Scholarships and Awards

Purpose

The NBOTC Frances Swift Scholarship Award was established in 1984 to honor the pioneering Black Occupational Therapist, Frances Swift. The purpose of this scholarship is to annually provide financial incentive and encouragement to one Black student who is pursuing a career in Occupational Therapy.

Application

The Scholarship application process for 2025 is now open. The deadline for all applications will be February 22, 2025, at 11:59 PM CST. For any questions regarding the scholarship form or process, please contact our Scholarship Chair at NBOTCScholarship@gmail.com.

Download the Application

Scholarship History

The NBOTC scholarship award was established in 1984 in honor of Frances Swift, a Black Occupational Therapist, who was a passenger on the ill-fated Korean Airlines Flight 007, shot down by the Soviet Union on September 1, 1983. Frances Swift graduated from the University of Buffalo in Occupational Therapy. She held positions in Occupational Therapy in Washington, D.C., and Detroit, Michigan. She was Chief Occupational Therapist at Mt. Carmel Hospital in Detroit. At the time of her death, Frances Swift was en route to Japan to explore the linkage between Asians and African-Americans.

"My name is Terra Samuels, however, I go by Gina, and I am from Lexington, South Carolina. I am a Level II Doctor of Occupational Therapy student at Howard University who aspires to be a certified neonatal occupational therapist. A few of my favorite occupations include hiking in the mountains and riding my bike on trails. I love getting lost in whimsical forests and love watching the sun rise and set. I love long road trips and traveling internationally to places most people have never heard of. These activities allow me to relax and provide my life with as much of a work-life balance as a student can have. Giving back to my community is also one of my favorite occupations, as my community has poured freely into me, molding and shaping me into who I am today."