from OPC, which will include naloxone.
Applicants will then record their Video to submit with their application.

Selection Process:

Applications will be reviewed by the OPC Scholarship Committee. The scholarship will be awarded based on the applicant's passion for their field, financial need, and the quality and creativity of their video submission.

Award Amount:

The recipient of Eric’s Fund will receive a $1,000 scholarship.

Application Deadline:

Applications must be submitted by March 1st each year.

Notification:

The recipient will be notified by May 1st each year.

Terms and Conditions:

The scholarship funds will be disbursed directly to the educational institution upon verification of enrollment.

To Apply:

Submit all materials listed above in the Application Requirements section to: odpreventioncollective@gmail.com no later than March 1st.