TMCF’s Programming Continues Creating Pathways to Prosperity

By ROB KNOX

Entertainment celebrities Big Sean and Terrence J have walked red carpets, appeared on television, and attended some of the biggest award shows in the world.?

?Yet, they were where they wanted to be on Sunday, Sept. 10, in Charlotte: Away from the bright lights and sowing seeds into talented students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Sixty students from 15 HBCUs had the privilege to absorb wisdom from the dynamic duo and take photos with them following Ally Financial's Moguls in the Making competition.

“Who you surround yourself with matters,” Terrence J said to the attentive audience of students dressed proudly in their orange-and-green, blue-and-gold, maroon-and-white school colors. “Those on top like to collaborate. Those on the bottom like to compete. Working with others gives you the foundation for success. Remember, the sky is not the limit. It is your starting point.”

While students in Charlotte in September heard from Big Sean and Terrance J, the 80-plus fellows who participated in the Teachers Quality and Retention Program in Washington, D.C., during July heard from United States Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.

These curated experiences are the essence of the diligent work of? Thurgood Marshall College Fund in its mission to change the world one leader at a time. Through intentional and dedicated programming, TMCF provided opportunities for 702 passionate and academically gifted students over 11 programs between May and September 2023.

While the realities for African Americans in their quest for higher education still come with challenges, TMCF removes barriers and creates pathways to prosperity with these opportunities. TMCF boasts an 85 percent graduation rate for scholars participating in TMCF programming.

One of the TMCF's newest programs, which provided opportunities for over 200 students, was the DevCon Professional Development Conference presented by Medtronic in Charlotte at the beginning of June. The significance of that inaugural and power-packed conference demonstrated TMCF's commitment to advancing pathways toward prosperity and economic mobility for HBCU students.

Included among TMCF's programming were new partners such as Las Vegas Sands, which provided an experience for 12 students in Las Vegas at the end of July. During the program, students saw simulations of how each popular casino runs from a player and dealer standpoint, attended the Michael Jackson One Experience, participated in a CHOPPED-style culinary experience, toured Allegiant Stadium, and met with the DEI representatives from the Las Vegas Raiders organization.?

“This emerging program helped me learn what I can do in the hospitality industry,” Howard University's Erin Williams said. “As a marketing major, I learned you could become a marketing or nightlife marketing manager. So, knowing you can do this in an industry that's so outgoing has made me more aware of my many options.”

While those programs were among some of the newest that TMCF introduced this summer, Micah Washington was one of eight graduates from? Thurgood Marshall College Fund/Boeing Cohort Three Scholars program on June 29 in Charleston, South Carolina along with Abigail Dina (Morgan State), Courtney Stewart (Howard), Dailynn Thomas (Southern), J'Nea Greer (Spellman College), Justin Brooks (North Carolina A&T), Naomi Turner (Morgan State), Taylor King (North Carolina A&T), and Travion Crutcher (Tennessee State).

“Being part of the Boeing | TMCF Scholar Program is amazing because people do not get these opportunities,” Washington said. “They come out of college and don't know where to go and sit and look and try to find opportunities. To have the promise of a career as a junior in college was amazing, and it was the opportunity so many more students would have as long as TMCF exists, and I am sure that will be for a long time. HBCU students will have a promising future and win in life.”?

TMCF and Boeing have created a strategic long-term partnership to establish a talent pipeline vital to future innovation success across the aerospace industry. Increasing diversity representation is a significant priority for Boeing, which works with TMCF to inspire and enable HBCU students to pursue careers in the aerospace industry while changing the trajectory of lives for many innovative, intelligent, and deserving students.

According to the 2021 Aerospace and Defense Workforce Study of end-use manufacturers, the number of women in A&D has stayed around 24 percent.?

“I didn't picture myself in this position when I first came to North Carolina A&T,” King said. “However, like everyone has been saying, it's not by mistake or by accident that I am here. I feel like I was meant to be here. Just being poured into by people who care for you is unparalleled. Nobody can match it. TMCF and Boeing have been very intentional about knowing your name, interests, and who you are.”

TMCF works to advance equity and inclusion by removing the financial barriers to obtaining a college degree and providing access to opportunities and lucrative careers that spur economic mobility for students and their families for generations.

By providing direct resources to HBCU students, nurturing and developing Black talent, and creating a more equitable society, these are some of the many ways TMCF continues the legacy of Justice Thurgood Marshall, a graduate of Lincoln University (Pa.) and Howard.

?As Big Sean and Terrance J concluded their presentation, they urged each student to “have the audacity to dream big, do something you love, and always talk from your heart. Everything you love in life is an investment. Invest in what you like, have confidence in yourself, have faith, and stay curious.”

Rob Knox is an award-winning professional. A member of the Lincoln (Pa.) Hall of Fame, Knox currently serves as the Senior Director of Strategic Communications for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Knox enjoyed a distinguished career as an athletics communicator for Lincoln, Kutztown, Coppin State, Towson, and UNC Greensboro. He also worked at ESPN and for the Delaware County Daily Times. Recently, Knox was honored by CSC with the Mary Jo Haverbeck Trailblazer Award and the NCAA with its Champion of Diversity award. Knox is a graduate of Lincoln University and a past president of the College Sports Information Directors Association of America (CoSIDA).