Since its founding in 2017, Diversify Ice has made an impact on figure skating with its diversity initiatives. Founder Joel Savary, a skating coach and author, has played a role in coaching the skating team at Howard University, the first of Historically Black College [or] University (HBCU) to participate in collegiate skating competitions. Now, the foundation is offering a $1,500 scholarship to an HBCU student involved in competitive figure skating.
“School is already incredibly expensive, and also figure skating is incredibly expensive,” said Savary. “A big goal of Diversify Ice is to increase the number of HBCU schools that will have teams in the future. It hopefully sparks some opportunities for students [who] are already skating competitively and attending an HBCU. It also helps alleviate some of the academic costs.”
In addition to covering skating costs, a portion of the scholarship may be used for academic expenses. Applicants are asked to share their proposed budget for the funds. One person may want the funds solely for skating, but another may need money for textbooks. Proof of current HBCU enrollment is required, as well as proof through photos and/or videos that the person is actually an active figure skater.
“We also require a short essay that demonstrates their experiences — to share their goals and the impact that skating has had on their lives,” Savary said. “This scholarship brings in practical support for students pursuing both education and skating … We would love to hear all of those stories. I think this will change the way we look at skating. We want to make a positive impact.”
