Nationwide — Nearly 1,330 undergraduate students from across the U.S. will convene in Washington, DC, for the 14th annual UNCF (United Negro College Fund) Student Leadership Conference (SLC).
The conference, hosted by Wells Fargo and supported by other corporate and foundation sponsors, will take place at Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA, from May 29-June 1.
As the US becomes a more diverse population, employers face a critical challenge to find and hire the next generation of culturally diverse professionals in the high-growth industries of business, computer science, education, engineering, entertainment, finance, healthcare and technology.
UNCF’s Student Leadership Conference will provide opportunities diverse rising juniors and seniors attending colleges and universities from across the country including historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to participate in an intense training simulation with coaching from high-level business and nonprofit professionals.
Students will also attend workshops to equip them with skills needed to be successful as interns and early-career professionals, as they begin to embark upon internships and fellowships at the conclusion of the conference. This ties into the theme this year to Empower And Inspire: Building Your Network And Your Net Worth.
“Recent data confirms that over half of the undergraduate students in the United States are considered first generation to attend college. This increases to 70% at HBCUs. That means these same students may also be the first in their family to transition into careers that require a college degree,” said Taliah Givens, senior director, student professional development programs, UNCF.
“Therefore, it is a priority for UNCF and our corporate partners to come together to provide our annual Student Leadership Conference as a launching pad to equip these talented, diverse students and early career professionals with the confidence and real tools for transformational internships and new full-time positions, which they have achieved.”
Additional conference speakers will include:
– Danyel Surrency Jones, head, Black Business & Growth Accelerator, Amazon
– Karen Greenfield, senior vice president, inclusive content and engagement, National Geographic
– Janelle Garrett, director/development officer, Real Estate Banking, Wells Fargo
– Shawn Hardnett, founder and CEO, Statesmen College Preparatory Academy for Boys PCS
– Shayna Yvonne Rudd, psychotherapist, The Legends House
– Maria Kirby, vice president, government relations, The Walt Disney Company
– Larry Griffith, senior vice president, programs and student services, UNCF
– Ty Spells, founder, Principled Consultant
– Jasmyn Pollock, consultant
– Dalen Spratt, television producer and entrepreneur
– Robert Kennedy III, president, Kennetik Kommunications
– Sheila Jacobs, managing director-market manager, Wells Fargo Advisors
– Kenia Thompson, owner, WordCrumbs
– Chris Cooper, president and CEO, Execute Your Passion LLC
– Taliah Givens, senior director, student professional development programs, UNCF
Morning Fields from Florida A&M University shares, “This conference will be the ideal predecessor of my summer internship at Medtronic. I was hoping for an internship at the medical technology company Medtronic. When I attended the company’s immersion program last summer, I empathized with Medronic’s mission to use technology to provide healthcare with a humanistic priority. I have always been hesitant to work in the medical industry, mostly because many engineers view the people they are treating as customers who need a product rather than fully evolved human beings.” said Fields
“I will have the privilege to work at Medtronic and break the barriers that separate the logic of technology from the human aspect of the medical industry. I thank UNCF for granting opportunities to fortify my readiness, ingenuity and commitment to the mechanical engineering field.”
UNCF and Wells Fargo look forward to impacting the lives of the students attending and helping them to gain the knowledge they will need to enter the workplace.
“Wells Fargo is excited to be involved again with UNCF’s Student Leadership Conference,” said Shantae Joseph, executive director and senior diversity and inclusion consultant, Wells Fargo. “Our leaders believe in investing in the lives of talented students with our time, talent and treasure, and we look forward to positively impacting each one of them during this great conference.”
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About UNCF
UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. While totaling only 3% of all colleges and universities, UNCF institutions and other historically Black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 15% of bachelor’s degrees, 5% of master’s degrees, 10% of doctoral degrees and 19% of all STEM degrees earned by Black students in higher education. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized trademark, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.
For press inquiries, contact La’Torria Lemon at 832-212-9181 or press@lemonlimelightmedia.com
