Dee’s Light Shines SCHOLARSHIP

Denise "Dee" McCarthy was a music therapist and social worker from Ohio who attended several WBMT self awareness retreats. During this time, as she battled cancer, she showed resilience, encouragement toward others, and demonstrated strength in times of weakness.

 

Dee's light continues to shine after her passing. In honor of Dee, WBMT Retreats invites you to apply for a $500 scholarship to use toward a WBMT self-awareness retreat in August or October 2026. Two scholarships will be awarded each year.

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Application Period:

• June 15 - July 6

• Scholarship recipients will be notified via email on or before Monday, July 13th.

 

How to Apply:

1. Register for the retreat here and submit deposit to reserve your spot.

2. Read the essay prompts below and select one. 

3. Write between 750-1000 words that speak to the selected essay prompt.

4. Put your name and email address at the top of your essay document.

5. Once your essay is completed in a Word document, you must attach the Word document to an email and send to Madelaine Murphy at madelainermurphy@gmail.com.

 

This email account is monitored only by evaluators of WBMT Retreat Scholarship, Dee’s family. Three evaluators will read, reflect on your essay, then provide a numerical score to your essay. The average of the 3 scores on your essay will be your final score.

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The two applicants with the highest average score will each be awarded $500 to be used towards a WBMT Retreat in 2026. You will be notified via email on or before July 13th. 

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*If you are not a scholarship recipient and can no longer attend the retreat, you will be refunded your deposit.

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The evaluation criteria is as follows:
 

1. Response to Prompt / Relevance

2. Content & Substance

3. Personal Impact / Authenticity

4. Organization & Structure

5. Writing Quality / Style, Grammar, Mechanics & Spelling

6. Adherence to Word Count & Instructions

7. Overall Impression / Scholarship Merit

 

 

SCHOLARSHIP ESSAY PROMPTS

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Resilience

Describe a time in your life when you faced a challenge, setback, or unexpected circumstance that tested you in a way you did not anticipate. Explain how you responded, what you learned through the experience, and how it revealed that you were more resilient than you thought.

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In your essay, consider addressing:

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• What was the situation or challenge you faced?

• Why did it feel difficult or significant at the time?

• How did you adapt, persevere, or overcome the obstacle?

• What did this experience teach you about yourself, your strengths, or your ability to handle future challenges?

 

Your essay should be personal, reflective, and demonstrate how this experience shaped your growth and perspective.

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Encouraging Others

Describe how you encourage and support others when they are facing something difficult or challenging. Share a specific time when you gave another person encouragement to help them take on a task, overcome an obstacle, or persevere through a challenging situation.

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In your essay, consider addressing:

• What was the difficult or challenging task the other person faced?

• Why did they need encouragement or support?

• What did you say or do to encourage them?

• How did your encouragement impact the person or the outcome?

• What did this experience teach you about leadership, compassion, or your role in supporting others?

 

Your essay should be personal, reflective, and demonstrate how your actions helped another person grow, persevere, or succeed.

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Strength in Weakness

Reflect on a time when a personal weakness, struggle, limitation, or setback helped you discover an unexpected source of strength. Describe how this experience challenged you and explain how it contributed to your growth, resilience, or understanding of yourself.

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In your essay, consider addressing:

• What weakness, challenge, or struggle did you face?

• Why did it feel significant or difficult at the time?

• How did you respond to or work through the experience?

• What strengths, insights, or personal growth emerged from this challenge?

• How has this experience shaped the way you view yourself or approach future difficulties?

 

Your essay should be personal, thoughtful, and reflective, demonstrating how a difficult experience or perceived weakness became a source of strength and growth.