Three Florida A&M University (FAMU) School of Business & Industry (SBI) graduate students, won $28,000 in a community project competition sponsored by the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) and Hennessy.
All fellows participating in the TMCF joint program had the opportunity to compete for a community-related project grant worth up to $10,000.
Jonathan Jones from Orlando, Fla., Brianna Collins from St. Petersburg, Fla., and Jonas Laboo from Tallahassee, Fla., each competed and won a total of $28,000 in grant funds. Jones and Laboo were each awarded $10,000 and Collins $8,000.
The Hennessy Fellows is a new graduate program for scholars pursuing a master’s degree at a historically Black college or university (HBCU) in the U.S. This initiative is an outgrowth of a $10 million partnership between Hennessy and TMCF. The aim is to annually prepare about 10 HBCU graduate students with the knowledge, skillset and confidence needed to break barriers in the corporate world.
Jones, a FAMU MBA candidate with a double major in business administration and supply chain management, said he and his other fellows have received great mentorship, networking opportunities and the keys to navigate in the corporate environment during the Hennessy Fellows experience.
“This program is really putting us in a position of power and putting us where we should be,” he said.
Collins, a graduate MBA student, is one of the four women in the Hennessy Fellows inaugural cohort. She said the experience has provided tremendous professional and personal growth.
“I find myself getting emotionally happy because of all the opportunities that I’ve been able to have exposure to,” Collins said.
The fellows received an all-expenses paid trip to New York City for a boot camp, executive coaching, up to $20,000 per academic year, a $10,000 annual stipend for other educational expenses, an opportunity to compete for a community-related project grant up to $10,000, and access to online training forums, networking events and professional development experiences.
“It is our responsibility as Hennessy Fellows and future global leaders to enrich the community, to give back to the community and by doing so, we can create a perpetual cycle that starts to uplift the next person,” Jones said. “This program is opening doors.”
For more information, including eligibility requirements and how to apply for the second Hennessey Fellows cohort, please visit tmcf.org/HFP.
