Recently, The Executive Leadership Council and The Executive Leadership Foundation announced that over 2800 AA undergraduates from across the country competed in their “2010 Award for Excellence in Business Commentary National Essay Competition.” Rust College’s own, Stefen White was named 6th place winner for this year. The ten African-American undergraduate students from across the nation were vying for scholarship awards that include cash distributed among the winners, an internship at a Fortune 500 corporation, and participation in an all expense-paid, week-long Honors Symposium in New York City.
Students were asked to examine and discuss how corporations should work with schools to help develop minority leaders. It was based on a 2009 McKinsey & Co. report estimating that the achievement gap affecting minorities in public schools leads to a loss in Gross Domestic Product of between 310 – 525 billion dollars each year. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that “by 2023, minorities will comprise more than half of all school-age children.”
The essay contest, now in its 16th year, is generously supported and underwritten by The Coca-Cola Foundation.
The 10 student winners of the 2010 National Essay Competition are:
1st Place David Alexander, Howard University
2nd Place Aeisha D. Reese, Wayne State University
3rd Place Folake Dosu, Stanford University
4th Place Shannon Evans, Emporia State University
5th Place Tristan Francis, University of Pennsylvania
6th Place Kurt C. Griggs-Swanson, Wayne State University
6th Place Ayesha Massquoi, Iowa State University
6th Place Ashli McLean, Hampton University
6th Place Kenneth Ware, Jr., Texas Southern University
6th Place Stefen White, Rust College
“These exceptional students have taken on a challenge that has vexed business and community leaders for decades, and have offered practical and achievable recommendations,” said Lawrence M. Drake II, interim president and CEO of The Executive Leadership Council. “If our nation is to prevail as the most successful economic engine in the world, we must have the full participation of all of our citizens. Business and civic leaders should take heed of the suggestions made by these essay winners to help narrow the achievement gap among black and brown students.”
Stefen White from Knoxville, Tennessee, a senior at Rust College majoring in Computer Science, is confident in the future strength of American business and believes corporations must utilize the “human potential more fully,” which “will result in economic benefits for our nation as a whole."
As in years past, the 2010 Annual Recognition Gala will be held at the Hilton New York on Thursday, October 14, 2010, in New York City.
Posted By: Reginald Culpepper
Tuesday, July 20th 2010 at 4:30PM
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