Miami – Former Florida State University collegiate scholar athletes Myron Rolle and Garrett Johnson, and University of Florida Hall of Fame Student Body President Jamal Sowell today announced the launch of the Emerging Scholars Project aimed at identifying Florida’s high achieving minority and underrepresented college students for participation in a free one-day symposium that will take place at the University of Florida in Gainesville on Saturday, July 30th.
The event will bring together representatives from some of the nation’s elite scholarship and fellowship programs, national speakers and collegiate advisors, for a day of in-depth dialogue, interactive seminars and resources aimed at empowering Florida students to apply for these programs.
“I am proud to launch this incredible program, especially following my own experiences as a Rhodes Scholar. Through the Emerging Scholars Project, we not only want to empower underrepresented students to apply for competitive scholarships, but we are also hoping to identify the diamond-in the rough, with untapped potential, in an effort to inspire them to dream bigger, reach higher and apply themselves even more to achieve their goals.” said Myron Rolle, founding member.
The Emerging Scholars Project is currently accepting applications from college sophomores, juniors and seniors with an interest in applying for elite programs including but not limited to the Rhodes, Fulbright and Marshall Scholarship programs. Interested students are encouraged to log onto www.myronrolle.com/emerging-scholars-project or visit the program’s Facebook Page, Emerging Scholars Project, for more information and to access the program application, selection criteria and requirements. The deadline for application submissions is June 30, 2011. Businesses or organizations interested in partnering with the Emerging Scholars Project should contact Wendy Grant at [email protected].
“Recipients of national fellowships and scholarships have been traditionally drawn from a relatively small number of private US universities. As such, students enrolled in public institutions, and minority students to a greater degree, are underrepresented,” said Johnson, founding member. “Perhaps biased, but we think that exceptional and deserving students emerge from a diverse spectrum of universities and backgrounds. More must be done to address institutional barriers, as well as self-exclusion, and the Emerging Scholars Project is intended to contribute towards this important effort.”
“It is an honor to promote a project such as this with Myron Rolle, who has blazed his own paths to success while showing others that nothing is impossible,” said Jamal Sowell, Founding member. “I am elated for the opportunity to bring this project to the University of Florida and Gainesville community in order for underrepresented students to obtain a chance to compete for these competitive scholarships and change the world.”
