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Students at a Paying for College Bus Tour stop, Reading, PA
Aspiring orthodontist, public defender, environmental activist, and journalist take top honors in $100,000 essay competition from NAFEO, The Sallie Mae Fund
Third annual "Writers of Passage" scholarship winners announced for students attending historically black colleges and universities
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 19, 2008—The National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) and The Sallie Mae Fund today announced the winners of their “Writers of Passage” scholarship program. This year’s writing competition winners are James Howard Bland III, Tennessee State University, who aspires to be an orthodontist; Rebekah Collins, Tuskegee University, who plans a career as a pro bono criminal defense lawyer; Illai Kenney, Howard University, already an international environmental activist; and Khadijah Robinson, Spelman College, who plans to continue writing as either a journalist or a lawyer.
From nearly 90 applicants, 11 contestants were selected as finalists and presented their essays to a panel of judges at NAFEO’s 33rd national convention on blacks in higher education, “A National Dialogue on America’s Black Colleges: Strengthening the Foundation, Shaping the Future” held in Washington, D.C. Each of the four winners receive both a $5,000 individual award toward their tuition and fees and a $20,000 grant for their school from The Sallie Mae Fund to help improve student outreach and writing enhancement initiatives.
For three consecutive years, NAFEO and The Sallie Mae Fund have joined forces to open the national essay competition to students attending one of the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) or a Predominantly Black Institution (PBI). Applicants were asked to write a 600-word essay reflecting on how students at HBCUs and PBIs have established a rich tradition of promoting social justice and how they can flex their political muscle in the 2008 political season.
“The ‘Writers of Passage’ competition held during the month of March creates for HBCU and PBI students the type of ‘March Madness’ characteristic of the core values of our institutions: focused first and foremost on academic competitiveness, the spirit of excellence, and providing unique and enriching experiences for diverse students,” said Dr. Lezli Baskerville, president and CEO of NAFEO. “The 2007 Oprah Winfrey and Denzel Washington film, The Great Debaters, about the Wiley College debate team well captured the essence of this core. The ‘Writers of Passage’ competition focuses national attention on the heart and soul of HBCUs: preparing diverse students for service and global competitiveness.”
Writers of diverse genres served as judges: Mr. Barry Beckham, CEO and founder of Beckham Publishing Group and a former college professor; Mr. Michael Fletcher, Washington Post reporter and co-author of Supreme Court Discomfort: The Divided Soul of Clarence Thomas; and Mr. Ronald Roach, senior writer at Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.
The Sallie Mae Fund created the “Writers of Passage” competition in partnership with NAFEO to underscore the importance of writing skills in the college admissions process for African-American students. This emphasis is particularly relevant in light of relatively new writing requirements for the SAT.
“Whether a young person aspires to a career in dentistry, law, advocacy, journalism, or any other field, strong writing skills are essential,” said Kathleen deLaski, president of The Sallie Mae Fund. “This scholarship program not only helps deserving students pursue and finance a higher education, but also encourages them to be more active readers and writers and helps their schools finance more outreach programs to the community.”
Scholarship winner James Bland III is currently a sophomore biology major at Tennessee State University. Originally from Versailles, Ky., he plans to become an orthodontist. Bland is involved in Collegiate 100 Black Men of America, Inc., The Undergraduate Student National Dental Association, The Tennessee State University Aristocrat of Bands, and is serving as president for the New Student Orientation Committee. He serves as a mentor to young black males and volunteers with the local rape and sexual abuse center.
From Springfield, Ill., Rebekah Collins is a junior at Tuskegee University in Alabama, majoring in English. Her career goal is to become a pro bono criminal defense attorney with an organization that frees wrongfully convicted prisoners. As president of Tuskegee University’s Illinois Club, she has helped Illinois students get involved in campus activities. She is a recipient of the St. John’s Hospital Volunteer Award for over 200 hours of service, among other awards.
From Jonesboro, Ga., Illai Kenney is a freshman at Howard University in Washington, D.C., and a leader within the Black Youth Vote movement working to increase civic participation. Originally from Jonesboro, Ga., at the age of 12, she co-founded Georgia Kids Against Pollution and since then she has traveled the world advocating environmental justice. She was the youngest delegate to the United Nations World Conference on Sustainable Development in South Africa, has testified before the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, and helped NAACP youth set up the first relief centers in Gulfport and Biloxi following Hurricane Katrina. Kenney has been featured by such media outlets as BBC News, Teen People Magazine, Time Magazine, and received the 2003 Brower Youth Award, the nation's most prestigious recognition of environmental activists ages 13 to 22.
From Montgomery, Ala., Khadijah Robinson is a first-year student at Spelman College in Atlanta. She is studying English and hopes to enter into the fields of either journalism or law. She credits her aspiration to her role model, Wanda Lloyd, a Spelman alumna and member of the board, now editor-in-chief of the Montgomery Advertiser. Robinson entered Spelman as a dean’s scholar and is an active member of the honors program. She is a regular volunteer with the Salvation Army and participates in Spelman’s Saturday service events.
The Sallie Mae Fund’s scholarship programs, including the “Writers of Passage” program, aim to address one of the key barriers to college access: financial need among underserved populations. Since 2001, The Sallie Mae Fund has awarded $12.7 million in scholarships to specifically address financial need among promising young students. More information about The Sallie Mae Fund’s scholarship programs can be found at www.salliemaefund.org.
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National Association for Equal Opportunity In Higher Education (NAFEO)—The mission of the Association is: to champion the interests of historically and predominantly black colleges and universities with the executive, legislative, regulatory and judicial branches of federal and state government and with corporations, foundations, associations and non-governmental organizations; to provide services to NAFEO members; to build the capacity of HBCUs, their executives, administrators, faculty, staff and students; and to serve as an international voice and advocate for the preservation and enhancement of historically and predominantly black colleges and universities and for blacks in higher education. For more information, visit www.nafeo.org.
The Sallie Mae Fund, a charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae, achieves its mission—to increase access to a postsecondary education for America’s students—by supporting programs and initiatives that help open doors to higher education, prepare families for their investment, and bridge the gap when no one else can. For more information about other Sallie Mae Fund scholarships, visit www.salliemaefund.org.
Contact
Patricia Nash Christel
The Sallie Mae Fund
703-984-5382
patricia.christel@salliemae.com
