July 2023 Newsletter
Volume 5 Issue 3
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Congratulations to our 2023 Awardees! | |
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The Williams-Franklin Foundation (WFF) is dedicated to giving back to our community and youth. Financial stability is the main hurdle and threat to HBCU students returning to school, semester after semester. It is essential that our community use our resources, professional connections, and business networks to pour into these students. With your support of our scholarship program every year, successful applicants are able to return to college to further their education. This year, there were over 500 applicants that applied for the Williams-Franklin Foundation Scholarship. Before we congratulate the awardees, we must acknowledge all the applicants that put their valuable time aside and submitted outstanding scholarship applications!! At WFF, we wish to award all of our applicants, but as we progress, we need your help to donate and make this possible!
On June 15, 2023, 23 HBCU students received exciting news! They were each invited to become a 2023-2024 Williams-Franklin Foundation scholarship recipient! From HBCUs such as Howard University to Florida A&M University to Spelman College, each student was blessed with a renewable $5,000 scholarship to further their education, thanks to our supporters and sponsors! Check out the full list of awardees and their bios on our website. As a sample of your investment, read the exciting summer plans and highlights of one WFF Scholar below.
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2023 Honorable Louis Stokes
HBCU Scholarship Award Recipient
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Déja Daniel is the 2023 Honorable Louis Stokes HBCU Scholarship Award recipient! As the top scoring WFF Scholar, she will receive a $6,000 scholarship, instead of $5,000.
Congressman Louis Stokes of Ohio funded our Co-Founder, LaShelle Williams-Franklin's, college education at Howard University. Ultimately, this generosity and grace inspired the development of the Williams-Franklin Foundation. Returning awardee, Déja Daniel is from Tallahassee, Florida and expected to graduate from Howard University in 2024 with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Criminology and Spanish. This summer, she is participating in The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) program through their Leadership and The American Presidency (LTAP) track. Through TFAS, she is also interning at the Coalition on Human Needs; a DC-based non-profit organization dedicated to promoting public policies which address the needs of low-income and other vulnerable populations. Upon graduating, Déja plans to attend law school to become a defense Attorney and eventually an Associate Judge to uphold the laws of the land.
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Congratulations to our 2023 WFF Graduates!
Seeing a WFF Scholar matriculate in college is an affirming moment and an unbelievable feeling! With great pride, we would like to share the news that 9 WFF Scholars graduated in 2022 and 5 graduated this year. Our new WFF alumni have impressive and impactful plans following graduation. We are very proud of our Williams-Franklin Scholars and wish them the best of luck with their post-graduation endeavors. CONGRATULATIONS!
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Cheyenne Riley, Graduate
Lincoln University of Pennsylvania,
B.S. in Biology
Cheyenne is a middle school science teacher through Teach for America!
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Derrick Webb, Graduate
Dillard University, B.S. in Biology with a minor in Chemistry
Derrick is pursuing a Masters of Public Health (MPH) in Global Health Medicine as a Health Equity Scholar at Brown University School of Public Health. He will later matriculate into medical school.
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Jaden Petrus, Graduate
Howard University, B.A of Science in Nursing and a minor in Sociology.
In August, Jaden will begin working at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC as a Pediatric ICU nurse.
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Laten Jordan, Graduate
Howard University, B.A in Political Science with a minor in Strategic Communications.
Laten is now working as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Specialist at Victoria’s Secret
& Co.
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Britteny Cherestal, Graduate
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University B.A in Pharm.D.
Britteny now plans to start her PGY1/2 Residency at Boston Medical Center in Health Administration & Leadership as well as work towards earning her Masters in Pharmaceutical Sciences from UNC Chapel Hill.
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2023 Williams-Franklin Foundation Golf Tournament Fundraiser | |
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We teed off once again!! The Williams-Franklin Foundation hosted its 3rd Annual Golf Tournament Fundraiser on Monday, June 19, 2023. As a tradition, WFF hosts this event yearly on Juneteenth to honor our ancestors who made it possible for African-Americans to be emancipated! Without the sacrifice of many who came before us, we would not be well-positioned to pay it forward and raise over $100k for HBCU students! This year we had over 15 sponsors and 135 golfers and non-golfers. Our highest number of registrants yet! As we look forward to next year’s event on June 17, 2024 (SAVE THE DATE!!), we encourage ALL businesses/companies to consider being sponsors for our 2024 golf tournament. Just as important as the sponsorship perks is the great personal reward of investing into the lives of students who want to continue their HBCU education!
There is an exhaustive list of vendors, volunteers, staff, and WFF board of directors that deserve a huge THANK YOU for making the event a success! To highlight our special moments, take a look here, courtesy Eighty Seven Frames!
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The Mentor-Matching Program is now open!
At WFF, we aim to pair our WFF Scholars with mentors who are willing to share their wisdom, support, and experience. As a result, applications for our 2023-2024 Mentor-Matching Program are officially open! Our mentor program fosters trusting relationships between WFF Scholars and community members. In the program’s first year, we paired 12 awardees with mentors sharing similar career interests, experiences, and passions.
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We are seeking mentors who will:
- Encourage healthy study habits and time management skills;
- Support students in achieving their academic and career objectives;
- Assist students with creating a viable professional network;
- Engage students by phone or email once a month;
- Schedule 1-2 activities with students per semester; and
- Commit to mentoring a paired WFF Scholar for at least one year.
Apply to mentor a WFF Scholar by completing this form by Thursday, August 31, 2023. Mentors must be at least 22 years of age and have a can-do attitude! We are looking for mentors who are approachable, prepared, and compassionate.
Have a great summer!
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