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M'ville Student Attends Democratic National Convention
Seven Jackie Robinson Foundation (JRF) Scholarship Recipients Attend Democratic National Convention as NBC News Interns
9.1.08
Seven Jackie Robinson Foundation college scholarship recipients will return to their campuses this fall having had the opportunity to serve as interns with NBC News at the historic 2008 Democratic National Convention.
•Lauren Underwood, a JRF/Michael & Juanita Jordan Fund Scholar attending the University of Michigan
•Lauren Usher, a JRF/Arthur Strugatz Scholar attending the University of Pennsylvania
•Daniella Jones, a JRF/Dow Jones Scholar attending the University of Pennsylvania
•Jaira Harrington, a JRF/GE Scholar and graduate of Spelman College
•Melissa Johnson, a JRF/Unilever Scholar attending Manhattanville College
•Rayshon Payton, a JRF/National Minority Junior Golf Scholarship Association Scholar attending OklahomaCityUniversity
and
•Dena Baker a JRF/University of Minnesota Scholar attending the University of Minnesota were selected as part of a rigorous interview process.
“This was a transformative experience for our Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholars,” said JRF President and CEO Della Britton Baeza. “The Foundation takes great pride in offering its students opportunities such as this that hone their leadership skills, expose them to critical social discourse and inspire them to take action to affect change in communities across the nation.”
As part of the intensive two-week internship, JRF Scholars took part in crafting research and maintaining archives for various NBC shows. They also assisted in the production of NBC’s live coverage from Denver and provided support to NBC news personalities.
NBC and its parent company, General Electric have long been partners of the Jackie Robinson Foundation. NBC anchor Tom Brokaw received the Foundation’s highest honor in 2003.
Established by Rachel Robinson in 1973, the Jackie Robinson Foundation provides four-year college scholarships to minority students who demonstrate academic distinction, leadership capacity and financial need. In addition to financial assistance, the Foundation equips its scholarship recipients with a comprehensive set of support services including mentoring, career guidance and practical life skills, resulting in a 97% graduation rate, more than twice the national average for minority students (African-American 40.5%; Hispanic 47%). JRF’s innovative approach to marrying extensive mentoring, academic support services, career planning programs and generous financial scholarships has rapidly became a national paradigm in minority higher education intervention.
Each March of their college careers, Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholars gather in New York for four days of leadership development workshops, career exploration seminars, meetings with key public and private sector leaders, cultural and recreational outings and personal and professional development seminars. Equally important is the time JRF Scholars spend networking with one another and inspiring each other with stories of their public service endeavors and other achievements. The Foundation’s vast network of supporters and related field experts host regional seminars around the country that amplify the efforts of Networking Weekend.
This year the Foundation is supporting 280 current JRF scholarship recipients attending 106 colleges and universities and hailing from 34 states. The mission of the Jackie Robinson Foundation is to not only create successful college graduates but to mold future leaders who will carry on Jackie Robinson’s values and ideals. JRF Scholars are required to participate in community service as part of their scholarship. Whether it is starting a non-profit to provide college preparatory training for low-income students, building houses in the Caribbean, researching the AIDS epidemic in Africa or reading to local students, JRF Scholars are ambassadors of Jackie’s philosophy that, “A life is not important except in its impact on other lives.” JRF graduates represent a vast repository of knowledge and innovation that is significantly impacting communities across the country.
The nearly 1,200 JRF alumni are both leaders in their professional fields and consummate ambassadors of Jackie Robinson’s legacy of public service. Whether it is earning a partnership at a leading Wall Street institution, hosting golf clinics for disadvantaged youth, performing innovative research on the AIDS epidemic or starting a non-profit to bring classical music to elementary school classrooms, Jackie Robinson Foundation Alumni are distinguishing themselves across multiple dimensions of society.
Thumbnail photo from www.demconvention.com photographer Audrey Rose