Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43), a native of Kinloch, was on hand to give opening remarks for the 11th Annual Opening Door Awards on Friday, Dec. 6, hosted by the Millennium Momentum Foundation, Inc.
During the event, the foundation provided $54,000 in scholarships to 18 students representing various multicultural communities throughout Greater Los Angeles and the Southern California region that have demonstrated academic success, leadership potential and financial need.
“We were truly honored to have Congresswoman Maxine Waters attend our 11th Annual Opening Doors Awards,” said Jason L. Seward, founder & CEO of Millennium Momentum Foundation, Inc.
“Not only did her powerful opening remarks set the tone for the historical occasion, but she also took the time to personally honor and congratulate each and every one of our Best & Brightest Scholars on stage with certificates of recognition during the Awards Show. The congresswoman has always demonstrated this personalized level of engagement and involvement in support of our organization and our students since our inception in 2002, and we are eternally grateful.”
“I am so proud of the Millennium Momentum Foundation and the outstanding contributions that it has made and continues to make by helping to increase the number of young minorities in public policy and other public service-related fields through education, mentoring, and leadership development training,” said Congresswoman Waters.
A national report released by the National Urban Fellows last year, entitled, “Diversity Counts: Racial and Ethnic Diversity among Public Service Leadership,” reveals that minorities remain largely underrepresented in public service leadership, including government, philanthropy and nonprofit organizations.
“It is critical that our voices be heard so that we can come up with solutions that work for our communities,” added Congresswoman Waters. “And that is why the work that this foundation is doing to improve diversity in public service is so important. I encourage the Millennium Momentum Foundation to continue to develop our aspiring young leaders that are seeking to enter public service careers.”
STLCC receives $300K grant for child care
To support the participation of more low-income parents in higher education, the U.S. Department of Education recently awarded nearly $9.2 million to 58 postsecondary institutions to establish or support campus-based child care services.
St. Louis Community College received a grant of $300,000.
“Peace of mind is an important factor in student success,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “These grants help parents stay focused on their studies and graduation goals. The funding is part of the department’s overall effort to support parenting students so that they can build better lives for themselves and their children.”
Funded under the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program, awards can be used for child care services for all age groups: infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, as well as before and after-school care for school-age children. Students eligible to receive services for their children through CCAMPIS must be eligible for Pell grants, which are awarded based on financial need. In addition to using a sliding fee scale for the services, some grantees require students to attend parent workshops and take part in academic counseling to maximize their prospects for success in completing their higher education studies.
This year, to align with the department’s overall priorities for higher education, applicants were also encouraged to include support for military families.
All 58 grants, located in 28 states, are funded for four years.
Maryville: overperforming university
Maryville University of St. Louis has been named the No. 1 overperforming university in the nation for the second year in a row as cited by U.S. News & World Report.
Experts at U.S. News & World Report looked at data from the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges 2014, then took peer assessment and compared it to actual rankings. Maryville University’s performance is 99 places above its peer assessments
“Receiving this ranking for the second year in a row, shows we are doing outstanding work for our students inside and outside the classroom,” said Maryville University President Mark Lombardi. “It also confirms that in higher education, great national reputations arise after years of sustained exemplary performance. Studies such as this amplify the facts: we have an 87 percent retention rate, a 76 percent graduation rate and a 94 percent career placement rate, and you can’t do much better than that.”
Robert Morse, director of data research for U.S. News & World Report, announced the new findings in his blog, Morse Code: Inside the College Rankings.
“An overperforming school’s undergraduate reputation among its academic peers has not kept pace with what it has achieved in the underlying academic indicators. This could be because academic reputation is a lagging indicator – it can take time for a school’s academic peers to understand the real progress of a university,” he wrote.
Maryville, founded in 1872, entered the National Universities category of U.S. News & World Report rankings in 2012. It is one of only three St. Louis institutions that are ranked. Maryville is also highly ranked by Forbes and Kiplinger’s as a best value.
As a private, independent university, Maryville enrolls more than 5,000 students and offers more than 55 undergraduate majors, 10 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees.
