HBCU Corporate Scholars Program, in partnership with UNCF, helps students access higher education and build a foundation for career readiness
Exelon Corporation and the Exelon Foundation have committed $2.4 million in scholarships to 24 college freshmen selected for the company’s HBCU Corporate Scholars Program, launched in partnership with UNCF to provide scholarship assistance, internship experiences and early-career readiness training to students attending historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
“We continue to be grateful for our partnership with UNCF and our prestigious HBCU partners that are helping to develop motivated young people eager to lead the transformation to a clean energy future.”
Each student will receive $25,000 of need-based aid per year for four years – a total of up to $100,000. This cohort is the first to participate in the program, which was announced in fall 2021. The program will help prepare HBCU students for rewarding careers at Exelon and in the energy industry.
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“Congratulations and welcome to our first 24 HBCU Corporate Scholars. Our 18,000 Exelon employees wish you success as you embark on a tremendous learning opportunity,” said Chris Crane, president and CEO of Exelon. “We continue to be grateful for our partnership with UNCF and our prestigious HBCU partners that are helping to develop motivated young people eager to lead the transformation to a clean energy future.”
Students enrolled in their first year at an HBCU and who reside in Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania or Washington, D.C.—the home regions of Exelon’s six utilities—were eligible to apply for the program. UNCF manages the program and consistently engages student scholars to support their academic progress and personal and professional development. Among UNCF’s engagement activities is internship preparation focused on connecting students with an internship at Exelon germane to their academic interests in one or more of business administration, business management, engineering, finance, information technology and supply-chain management. All students apply for summer internships as part of the program.
“This gift is an exciting new venture for Exelon, and we thank them for this new program,” said Maurice E. Jenkins, Jr., executive vice president and chief development officer, UNCF. “Exelon has been and continues to be an active supporter of our mission for many years, and we look forward to growing and continuing our partnership.”
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Students selected for the Exelon HBCU Corporate Scholars Program:
Name |
Hometown |
HBCU |
Adetola Bamgbose |
Owings Mills, Md. |
Morgan State University |
Hashone Carry |
Sewickley, Pa. |
Lincoln University |
Giovanni Casson |
Dover, Del. |
Lincoln University |
Kennedy Cole |
Chicago, Ill. |
Spelman College |
Nolanda Graves |
Washington, D.C. |
University of the District of Columbia |
Bernice Hightower |
Newark, N.J. |
Howard University |
Michael Johnson |
Washington, D.C. |
Howard University |
Diamond Knox |
Chicago, Ill. |
Lane College |
Jaylin Lee-Sumlin |
Greenbelt, Md. |
Clark Atlanta University |
Emmanuel Marfo |
Hyattsville, Md. |
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University |
Josiah McNeal |
Homewood, Ill. |
Clark Atlanta University |
Tolulope Oluyadi |
Upper Marlboro, Md. |
Howard University |
Kolbe Parnell |
Baltimore, Md. |
Morgan State University |
Anise Puckett |
Lockport, Ill. |
Spelman College |
Jaida Robinson-Clark |
Philadelphia, Pa. |
Howard University |
Khaiyani Rowe |
Blue Bell, Pa. |
Clark Atlanta University |
Noelle Smith |
Elkins Park, Pa. |
Howard University |
Ashanta Smith |
Darby, Pa. |
Lincoln University |
Kiley Strong |
Washington, D.C. |
Howard University |
Hnin Swe |
Washington, D.C. |
University of the District of Columbia |
Fallon Warnick |
West Chester, Pa. |
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University |
Da’Lonna Wells |
Randallstown, Md. |
Morgan State University |
Courtland Wilson |
Calumet City, Ill. |
Morehouse College |
Ari Yates |
Baltimore, Md. |
Morgan State University |
Nearly 200 Exelon employees are HBCU alumni.
The HBCU Corporate Scholars Program is in total a $3 million commitment and one of several Exelon initiatives that support education and workforce development. Exelon is helping bridge the gender and racial gap in STEM careers with the annual Exelon Foundation STEM Leadership Academy, and the recently launched Green Lab Grants program, which will provide $1 million in grants of up to $50,000 each for schools and educational nonprofits to create and refresh spaces for STEM education. Together, Exelon and its utilities—Atlantic City Electric, BGE, ComEd, Delmarva Power, PECO and Pepco—have more than 65 unique workforce development programs designed to bring economic equity, empowerment and employment opportunity to under-resourced communities. The individual Exelon utilities with HBCUs in their service areas also provide additional support to those institutions beyond this initiative.
These commitments extend outside of Exelon’s walls through philanthropic support of similar work by other organizations in the community. In 2021 alone, Exelon, the Exelon Foundation and Exelon’s operating companies provided nonprofits with nearly $16 million in grants for education programs.
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