Delaware State partners with U.S. Army to launch helicopter training program
By Sheyla Fairley
Through a partnership with the U.S. Army Cadet Command, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, will be launching a helicopter flight training program to expand its Aviation Program.
According to an article, the program will begin with “10 ROTC students in the fall” and will “later expand to undergraduate students in the university’s aviation program” with the U.S. Army covering “the cost of tuition, books and related flight flees for the ROTC cadets.”
“The establishment of the helicopter flight training program is not only a momentous moment for the university, but it signifies a new avenue of opportunity for future aviators across the nation,” said Army Brig. Gen. Amanda Azubuike, deputy commanding general of the U.S. Army Cadet Command. “This flight program is just the start in a national movement to create additional opportunities at Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the country.”
For more information, read the full article here.
Partnership between ‘Queen of Hip-Hop Soul’ Mary J. Blige and PepsiCo to launch new HBCU scholarship
By Sheyla Fairley
In partnership with PepsiCo, a multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation, singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige has established the PepsiCo x Mary J. Blige Strength of a Woman Scholarship, which will be awarded to an HBCU female student this fall, as Blige’s Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit made a return to Atlanta, GA from May 11th -14th, 2023.
“The whole mission of this festival is to celebrate and advocate for Black women,” said Blige in a release. “So to have Pepsi, show up and show out in the way they do is overwhelming. With their support for the Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit, we are able to pay it forward in so many impactful ways and to be able to grant an HBCU scholarship for a deserving student is nothing short of incredible.”
N.C. A&T students selected for DreamWorks Animation and HBCU 20×20’s fellowship program
By Sheyla Fairley
North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC, students Briana Ballentine, Laila Rahman-Latta, and Cameron Salisbury were selected to participate in the new LAUNCH: HBCU Fellowship Program by DreamWorks Animation and HBCU 20×20.
According to an article, the program is “a paid eight-week curriculum of various workshops, courses and speaker series that aim to open the many paths to a career in animation,” where the participants had “the opportunity to take courses such as ‘How to Build Your Brand,’ ‘Finding Your Identity in the Workplace,’ and ‘Achieving Diversity on Screen,’ as they enhanced the soft and hard skills needed to be successful in launching their professional careers.”
“DreamWorks strives to introduce and carve a path for Black students and we found the perfect partner to create a meaningful fellowship program with HBCU 20×20,” said Rabi Abedin, DreamWorks Animation’s manager of Early Career Programs & Diversity Outreach. “LAUNCH will continue DreamWorks ongoing commitment to eliminate barriers in animation for the Black community, and we believe that this program will create impactful opportunities for everyone involved.”
For more details, read the full article here.
HBCU student-athletes ink NIL deals from McDonald’s
By Sheyla Fairley
Postgame, a name, image and likeness (NIL) agency, helped HBCU student-athletes get in contact with the MyMcDonald’s rewards program, a loyalty program where points can be earned on every order which can be put towards free food.
As stated in a release, Mcdonald’s will be “partnering with over 40 HBCU student-athletes through NIL deals” to promote their limited-time new frozen slushies for MyMcDonald’s rewards program in an effort to connect with the HBCU culture.
“We help brands leverage partnerships with these college athletes to drive a marketing activation with a measurable reason,” said Postgame’s CEO Danny Morrissey. “It’s intentional, brands want to be more inclusive, and they’re partnering with athletes from Grambling and other HBCUs.”
15-year-old makes history as the youngest graduate of Langston University
By Sheyla Fairley
Shania Muhammad has graduated from Langston University, Langston, OK, alongside her two siblings, Elijah and Rashay, with the highest honors at only 15 years old.
According to an article, Muhammad has already “completed several courses towards the completion of a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in marketing” and also “plans to pursue a doctoral degree of some kind.”
“It was stair steps…it was levels…it was not overnight for me at all,” she added, saying her parents taught her the importance of being critical, creative and analytical. “[If] you can do those things and listen as well then you can learn anything.”
Read the full article, here.
