The 'Search For Hidden Figures Contest' Is Offering $200,000 In Scholarship Money To Young Women

This January, three phenomenal actresses will be gracing the big screen together to bring a remarkable true story to millions of people across the country, and a real-life scholarship opportunity inspired by the film is making the debut even more exciting. Hidden Figures tells the story of an extraordinary young Black mathematics genius by the name of Katherine Johnson, who worked with her two colleagues to develop calculations that ultimately helped engineer John Glen make history as the first American astronaut to make a complete orbit of the earth. Johnson is played by Taraji P. Henson, while actress Octavia Spencer and singer/actress Janelle Monae star as Johnson’s invaluable colleagues. In anticipation of the film’s January 2017 release, 21st Century Fox has teamed up with PepsiCo to launch The “Search For Hidden Figures” scholarship program. Established in an effort to provide additional funding opportunities for young women with an interest in pursing careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), the contest is truly one of a kind. Much like the film’s story, 21st Century Fox and PepsiCo hope to inspire as many young women as possible to strive for greatness through the scholarship. “PepsiCo is incredibly proud to work with 21st Century Fox and the New York Academy of Sciences to shine a light on women and girls doing outstanding but unheralded work in science, technology, engineering and math,” said Mehmood Khan, PepsiCo’s Vice Chairman and Chief Scientific Officer, Global Research and Development. “The ‘Hidden Figures’ story is being told at a time when advances in each of these fields are creating unprecedented opportunities to develop solutions for many of the world’s biggest challenges. PepsiCo is proud to actively support the discovery of STEM talent and the development of STEM skills in the workforce.” Subscribe to our daily newsletter for the latest in hair, beauty, style and celebrity news. The contest will run from November 14 – December 10, 2016. Once the entry period has ended, one winner will be selected from each of the two age groups and each of them receive $50,000 in scholarships. The two semi-finalists will then move on to the second phase of the contest, where another winner will be chosen. The program will award a total of $200,000 in scholarship funds. For more information on the Search For Hidden Figures scholarship contest, including how you can enter, visit their official website here.