Black History Month essay contest offers college scholarships as prizes
In honor of Black History Month, Verizon Wireless and UNCF – the United Negro College Fund – are offering high school seniors the chance to win one of 12 scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. To qualify for the contest, students must maintain a grade point average of 2.0, plan to attend a two-year or four-year college or university in the Fall of 2010, and currently reside in one of the following states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, West Virginia or Wisconsin.
“With the economic challenges so many families are facing, it is more important than ever to support students looking to gain a college education,” said T.J. Fox, president of Wisconsin/Illinois region, Verizon Wireless. “As a company, we embrace diversity because we believe it’s smart business and because it’s the right thing to do. We are excited to be able to help deserving students better prepare for the cost of their college education.”
The Black History Month essay contest asks high school seniors to write an essay of no more than 500 words that addresses how the evolution of wireless technology has changed the world we live in. UNCF will review all the applications and score the essays, and the top 12 applicants will be awarded scholarships.
The awards are the following: • First place: $5,000 scholarship, netbook and $100 Verizon Wireless gift card; • Second place: $4,000 scholarship, netbook and $100 Verizon Wireless gift card; • Third place: $3,000 scholarship, netbook and $100 Verizon Wireless gift card; and
• Fourth through 12th places: $1,000 scholarships.
“The 21st century economy runs on technology,” said Michael L. Lomax, Ph.D., UNCF President and CEO. “This contest is a great incentive for students to think about how that affects all our lives and to compete for help in paying for their college education. We thank Verizon Wireless for their ongoing support of UNCF and the aspiring young leaders who depend on UNCF for help in getting the education they need and our nation needs them to have.”
Students are encouraged to visit http://www.UNCF.org for complete details of the essay contest and to apply online. The application deadline is April 15, 2010. For more information, contact UNCF Program Services at (703) 205-3400 or scholarships @uncf.org.
