DC Student Awarded Visa Black Scholars and Jobs Program Grant

WASHINGTON, DC — Visa named the inaugural class of its Visa Black Scholars and Jobs Program last Thursday, awarding 50 incoming first-year college students across the country with scholarships, mentorships and opportunities to join Visa full-time upon graduation.

Nathan McAlpine, a resident of Washington, D.C., who is attending Georgia Tech in Atlanta, was one of the 50 students selected for the program.

The Visa Black Scholars and Jobs Program, created in partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, is a $10 million investment over the next five years.

“At Visa, we believe that change starts with action, and we are committed to advancing racial equality and closing the opportunity gap,” Kelly Mahon Tullier, Visa executive vice president, chief legal and administrative officer and program mentor, said in a statement. “Through this program, we are supporting a pipeline of diverse future leaders in the business and technology sectors.”

The Visa Black Scholars and Jobs Program is designed for college-bound Black and African American students in the U.S. Eligible high school seniors who are pursuing an education in a business or technology field and intend to enroll as a full-time undergraduate in an accredited four-year college or university in the U.S. are eligible for the scholarship grant.

Hundreds of students across the U.S. applied for the 2021 program. Core components of the program include:

• Work with a Visa mentor throughout their college experience, beginning with the 2021-2022 academic year.
• Participate in a Scholars Summit at Visa’s headquarters in 2022.
• Support of the scholars’ personal, academic and professional development.
• Participate in a paid internship, with an invitation to join Visa full-time upon graduation for those who meet program requirements.

“Today’s college-bound students are facing incredible challenges, with students attending and leaving institutions with more debt than ever before,” Dr. Harry L. Williams, president & CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, said in a statement. “The Visa Black Scholars are current and future changemakers of our society, and our hope is that we can provide those incredible students with the financial assistance they need to focus on what matters most."