April Pritchard hopes to pursue eco-friendly automotive design
April Pritchard, a resident of St. Louis and a student at Xavier University of Louisiana, has been awarded an SBC/UNCF Scholarship from the SBC Foundation – the philanthropic arm of SBC Communications Inc. – and United Negro College Fund (UNCF).
Pritchard, a junior working toward a dual-degree in Physics and Mechanical Engineering, will receive a $5,000 scholarship to apply toward her degree.
The funding is part of a $125,000 contribution from the SBC Foundation to support the 2005 SBC/UNCF scholarship program, which will provide scholarships to 25 students attending one of the 39 historically black colleges and universities affiliated with UNCF. The contribution builds on more than $1.5 million in SBC Foundation support for UNCF since 1994.
Pritchard is active in the National Society of Black Engineers, the Xavier Master Scholars Program and the Society of Physics Students. She also tutors children in math at a local elementary school in New Orleans.
After graduation, she would like to pursue a career in automotive design and make car emissions less hazardous to the environment.
SBC/UNCF Scholarships are available to students entering their junior year, who have a minimum 3.0 GPA and are pursuing a degree in business, finance, economics, mathematics, accounting, engineering (industrial, electrical, or mechanical), computer science, and information technologies.
Currently, students from 11 SBC-operating states are eligible for UNCF scholarships, including Arkansas, California, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin.
“The SBC Foundation’s commitment to higher education in the African-American community will have a great impact on the organization’s goal to increase degree attainment among minority students,” said Dr. Michael Lomax, UNCF President and CEO.
“UNCF greatly appreciates the opportunity to collaborate with corporations such as SBC Communications to empower deserving young men and women through higher education.”
“The SBC Foundation is proud of the continued success that our partnership with United Negro College Fund has produced,” said Laura Sanford, president of the SBC Foundation.
“Since we launched the SBC/UNCF Scholarship program nearly a decade ago, we have helped hundreds of deserving students nationally realize their dreams through education. Programs such as this help students become better equipped with needed skills to succeed in today’s dynamic workplace.”
SBC Communications Inc., through the corporation and SBC Foundation, has been an active supporter of diverse communities through its philanthropic efforts. In 2004, the SBC Foundation awarded 47 percent of its direct giving grants to racial/ethnic-based organizations, including $6.7 million to organizations serving African-American communities, highlighted by a $1 million grant to the National Urban League to build the technology capacity of the African-American community on the national and local level.
In 2005, the SBC Foundation was recognized by ABFE (formerly Association of Black Foundation Executives) with their Institutional Award for Philanthropic Leadership. The award recognizes the SBC Foundation’s responsive grant-making to African American projects and organizations.
SBC companies also have a solid, industry-leading record of workforce and supplier diversity, providing employment and leadership opportunities to employees and minority businesses. In 2004, the company spent $1.8 billion with diverse vendors.
Because of this commitment, SBC Communications has been recognized by Fortune magazine’s 50 Best Companies for Minorities for six consecutive years, and as one of the top 50 companies for diversity by DiversityInc. magazine.
As the nation’s oldest and most successful minority higher education assistance organization, United Negro College Fund’s mission is to provide financial support to its 39 member institutions and increase minority degree attainment by reducing financial barriers to college. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 25 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees.
UNCF administers nearly 450 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship programs, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 65,000 students at over 900 colleges and universities across the country. For more information, visit www.uncf.org.
