This Is Me Foundation

06/01/2026

06/01/2026

This scholarship application statement submission is from Grace Spieles. Grace is graduating from Van Wert High School in Van Wert, OH and will be attending Ohio Northern University this fall.

Applicants were required to submit a statement about their experiences with alopecia along with a resume & letter of recommendation. We are inspired by every story and hope, by posting, they inspire you!

05/27/2026

This scholarship submission is from Ally Bourgeois. Ally is graduating from Saranac High School in Saranac, NY and will be attending University of North Carolina Charlotte this fall.

Applicants were required to submit a statement about their experiences with alopecia along with a resume & letter of recommendation. We are inspired by every story and hope, by posting, they inspire you! See less

05/22/2026

Hey, Alopecia friends!

Have you tried Olumiant or Litfulo? Lauren is going to start on one and would love any feedback or details about your experiences. We have done all the medical research etc.

Comment here, message us, or email info@thisismefoundation.

Thanks in advance! ❤

05/21/2026

If cost is a barrier to your family attending the 41st Annual NAAF Conference, our Conference Financial Assistance Fund may be able to help. A limited amount of funding is available to assist with:

🎟️Conference registration fees
🏨Lodging expenses

NEW! It may be more affordable to book your flight home for Monday, June 29. If so, you can apply for financial assistance for the extra night stay at the official conference hotel.

Financial assistance does not cover travel costs such as airfare, train tickets, or hotel incidentals.

If you need support to attend, fill out an application form today:
https://ow.ly/RuSz50Z1sqk.

Application deadline is May 26.📅

Don’t miss this opportunity. We would love to see you at the 41st Annual NAAF Conference on June 25-28 in Orlando, FL! ✨

05/18/2026

With permission, we will be sharing a few of our 2026 national scholarship winners story submissions ❤

The below was requested to be shared anonymously.

Applicants were required to submit a statement about their experiences with alopecia along with a resume & letter of recommendation. We are inspired by every story and hope, by posting, they inspire you!

05/14/2026

2026 National 'This Is Me Scholarship, Inspired by Ryan Risco & Cait Chivonne Polhill' recipient, Grace Spieles!

Grace is graduating from Van Wert High School in Van Wert, OH and will be attending Ohio Northern University this fall.

Pictured is Grace with her high school career counselor, Kerry Koontz

Congratulations, Grace!

05/12/2026

We recently read the children’s book 'The Extraordinary Place' that beautifully includes alopecia representation without it being the focal of the storyline. ALL stories about/including alopecia are important and we look forward to sharing more!

We loved this one! The illustrations are beautiful, the story is heartwarming, and it’s truly a great read for anyone of any age.

Author Shay Michelle told us: “Growing up with alopecia, I rarely saw characters that looked like me. When I did, the stories often focused on hair loss and being different. While those stories are important, I feel like it’s also important to have simple representation of bald children without focusing on their differences. I hope that children everywhere, hair or no hair, will enjoy this story I’ve created to share with the world.”

You can check it out here:

is a sweet and imaginative story that reminds children that even the most ordinary things can be seen as extraordinary. Featuring a young girl with hair loss, this story offers meaningful representation in a gentle, natural way, without making it the focus. This is a meaningful book for any chi...

05/11/2026

2026 National 'This Is Me Scholarship, Inspired by Ryan Risco & Cait Chivonne Polhill' recipient, Cooper Taylor!

Cooper is graduating from Eisenhower High School in Goddard, KS and will be attending Wichita State University this fall.

Congratulations, Cooper!