Irving Innovation Award Spotlight: Elevance Health

This fall, Scholarship America will once again be presenting the Irving Innovation Awards, honoring organizations that have reimagined what it means to support students, providing financial assistance and creating holistic opportunities for personal and professional growth.

The scholarship sponsors receiving 2026 Irving Innovation Awards stand out for their unique approaches to student support and their deep focus on those facing financial need as they pursue their educational goals, no matter what their pathway. As we lead up to the Irving Innovation Awards on September 23, we’re proud to spotlight the award winners here.

Today we’re spotlighting the scholarship programs from Elevance Health, which help prepare the next generation of professionals while addressing the unique workforce needs of the communities it serves. Through scholarships funded by Elevance Health and its affiliated health plans, students across the country receive financial support to pursue careers in healthcare and other high-demand fields.

We spoke with Charmekia Martin, Strategic Growth and Engagement Director at Elevance Health, to learn more.

How do you work with the scholarship programs at Elevance Health?

As Strategic Growth and Engagement Director, I help lead initiatives that strengthen community partnerships and expand opportunities that support better health and stronger communities. One part of that work includes collaborating with scholarship programs supported by Elevance Health and its affiliated health plans that help make education more accessible for students pursuing careers in healthcare and other high-demand fields.

I work closely with internal and external partners to identify opportunities that address local workforce needs, reduce barriers to education, and create pathways for students who want to make a difference in their communities. It’s incredibly rewarding to help connect students with resources that support their educational goals while contributing to stronger local workforces and healthier communities.

Why is it important for Elevance Health to invest in scholarships?

At Elevance Health, we recognize that healthy communities depend on access to a strong healthcare workforce. Across the country, many communities, particularly rural and underserved areas, continue to face shortages of healthcare professionals. Scholarship programs are one way we can help reduce financial barriers for students pursuing careers that are essential to meeting those needs.

Investing in education is an investment in healthier communities. By supporting students today, we’re helping strengthen the workforce that will care for communities in the future while advancing our whole health approach.

How do the Elevance Health scholarship programs support your broader mission and workforce development efforts?

Our scholarship programs reflect Elevance Health’s commitment to improving whole health by investing beyond healthcare coverage and into the communities we serve. Supporting students who are preparing for careers in healthcare and other high-demand fields helps strengthen local workforces, expand economic opportunity, and improve access to care.

These programs complement broader workforce development efforts by helping create pathways for future nurses, behavioral health professionals, social workers, physicians, and other healthcare professionals whose skills are needed in communities across the country.

What led Elevance Health to partner with Scholarship America?

Scholarship America brings decades of experience administering scholarship programs and shares our commitment to expanding educational opportunity. Their expertise allows us to administer scholarship programs efficiently while helping ensure opportunities reach students from a wide range of communities.

The partnership enables us to focus on supporting students and addressing workforce needs while relying on Scholarship America’s proven processes and experience managing scholarship programs at a national scale.

How are these scholarship programs impacting the future workforce?

Scholarships can make a meaningful difference by helping students overcome financial barriers that might otherwise prevent them from completing their education. Many recipients are preparing for careers in healthcare and are committed to serving communities where providers are needed most.

While workforce challenges cannot be solved through scholarships alone, these programs contribute to building a stronger pipeline of future healthcare professionals and help expand access to care over time.

How do you see these programs evolving in the future?

As community and workforce needs continue to change, we expect our scholarship programs to evolve alongside them. We’ll continue looking for opportunities to support career pathways that address critical workforce shortages and strengthen access to care.

We’ll also continue working with trusted partners like Scholarship America to ensure these programs remain responsive to community needs while helping students pursue careers that can make a lasting impact.

What advice would you give to scholarship applicants?

Be authentic. Share your story, your goals, and what inspires you to pursue your chosen career.

Scholarship applications are an opportunity to demonstrate not only your academic accomplishments, but also your commitment to serving others and making a positive impact in your community.

We encourage applicants to highlight how their education and career aspirations will help address local workforce needs and improve the health and well-being of the communities they hope to serve.

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Our thanks to Charmekia for her time, and congratulations to Elevance Health and their fellow 2026 award winners! To learn more about the Irving Innovation Awards and find out how you can be a part of the celebration, visit the event website here.