African American students receive more than $100,000 in college scholarships
It was an inspiring afternoon of Black excellence as the Gamma Zeta Boulé Foundation (GZBF) recently hosted its 18th annual L.A.M.P Mentor Program Scholarship Celebration: Igniting the Torch of Empowerment at the Pasadena Hilton Hotel on May 20. The luncheon honors graduating seniors and rewards them with scholarship support for college.
The Foundation is committed to cultivating, achieving, and sustaining the highest quality of life within the greater San Gabriel Valley community through improvement in the areas of Leadership, Economic Development, Education and Social Development.
The organization lives out that commitment through two signature programs: a STEAMposium (in partnership with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.) that exposes middle, high school, and college students to professionals in all aspects of S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math) and the L.A.M.P. Mentor Program open to African American young men, grades 9-12, who desire to attend and graduate from the college or university of their choice.
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The luncheon was the culmination of the ten-month L.A.M.P. Mentor session that included 36 students (10 seniors, 11 juniors, eight sophomores, and seven freshmen) who met at least one Saturday a month (from August to May) for a series of workshops at locations throughout the greater Pasadena, Inland Empire, and Los Angeles areas.
L.A.M.P. Mentees were introduced to successful African American men from a variety of professions, enjoyed cultural events, participated in business skills workshops, and were presented with challenges they will encounter in their quest for excellence and success. The program also included a weekend bonding retreat in the mountains that supported the growth of the mentees in the four pillars of L.A.M.P. – Leadership, Achievement, Management, and Professionalism. Participants were introduced to institutions and individuals that expanded their knowledge and opened their minds to career opportunities.
This unique experience also provided students and parents with an opportunity to learn more about the college admissions process and financial aid as well as writing, networking, financial literacy, and interviewing skills; rising seniors embarked on an educational trip to Washington D.C. that included visits to colleges, museums, and cultural centers, and dinners with successful African American men in the Washington DC area. The L.A.M.P. Mentor Program is free to students and parents.
Gamma Zeta Boulé Foundation welcomes community support of its efforts and contributions to its programs. The L.A.M.P. Mentor Program works with community and corporate sponsors to enhance the experiences of the Mentees. There are no geographic restrictions. Mentees come from Pasadena, Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley, South Bay, and the Inland Empire.
Ten outstanding young men made up the Gamma Zeta Boulé Class of 2023: Marshall Dodds, Sebastian Fuentes, Hayden Harper, Xavier Haynes, Terence Mathews II, Asa Phillips, Gilbert Roberts, Xavier Smith, Andrew Taylor, and Sean Taylor.
Each was awarded a scholarship in varying amounts from $8,000 to $12,000. One of the seniors, Sean Taylor, was admitted to the coveted Boulé Scholars Program sponsored by Sigma Pi Phi, the Grand Boulé. This year, there are 50 Boulé Scholars out of more than 1,000 applicants.
In all, the Foundation awarded $101,000 in college scholarships. Among the graduates, seven have a GPA of 3.5; four are outstanding student athletes, having captain their schools’ teams in their sports, competed in, and won conference championships, been ranked in the top ten in Los Angeles in their chosen sport, and entering college as recruited student athlete, one is entering college as a sophomore, and three are outstanding musicians.
Some plan to major in psychology, finance, and pre-law at institutes of higher education throughout the country, including HBCU Morehouse College, UCLA, U.C. Berkeley, Boston University, Southern Methodist University, Pasadena City College, Pierce College, U.C. Santa Cruz, University of Arizona, and California State University of Northridge.
“The L.A.M.P. Mentor Program is an agent for transformation that provides access and exposure to young African American men who have brilliant minds and infinite possibilities that they do not see,” said Ramsey Jay, Jr., Gamma Zeta Boulé Foundation President, and L.A.M.P Mentor.
“It is difficult to inspire a young man to dream of something he has not seen. L.A.M.P. shatters that difficulty. L.A.M.P Mentees become dreamers and when they leave the program, they have gained the tools to move from being dreamers to being achievers.”
Young men interested in joining the Gamma Zeta Boulé L.A.M.P. Mentor Program must register and, along with a parent/guardian, participate in an orientation session that introduces them to the program and confirms their commitment to the goals and objectives of the program. New L.A.M.P. Mentees are accepted up to September each year and must wear a jacket, dress shirt, tie, and dress shoes to each L.A.M.P. session.
For more information, visit www.gzbfoundation.org, or contact Gilbert Holmes, director of Curriculum and Development, at [email protected].
