Meet the 2025 Chronic Boss Scholars

Five student founders, five $1,000 awards, and ventures built between classes

Amanda Berk is earning graduate degrees in Social Work and Public Health at the University of Texas, AND she launched LIORA, a virtual advocacy platform that helps women walk into medical appointments prepared. Our judges have read nearly 2,000 applications since the Chronic Boss Scholarship began, and Amanda’s is the kind that makes choosing hard.

For our fourth annual scholarship, we awarded $1,000 each to five women who are working toward a degree and building something at the same time, with a chronic condition in the mix. The award is unrestricted, so it can go to tuition, medical bills, or the business itself. Health and wealth, no tradeoffs. That brings the program to $36,000 awarded to 36 scholars across four years.

“It is an honor and a privilege to uplift the next generation of Chronic Bosses,” said Lilly Stairs, Founder & CEO of Chronic Boss. “Our winners are redefining what it means to live boldly with chronic illness. They are resilient, creative, and committed to building a better world.”

Applications were reviewed by an expert judging panel of Chronic Bosses.

The 2025 Scholars

Amanda Berk
Amanda built LIORA from her own lived experience, and she’s using it to support women navigating invisible illness and reproductive care, all while finishing two graduate programs at the University of Texas.

Madeline Scott
Madeline ran an herbal apothecary before shifting her focus to graduate research on disability advocacy and accessibility in online learning. Her work centers on digital classrooms that work for every student.

Marie-Chantal Nyirahategekimana
Marie-Chantal is a grad student at Johns Hopkins and the founder of two tech ventures that use machine learning to combat healthcare bias and protect endangered African languages. For her, cultural preservation and systemic equity go hand in hand.

Christine Wilson
Christine is a U.S. veteran who leads the Wilson Education and Mental Wellness Foundation, which provides scholarships and trauma-informed care to first responders and their families. She’s earning her graduate degree while growing the foundation’s reach nationwide.

Tesia Shi
Tesia co-founded Lean On Me College Park, an anonymous peer-to-peer mental health text line at the University of Maryland. She’s now a Counseling Psychology PhD student at the University of Minnesota.

A sponsored award for Tesia

This year’s class includes our first sponsored award, from Mentally Fit Founder, a division of Lauren Perna Communications. Lauren Perna founded Mentally Fit Founder to change the conversation on mental health through practical, relatable discussion, and the sponsorship reflects a shared commitment to student founders building impact-driven ventures alongside chronic illness and mental health conditions.

“As a mental health advocate, I am dedicated to supporting fellow advocates, and there is no better way to demonstrate that commitment than sponsoring Chronic Boss scholar, Tesia Shi,” said Lauren Perna, CEO of Lauren Perna Communications. “I’m so impressed with the impactful work Tesia has done as an undergrad and is now doing as a Counseling Psychology PhD student.”

Amanda, Madeline, Marie-Chantal, Christine, and Tesia join a growing community of Chronic Boss Scholars putting their stories and skills to work. The scholarship isn’t accepting applications right now, and our newsletter at chronicboss.com is where we share what’s next.

Applying for the 2026 Chronic Boss Scholarship

If you’re a student living with a chronic condition and you’ve already launched something, like a business, a nonprofit, or a campus initiative, we want to read your story.
2026 Scholarship Application