Kayla Breault Wins Union Plus Scholarship
Kayla has already been named to the President's List for both Fall 2025 and Spring 2026. Here she’s shown being inducted into Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year college students.
Kayla Breault, a SHARE member and Scheduling Agent in the Patient Access Center (PAC), was recently named a winner of the Union Plus Scholarship. The prize is a national award for union members and their families, including all SHARE members, who are working toward a degree. We’re glad for Kayla’s win . . . and we’re even more excited to know what she’s doing with her education, while at the same time helping patients in our hospital get the appointments they need.
While working at UMass Memorial, Kayla has been studying General Business at Massachusetts Bay Community College (MassBay), working remotely toward her Associate in Science degree. Kayla says she hopes to use her education to create opportunities for young people who grew up in circumstances similar to hers — especially kids who didn't have the support, stability, or resources they deserved.
“I’m so, so honored to be a recipient of the Union Plus Scholarship and incredibly grateful for the support and belief behind it,” Kayla says. “Continuing my education has meant so much to me, especially during a period when health issues and being out on medical leave have sometimes made it difficult to believe in myself or feel like I was still moving forward.”
How You Can Apply
The Union Plus Scholarship is open to SHARE members — as well as our spouses and dependent children — and it doesn't cost anything to apply. Here's what you need to know:
Who's eligible: Current or retired union members, and their spouses or dependent children, with at least one year of continuous union membership as of May 31.
What it takes: One teacher reference letter, plus two short essays (about 350 words each) — one on your relationship to unions and the labor movement, and one on overcoming a challenge or reflecting on something you're grateful for.
What it's worth: One-time awards ranging from $1,000 to $4,000 for fall enrollment, usable at any accredited U.S. college, university, community college, or trade/technical school — including graduate programs.
Deadline: 11:59 p.m. EST, January 31, 2027.
Since 1991, the program has awarded more than $6.2 million to over 4,400 families — Kayla is proof that SHARE members are part of that story. You can find full details and the application at unionplus.org/benefits/education/union-plus-scholarships.
Keep Learning
Kayla's win is one of several education and scholarship opportunities available to SHARE members. Check out the SHARE blog to stay on top of what's open:
Congratulations, Kayla — we're proud to have you in the union, and we can't wait to see what’s next!