In 2013, Brandie Cobb was selected to receive the very first Women’s Empowerment Scholarship created by the UK Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women.  Brandie held the Verizon Wireless Women’s Empowerment Scholarship for three years before graduating from UK in 2016.  Brandie’s time at UK was filled with recognition by the National Honor Society, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and the Dean’s list.  In May 2016, Brandie was awarded a bachelor’s degree in Health Science Clinical Leadership and Management.

In addition to achieving academic accolades, Brandie has become an outspoken and articulate advocate for the rights of sexual abuse survivors.  She regularly speaks publicly, serves on the Attorney General’s Survivor’s Council, and is an invaluable partner for the OPSVAW.

2013 and 2016 were just the first steps in Brandie’s extraordinary journey.  After securing her bachelor’s degree, Brandie entered graduate school and in May 2019 was awarded a Master of Science in Health Informatics. Brandie is the first woman to hold the Verizon Wireless Women’s Empowerment Scholarship, the first WES recipient to secure an undergraduate degree, and the first to complete graduate school.

“Brandie’s journey has been inspirational to all of us who have witnessed it.  She has overcome substantial challenges and gone on to achieve what all of us believed she could.  She is an exemplary role model for all future survivors who will hold the WES, and in the professional realm will leave a lasting mark on the healthcare field,” said Carol E. Jordan, Executive Director of the OPSVAW.

Upon securing her second degree, Brandie said, “The Women’s Empowerment Scholarship is so much more than a means to pay tuition to undergraduate school.  It is a door that opens for women to improve their lives and further their education.  This allows that woman to gain confidence in who she is and her abilities in this world.  This scholarship empowered me to change my life completely from what it had been.The scholarship gave me the courage and confidence to continue striving for my education even after my undergraduate program was finished.   I am proud to have been chosen as the inaugural recipient and hope with my new life, confidence, and knowledge I can lead other women to this amazing opportunity as well,” said Brandie.

For additional information on the OPSVAW Women’s Empowerment Scholarship Program, please access our website at https://opsvaw.as.uky.edu/womens-empowerment-scholarship-0