Jocelyn Bess Steelman was a kind, gentle and compassionate woman, loving and proud wife and mother, dedicated daughter, sister, aunt and friend, brilliant business mind, zealous humanitarian, and a pillar of her community. A native New Yorker, she embodied creative thought, integrity, and wisdom.

In her loving memory and with the support of her family, Billion Oyster Project is establishing and administering the annual Jocelyn B. Steelman Memorial Scholarship as part of our organizational commitment to increasing educational access and hands-on learning opportunities for New York City students.

The Jocelyn B. Steelman Memorial Scholarship is dedicated to supporting educational opportunities to those exceptional New York City graduating seniors who portray the qualities of love for their fellow humans, environment and city, profound commitment to their community, inquisitive and creative thought, exceptional leadership, and academic excellence. With this scholarship, we are assisting leaders of tomorrow with the opportunity to pursue their educational goals.

The scholarship is a one-time $15,000 award given to a New York City high school senior in one of the five boroughs selected by the Scholarship Review Committee who meets the eligibility requirements and best exemplifies the scholarship’s core values and character traits embodied by Jocelyn. This award is both merit and need based.

To be eligible for the award, applicants must meet all of the following requirements:

• Demonstrate outstanding academic performance and have a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
• Demonstrate a financial need, as defined as qualifying for $2,500 of Federal Financial Aid support through the PEL Grants calculator. Finalists will need to provide proof of financial need through 1040 Tax Forms.
• Be a graduating high school senior who has been accepted to a fully accredited university or college. Proof of acceptance or enrollment is required.
• Show a commitment to community service and impactful volunteerism (including, but not limited to, mentorship activities).
• Provide a recommendation letter from teacher, community or volunteer leader.
• Provide a copy of their school transcript.
• Submit a 300 or less word response on how has an event or a mentor impacted you and shaped your idea of leadership and how do you plan to utilize this influence to grow as a leader.

All applications are due April 1, 2025 and will be reviewed by the Scholarship Review Committee, made up of the leadership of Billion Oyster Project, members of Jocelyn’s family, friends and wider world of connections. The Committee and Billion Oyster Project Leadership will then choose the annual award recipient by June 1, 2025.

The Jocelyn B. Steelman Scholarship funds are intended to assist with direct school related expenses such as tuition, fees, books, and room and board. The one-time award will be issued to awardees or their educational institutions for deposit in respective school accounts. Awardees agree to deposit the scholarship funds within six-months of the award.