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Cards Against Humanity starts women in STEM scholarship

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Cards Against Humanity is offering a scholarship for women in STEM fields. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Cards Against Humanity, a card game similar to Apples to Apples but for “horrible people,” might be off-putting to some, but it could be life-changing for the fortunate woman who receives the recently created Science Ambassador Scholarship.

The scholarship will grant a full ride to a woman seeking a STEM degree and will be open to female high school and college students for the 2016 academic year

“Women are underrepresented in science, tech, engineering and math, and we felt like the funding from this pack could have the greatest impact by making it possible for more women to get an education in those fields and by giving them a platform to share their work and their passion for science,” said Cards Against Humanity Co-Creator Josh Dillon.

Veronica Berns, a board member of the scholarship, said girls and young women are often told, both subtly and directly, to avoid pursuing a STEM degree because they won’t be good at it.

“With this scholarship, I’m excited to get to tell a passionate girl out there, ‘Yes! What you are doing and dreaming is really great, and here’s some help to get you where you want to go,'” Berns said in a press release.

When civil engineering sophomore Selena Alvarado heard about the scholarship, she said she was pleased because she thinks that not only are women underrepresented in STEM fields, but they are also discouraged from applying for higher positions.

“Just women? (I think) that’s cool,” Alvarado said. “My friend’s dad is a chemical engineer, (and) he said he hates when women are above him. He admitted it.”

Biochemistry freshman Elizabeth Pollard agreed that there is no problem with the scholarship only being offered to women.

“I think it’s fine,” Pollard said. “There are scholarships for academic excellence, for minorities and for race.”

Pollard said she also doesn’t mind the scholarship being offered by a company that produces lewd content in their games.

“A guy was able to give someone a scholarship for the best twerking video,” Pollard said, referencing the $50,000 Juicy J scholarship granted to a student for their uploaded video. “I think a business that people are familiar with (helping out) is great.”

The science pack that funds this scholarship is available at the Cards Against Humanity store for $10. Students can sign up to receive notifications about the scholarship.

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