ECGS Grants Open Through February 25: Supporting Scholars Like Angel
NEW ORLEANS, LA (February 17, 2026) Emerson Collective Graduate School Grants are open until February 25, 2026, supporting college graduates who enroll in graduate schools and choose to pursue fields in Law, STEM, Health, and Education.
Angel Johnson, a College Track alumna and former College Track New Orleans scholar, is in the home stretch of her Master’s of Urban Planning, with a concentration in City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning at Texas A&M University. With only a few months until graduation, she’s preparing for the next chapter of her journey: post-graduate life. This period of time comes with reflection, amidst excitement for what’s next.
Angel’s educational journey has taken her across the country, from New Orleans to Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, and now College Station, Texas. At Bard College, she studied Environmental & Urban Studies and Human Rights. Urban Planning was not a field originally on her radar. Reflecting on her introduction to this field, she recalled, “When I went to my first [Urban Planning] class, it was a sociology course on urban. It was called Urban Sociology,” she reflected, “I fell in love with the way that cities work and all those things.”
Angel’s growing interest in Urban Planning was deepened by her desire to support communities. At Bard, she realized that to excel in the Urban Planning field at the level she intended, she needed to pursue a Master’s degree. So, for Angel, the only fitting next step was to become a Texas A&M Aggie. Now, her day-to-day curriculum is filled with community engagement opportunities, as she’s learning the secret ingredients of community building: how people work together, how environments are created, and ultimately how cities are designed, in an effort to create cities where all individuals thrive. This work excites her.
Reflecting on her journey to present, Angel notes that she didn’t embark on this education route alone. After learning about the Emerson Collective Graduate School (ECGS) grant, she applied for this resource. For Angel, the ECGS has been more than a financial resource. She noted, “If I didn’t have their [ECGS] support and I didn’t have the grant, I don’t think I would’ve gotten as far as I have been getting in my program, and I think that it wouldn’t have set me up for being successful after I graduate from this time of my life.” Through this grant, recipients have opportunities to participate in workshops, exploring topics like financial literacy, home ownership, applying for grants, and filing taxes. This investment has resonated with Angel, reaffirming her belief that with these tools, “You have a commitment to being an exceptional scholar and exceptional person after you graduate.”
Angel is practicing what she preaches and embracing the exceptionality in her day-to-day life. Now, in her final semester at Texas A&M University, she’s taking a course called Community Engagement, where she and her fellow second-year Urban Planning peers are utilizing the tools they’ve learned by building a 20-year plan for a nearby rural community, which is on a mission to expand their city’s impact and embrace the opportunities that await. This initiative is part of the Texas A&M Target Communities program. Partnering with this nearby town, Angel and her peers meet with community members, learning about their home, history, and utilizing the strategies they’ve learned throughout their education to make informed and inclusive decisions about this area’s future. This opportunity, alongside previous moments in her educational career, has reminded her that life is all about expanding your horizon.
As she prepares to embark on her next adventure, post-graduation life, she’s encouraging College Track scholars and alumni to apply for ECGS, utilizing it as a resource to embrace their own futures by expanding their horizons. Her advice is impactful and direct: “Never limit yourself and play small. Believe that you’re worth doing and going the extra mile.”
Through Angel and other ECGS grant recipients’ stories, we’re reminded that the opportunities you embrace and the choices you make to expand your horizons have the power to impact your purpose.
The ECGS grants are open until February 25, 2026. Thinking about going the extra mile? Take advantage of this opportunity today. Apply Here:https://app.smarterselect.com/programs/102893
For more information, please visit the ECGS grants page, https://sites.google.com/collegetrack.org/ecgs2026/home.
Important Note: Masters of Urban Planning (MUP) is no longer an ECGS grant-accepted program, and candidates will be considered for the grant on a case-by-case basis.