The White House recently announced the ninth cohort of their HBCU Scholar Recognition Program in a press release on June 10.
As part of the “White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Historically Black Colleges and Universities,” 86 HBCU students out of more than 350 applicants will be recognized for their educational, leadership and activist achievements and will become the new faces of the initiative.
“The HBCU Scholars announced today have dedicated themselves to their learning and exemplify the talent that our nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities have nurtured for generations,” said Miguel Cardona, the U.S. Secretary of Education, in a statement. “The Biden-Harris administration is committed to supporting these leaders and I cannot wait to learn from them while they serve as ambassadors for the White House Initiative and their institutions.”
Although the events are not all announced as of yet, with their induction into the initiative, the new ambassadors of the program will be given a variety of opportunities to continue to grow and network through gatherings and programs.
According to the press release, from September 20 to September 23, they’ll be attending the 2022 HBCU Week National Annual Conference, an event that focuses on honoring the latest achievements amongst HBCUs. At the event, the scholars will be able to interact with professionals and other students as well as take part in the sessions that are meant to inspire creativity and entrepreneurship.
The scholars will also be given the opportunity to take part in a program created by NASA. Known as Nasa’s Minority University Education and Research Program Innovation and Tech Transfer Idea Competition, or more simply as Mini MIITIC, the program is a competition inspired by Shark Tank, a TV show where budding entrepreneurs can pitch their achievements to the panel for investments.
The new scholars will be able to pitch their business proposals to the NASA MITTIC team and compete for the three open spots that’ll allow them to present their ideas at the National HBCU Week Conference.
Throughout the years, starting in 1837 when Cheyney University of Pennsylvania was built and declared as the first one, HBCUs have helped thousands of Black Americans learn skills and obtain a degree for employment.
According to a report by UNCF, although HBCUs only account for 3% of all the colleges and universities in the U.S, 17% of all Black graduates have gotten their bachelors degree from an HBCU. As for graduates in STEM fields, which are notoriously unequal when it comes to being inclusive and diverse, 24% of Black employees in those fields have a degree from an HBCU.
“As an HBCU graduate I’m honored to announce our HBCU Scholars, our future leaders of tomorrow. At HBCU’s we are a family, we build each other up and we’re taught that we can do and be anything,” said the Executive Director of the Initiative, Dietra Trent, in a statement. “I look forward to supporting the growth of our HBCU family through the Scholar Recognition Program.”
