Introducing: 2026 NAACP/MLP Scholarship Awardees
We are proud to announce that MLP in partnership with Shelby County NAACP has awarded $8,000 to the winners of our annual scholarship program. The competition holds up graduating seniors in Shelby County public schools who have shown a commitment to advancing racial justice and the potential to be outstanding community leaders. Learn in their own words the goals and aspirations that guide these winning students.
2026 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
Mary Elizabeth House
Montevallo HS, 1st place
My experience as the Montevallo Junior Mayor, and experience at Alabama Girls’ State helped me recognize my love for public speaking. This realization helped me discover that I wanted to become a lawyer. Specifically, I want to specialize in family law. I feel that I would be able to help people on a wider scale. I don’t want to chase money making cases that get a lot of publicity. I want to be someone who helps complete an adoption, who makes everyday people’s homes happier and healthier. My community has taught me that if you really want to make a difference, you don’t chase money, you lend a helping hand. That’s why I also plan to use my law degree to become a volunteer lawyer for an organization like the Equal Justice Initiative. A job like that isn’t about the money, it's about the results.
Natalie Bevilacqua
Shelby Co. HS, 2nd place
I have always been drawn to helping people, but never understood the right way to go about it. My love for science and logic opened doors for me to explore a career in the medical field. Not only do I get to do what I love, but this career will give me the influence and ability to make a difference in these spaces. I am passionate about creating safe and fair environments for groups that are usually overlooked when it comes to their health. Specifically women and people of color. Throughout medical history these minorities have consistently been ignored or not taken seriously. Whether that be doctors making stereotypical assumptions or being excluded from medical research, they are not given the same care as other patients. I hope that one day I can make a difference and improve the circumstances for everyone, to create equal opportunities for all people regarding their health.
Trinity Williams
Helena HS, 3rd place
Growing up as a black girl in America, I witnessed members of my community and other people of color being wrongfully accused of crimes they did not commit just because of their skin color. This sparked a fight in me to help those people and ensure that the justice system treats everyone fairly. I plan to do this by getting an undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice & Legal Studies, going to Law School, and eventually practicing the law as a criminal defense attorney. The NAACP’s mission is to “achieve equity, political rights, and social inclusion by advancing policies and practices that expand human and civil rights”. Through my career, I will be able to serve the mission statement by getting the world closer to an equal justice system, and everyone will have their human rights of a fair trial and be granted a good defender, no matter their skin color.