“
My ultimate goal in life is to create a safe environment for every woman in society.
Sapana Thalal
2023 Bill + Peggy Britt Scholarship Recipient
Bill and Peggy Britt Scholarship
SUPPORTING EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS
The Bill and Peggy Britt Scholarship recognizes a student who is an IBO or a child of an IBO and goes above and beyond to help others live better lives. The Britts have devoted themselves to helping people succeed, and their legacy of giving continues through this program.
The winner will receive a check in the amount of $15,000.
Applications for the 2024 Bill and Peggy Britt Scholarship will be accepted November 5, 2023 - April 30, 2024.
2023 RECIPIENT
Sapana Thalal
Bill and Peggy Britt Scholarship
UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO
Growing up in Nepal, Sapana Thalal knew that education would be the key to her future. “I always wanted a good education,” Sapana said. “I wanted to achieve success in my life and have financial independence.”
Completing an undergraduate degree in public health in Kathmandu, Nepal, was
an important step toward the future she imagined. “I wanted to go into the medical field, and I’ve always found public health really interesting,” Sapana said. “Public health focuses on how we can make people’s lives better by addressing root issues in depth.”
While she was writing a paper for her program on the prevalence of sexual harassment among girls, news reports in Nepal told the story of the rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl. The crime shocked the nation and brought new visibility to the plight of women and girls in Nepal.
The story horrified Sapana and inspired her to respond. “It just made me think, what if she’d had something to save her life?” Sapana said. “What if she could have gotten help?”
Sapana and her Amway business partner, Jhonson Bokati, jointly developed the idea for a wearable device called Project Catcher. “Once you press the alert button on your wearable device, an emergency notification with live GPS location will be sent to your loved ones and legal authorities,” Sapana said. “I know how scared girls can feel, and I wanted to build something that could give them confidence and make them feel safer.”
“
My ultimate goal in life is to create a safe environment for every woman in society.
Sapana Thalal
2023 Bill + Peggy Britt Scholarship Recipient
“
My ultimate goal in life is to create a safe environment for every woman in society.
Sapana Thalal
2023 Bill + Peggy Britt Scholarship Recipient
Sapana and her partner built a working prototype and began to search for manufacturers to build and distribute the device. But Sapana realized she needed more education to make a greater impact. She came to the University of San Francisco to earn a master’s degree in public health.
“It was a challenge when I first came here, but the professors were all very helpful,” Sapana said. “Sometimes I really miss my hometown. But by now I’m used to it and I enjoy living in San Francisco.”
As she works toward completing her degree, Sapana also continues to grow her Amway business. “This is something you can continue to build up if you work hard,” Sapana said. “You have to set goals and manage your time in order to achieve those goals. You learn to complete tasks in certain pockets of time in order to balance work, school and life. You can’t overcomplicate it, and you can’t give up.”
As she completes her public health degree, Sapana plans to continue to develop her safety device and raise awareness about health and safety for girls in her home country and beyond.
“I want to use my business knowledge and my expertise to help communities,” Sapana said. “I want to help create a safe environment for each and every girl in Nepal and everywhere else.”
BILL + PEGGY BRITT SCHOLARSHIP
The purpose of the Bill and Peggy Britt Scholarship is to assist promising young people who have lofty goals and are determined to reach them. Sapana is very deserving of this scholarship, and I am pleased to play a part in helping her reach her goals.
– Peggy Britt
The system is unable to load the contents of this page. If you continue to see this error, please contact Customer Service 800-253-6500.
Do you really want to cancel your registration?
By selecting cancel, the new IBO must complete the rest of the registration process, including payment. You will not be able to return to the payment option.
The new IBO will receive an email with a link to complete the process
This product item already exists in the list. Try scanning another product.