Milford’s Perras Ruddy Selected as Colgate-Palmolive Scholar by 1,000 Dreams Fund

Perras Ruddy, a veterinary medicine student at Long Island University from Milford, has been selected as a Colgate-Palmolive Scholar by 1,000 Dreams Fund (1DF), a national nonprofit that provides scholarships, mentorship and career opportunities to talented young women and students in need.

“Becoming a veterinarian has been a dream of mine since I was a kid, and being named a Colgate-Palmolive Scholar makes that path so much more possible. This support means I can stay focused on the work and the patients I’ll one day care for,” Ruddy said.

The Colgate-Palmolive Scholars Program is one of 1DF’s flagship initiatives, supporting women pursuing careers in healthcare, life sciences and adjacent fields. Through scholarship funding, mentorship and connection to a national network of corporate partners, the program helps recipients pursue education in industries where women remain underrepresented. Past Colgate-Palmolive Scholars have gone on to careers in research, clinical practice, public health and biotechnology, joining a growing community of 1DF alumnae shaping the next decade of women’s leadership in science.

Ruddy’s selection comes as 1DF celebrates its 10-year anniversary in 2026, a milestone marking a decade of investment in talented young women through scholarships, mentorship and other critical resources. Since launching in 2016, 1DF has distributed more than $1.1 million in funding to dreamers across 41 states and 10 countries, with past scholars going on to careers in research, clinical practice, public health and biotechnology. As 1DF works toward its Vision 2030 goal of reaching 50,000 dreamers, Ruddy joins the next generation of scholars the Colgate-Palmolive Scholars Program was built to launch.

“When I started 1DF nearly 10 years ago, the dream was always to back young women like Perras — students with real talent and real determination who just need someone to invest in what comes next. Watching this organization grow from a handful of scholarships to a decade of impact, and now to scholars like Perras stepping into careers that will shape the future of science and healthcare, is exactly why we built 1DF. She represents the next chapter of this work, and we couldn’t be prouder to welcome her into our community of dreamers,” said Christie Garton, founder and CEO of 1,000 Dreams Fund.

About 1,000 Dreams Fund

1,000 Dreams Fund (1DF) is a national nonprofit that empowers the dreams of talented women and students in need with scholarships, mentorship and other critical resources. 1DF believes that big obstacles should never stand in the way of big dreams. Since its launch in 2016, over $1.1 million in funding has been granted to talented young women in need, helping them pay for the “extras” in school like study abroad, tech devices for the classroom and travel to conferences and seminars. 1DF has been featured in NBCNews.com, USA Today, MarketWatch, Forbes, Huffington Post, Chicago Tribune, Entrepreneur, TODAY and others. To learn more about 1DF, visit 1000dreamsfund.org.