Attending the Leadership Institute conference is a highly competitive process that vets Thurgood Marshall College Fund students throughout the country. Four hundred and five students were selected to attend the Leadership Institute out of 2,000 total applicants.
TMCF’s Anniversary Awards Gala is one of Washington’s largest nonpolitical fundraising events, raising over $50 million since 1987.
The conference is designed to develop hand-picked scholars’ leadership skills, provide companies access to a talented and diverse student population and help students make meaningful connections that lead to successful internships, fellowships, and careers at Fortune 500 companies and government agencies.
“No other organization in the higher education and talent development space provides Corporate America and government entities with such a diverse, high-quality talent pool of HBCU and PBI students in one place,” said Harry L. Williams, TMCF president & CEO. “We appreciate our presenting partner Wells Fargo and all of our recruitment partners who are investing not only in TMCF, but in the future corporate, government and global leaders from the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff.”
The Baltimore-based college created the nursing program “in response to the national nursing shortage, an underrepresentation of minorities in healthcare, and the healthcare disparities between the residents of Baltimore and the larger society,” reads a statement.
I am confident others will follow in Mayor Bloomberg’s footsteps and make transformative gifts to support Pell-eligible HBCU students. Last year, a kind-hearted man unconnected to the HBCU community passed away. His last wish was for those he left behind to make donations to TMCF. We received small checks for several weeks after he died. That was an exceptional tribute. Small donors are just as crucial to TMCF as our larger supporters. Yet a leadership gift in the magnitude of Mr. Bloomberg’s would allow TMCF to help more students each year in perpetuity.