Five African-American women will each win a $5,000 scholarship!
(May 14, 2008 (New York, NY) - ESSENCE Magazine has partnered with The Sallie Mae Fund, a charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae, to present "The Generation Next" scholarship competition. This program will award five African-American young women each a $5,000 college scholarship from The Sallie Mae Fund, an all-inclusive trip to attend one of the first-annual ESSENCE Young Women Leadership Conferences and an appearance in the October issue of ESSENCE magazine. Eligibility requirements and an online application form are available at www.essence.com/generationnext. The deadline to apply is June 15.
"ESSENCE has always been committed to uplifting and mentoring our young women," says Angela Burt-Murray, Editor in Chief, ESSENCE. "The "Generation Next" competition and the first-annual ESSENCE Young Women Leadership Conference are exciting new opportunities we are presenting along with The Sallie Mae Fund to encourage young girls and help them achieve their dreams."
The "Generation Next" competition is one of the first phases of ESSENCE's new philanthropic platform, "Power to Empower" a new initiative reinforcing the magazine's connection to the community. The goal of the new initiative is to empower African-American women and support them while addressing critical issues such as education, health, arts & culture, and financial literacy. ESSENCE will partner with several organizations including Susan G. Komen/Circle of Promise, The Children's Defense Fund and more to create focus platforms on these issues.
The ESSENCE Young Women's Leadership Conference is a new program designed to empower young Black women (ages 18-24) as they prepare for college and launch their careers, with the tools and information needed to achieve success. The conference will be a one-day event taking place in three markets: Atlanta, GA; Durham, NC; Washington, DC; The event will feature dynamic speakers, celebrity appearances, educational workshops and an expo. In addition, The Sallie Mae Fund will present a free Paying for College workshop at each event.
"On average, college graduates earn $1 million more than high school graduates over their lifetimes, yet research shows that young Black women are only about half as likely as their White counterparts to earn a college degree," said Erin Korsvall, director of community outreach, Sallie Mae, and vice president, The Sallie Mae Fund. "The Sallie Mae Fund is pleased to collaborate with the premier African-American women's magazine to spread the college-is-possible message to African-American women."
In addition, scholarship applicants will receive information on planning and paying for college, including Black College Dollars, a scholarship directory sponsored by The Sallie Mae Fund and available at www.salliemaefund.org. In total, The Sallie Mae Fund will award roughly $2 million in scholarships to students attending college this fall.
About Essence Communications Inc.:
Essence Communications Inc. (ECI) is the leading media and communications company dedicated to African-American women. With a multi-platform presence in publishing, live events, and online, the Essence brand is "Where Black Women Come First". The company's flagship publication, ESSENCE magazine, is the preeminent lifestyle magazine for African-American women; generating brand extensions such as the Essence Music Festival, Women Who Are Shaping the World Leadership Summit, Window on Our Women (WOW I, II & III) and Smart Beauty I, II & III consumer insights, the Essence Book Club, Essence.com, and ventures in digital media (mobile, television and VOD) via Essence Studios. For 38 years, ESSENCE magazine, which has a readership of 8.3 million, has been the leading source of cutting-edge information relating to every area of African-American women's lives.
Additional information about ECI and ESSENCE is available at essence.com.
About The Sallie Mae Fund:
The Sallie Mae Fund, a charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae, achieves its mission - to increase access to a postsecondary education for America's students - by supporting programs and initiatives that help open doors to higher education, prepare families for their investment, and bridge the gap when no one else can. For more information, visit www.salliemaefund.org.
Posted 05/16/08 to www.NASFAA.org. Posting of press releases is done as a service to Members and does not imply endorsement or support by NASFAA. NASFAA does not review this information for content or accuracy.
