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As part of its larger commitment to providing access to quality education to all Milwaukee students, Northwestern Mutual awards nine students its 2024 Hometown HBCU Connection Scholarship
MILWAUKEE, June 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Northwestern Mutual, a leading financial services company, reaffirmed its commitment to supporting advancement in education for Milwaukee residents by announcing its second cohort for the Northwestern Mutual Hometown HBCU Connection Scholarship. In Milwaukee, where Northwestern Mutual has operated for 167 years, only nine percent (9%) of students will earn both high school and college diplomas1, and only 14% of high school graduates will earn a two- or four-year degree2. For Black students in particular, research3 shows forty percent (40%) cite mental health issues, high cost and lack of preparation as barriers faced while pursuing secondary education.
To help close the education gap, the company, through its Foundation, created the Northwestern Mutual HBCU Hometown Connection Scholarship. The scholarship seeks to provide recipients holistic support needed to succeed professionally and personally. In addition to annual grants of $7,500 in both freshman and sophomore years, students will be mentored by company leaders, eligible for paid internships before their junior and senior year and be considered for employment after graduation. The cohort of nine students will also form a peer support circle as they navigate the many firsts of college life.
"We formed the Hometown HBCU Connection Scholarship as an opportunity to ensure our city's future leaders and workforce have the resources to expand their knowledge in a way that is meaningful to them," says Steve Radke, president, Northwestern Mutual Foundation. "Our hope is these individuals will graduate and return to the great city of Milwaukee, strengthening the cumulative success of residents and businesses with their education and experiences."
Northwestern Mutual, through its Foundation, has been championing access to education for all students – regardless of race or income status – for more than 25 years. The Hometown HBCU Connection Scholarship is one of many ways that the Foundation hopes to further the advancement of quality education. You can learn more about the recipients of this year's scholarship by visiting the Northwestern Mutual website.
"The role that attending a historically Black college has played in fostering community and connections within my personal and professional growth has been instrumental," said Grady Crosby, chief sustainability and impact officer, Northwestern Mutual, and Howard University alumnus. "I'm proud to work for an employer that has a long-standing commitment to closing opportunity gaps via access to education for Milwaukee-area students and sees the unique value that graduates of HBCUs can bring to Northwestern Mutual in the future."
Northwestern Mutual, through its Foundation, has invested more than $60 million to education in the city of Milwaukee, over 25 years. To learn more about Northwestern Mutual's philanthropic efforts and investments in the community, visit https://www.northwesternmutual.com/who-we-are/sustainability-social-impact/.
About Northwestern Mutual Foundation
The mission of the Northwestern Mutual Foundation is to improve the lives of children and families in need. The Foundation has given more than $490 million since its inception in 1992 and is designed to create lasting impact in the communities where the company's employees and financial representatives live and work. We accomplish this by combining financial support, volunteerism, thought leadership and convening community partners to deliver the best outcomes. Our efforts are focused nationally on curing childhood cancer, and locally on education, neighborhoods and making our hometown of Milwaukee a great destination. Visit Northwestern Mutual Foundation to learn more.
1 https://www.northwesternmutual-foundation.com/education/
2 https://allinmilwaukee.org/changing-the-narrative-all-in-milwaukee-celebrates-first-ever-graduating-class/
3 https://www.gallup.com/analytics/644939/state-of-higher-education.aspx
SOURCE Northwestern Mutual