WASHINGTON, DC (June 14, 2019) – The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is proud to recognize the 20 students from 14 of TMCF’s member-schools, selected as the 2019 HBCU Competitiveness Scholars. Each academic year, the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), bestows their highest student recognition on undergraduate, graduate, and professional students from our nation’s 101 HBCUs.
“Being recognized by the White House as the best of the best from our nation’s HBCUs is a high honor because it shows the world how valuable, creative, intelligent and competitive our HBCU students are,” said Harry L. Williams, TMCF president & CEO. “It is wonderful to see so many Competitiveness Scholars coming from TMCF member-schools. I have no doubt they will represent us well as national ambassadors for HBCU excellence.”
The 2019 HBCU Competitiveness Scholars from TMCF member-schools are:
Fayetteville State University
- Kiante Bennett
Fort Valley State University
- Rodesha Elam
Grambling State University
- Shayna Espy
Howard University
- Diane Ijoma
Jackson State University
- Jasmine King
Lincoln University of Pennsylvania
- Elisabeth Bellevue
Mississippi Valley State University
- Destiney Sharkey
Norfolk State University
- Makhaela French
North Carolina Central University
- Angela Adkins
- Lyndon Bowen
Savannah State University
- Aaliyah Buckholts
Southern University and A&M College
- Nicholas Caldwell
- Rachel Gentry
- Christian King
- Morgan Mallory
- Trezell Raga
Tennessee State University
- Anyah Gilmore-Jones
- Mariah Rhodes
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
- Kyra Rattler
Virginia State University
- Destiny Hodges
After a rigorous nomination process, the scholars are selected based on their academic and extra-curricular activities. All 44 selected Competitiveness Scholars from the 34 HBCUs are invited to participate at the National HBCU Week Conference, where they will be recognized during a special awards luncheon September 9th.
Rodney Ellis, chancellor of TMCF member-school, Southern University at Shreveport, and member of the President’s Board of Advisors on HBCUs, said, “Academics, civic engagement, entrepreneurship, and leadership are achieved through action, not position. Congratulations to the students from the Southern University System and other HBCUs for taking the necessary actions and leveraging their positions as students to achieve impact.”
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ABOUT THE THURGOOD MARSHALL COLLEGE FUND (TMCF)
Established in 1987, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community. TMCF member-schools include the publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions, enrolling nearly 80% of all students attending black colleges and universities. Through scholarships, capacity building and research initiatives, innovative programs and strategic partnerships, TMCF is a vital resource in the K-12 and higher education space. The organization is also the source of top employers seeking top talent for competitive internships and good jobs.
TMCF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization.
For more information about TMCF, visit: tmcf.org.
