On May 21, 2019, the Urban League’s Annual Student Achievement Luncheon will take place at The Chateau Banquet Hall located 530 W. 61st, Ave., Merrillville, IN. Young people from all over Northwest Indiana, who have been working hard to achieve their academic goals, will be rewarded with scholarship monies that will help them cover the ever-mounting costs of a post-secondary education. The students are excited and exuberant about the acknowledgement of the community on their futures in higher learning and career goals.
Jennifer Montague, NIPSCO – Vice President of Communications and External Affairs will bring greetings and present NIPSCO scholarships to deserving students in recognition of the late Senator Carolyn Mosby. Several other scholarships are being offered by organizations such as The Gary Frontiers Service Club and the National Hook Up of Black Women. Additionally, there are individuals who will offer scholarships on behalf of their family, such as Carlton Guthrie – Gary Alumni Pathway to Students (GAPS) Board Chairman who is offering a $1,000 scholarship; a few other scholarship donors include Tai Adkins, Kendall Martin, and Robert Buggs; these scholarships range between $500 and $1,000.
Dr. Thomas Keon, Chancellor of Purdue University Northwest, serves as the Board Chair of the Urban League affiliate. He encourages students to plan for success.
“Be flexible in pursuing your goals but make sure to maintain your ties to your communities. Stay actively engaged. You exemplify the Urban League’s core standards of community service, diversity and scholarship in Northwest Indiana.”
The Urban League is also proud of its efforts around the college readiness programs it sponsors. Dr. Vanessa Allen-McCloud, president and CEO of the Urban League of Northwest Indiana, and a team of dedicated College and Career Readiness facilitators provide 4-6-week college readiness workshops throughout the Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties. Research indicates a lack of college readiness underscores the notion that not enough students have developed career plans nor successfully obtained the proper coursework while in high school.
This is where the Urban League comes in again. Because of its many college readiness programs, Urban League is changing the dynamic for hundreds of students across Northwest Indiana.
Dr. Kendall R. Martin and his wife committed to offering a $1,000 scholarship to a student because they wanted to give back to the community. After reviewing the scholarship applications and seeing the need, they plan to give an additional $500 to another student. Kendall stated, “The Urban League has been a great external resource for me. Working in education, I value community partnerships because they allow our students to experience opportunities outside of the school district.” Dr. Martin serves as an Urban League Advisory Board member and is the new Executive Director of the GAPS program. He goes on to say how Dr. Allen-McCloud and her staff have been great with organizing and facilitating college readiness programs that benefit our students and hosting the annual Scholarship Fair where Lake, Porter, and LaPorte county students they have the opportunity to speak with admissions counselors from local and out of state colleges and universities.
Deborah Black serves as an Educational Consultant with the Urban League and she reported $4.7 million was offered to students last year. The Urban League Board of Directors, Staff, and Volunteers applaud and honor all of our students, the adults who work with them and the families that support them. The time and energy and devotion this takes are at times difficult but are well worth the effort.
On behalf of the Urban League Board of Directors Dr. Allen-McCloud said, “We are proud to be in the forefront of changing the educational landscape in as many ways as we can.”