Shaw University Partners with Strada Education Network to Support Student Scholarships

RALEIGH, N.C. – Beginning in the fall semester of 2022 through the summer of 2029, students enrolled in the Shaw University Honors College program can be selected for scholarships provided by the Strada Education Network HBCU initiative, a nationwide program that offers leadership development, academic support and critical social engagement, resulting in positive postsecondary learning opportunities that lead to meaningful career pathways. All participating HBCUs will select three students every year for four years to become Strada Scholars – a total of 12 scholars per school. Each scholar will receive a renewable $7,000 annual tuition scholarship. In addition, each of the participating institutions will be allocated $1,200 per student for internship support and $1,200 per student for leadership-development resources.

Dr. Paul-Arthur Pierre-Louis, Director of the Honors Program at Shaw University, said: “HBCUs are the lifeline of higher education within the Black community, and this partnership with Strada Education Network only expands Shaw University’s commitment to providing academic excellence and scholarship. This partnership further allows Shaw the opportunity of building a campus of diverse future leaders.” The first cohort of Strada Scholars at Shaw University includes Quintin Clay, majoring in Biology; Toni Dudley, majoring in Exercise Science; and Patrick NDaye, majoring in management.

The Strada Education Network HBCU Initiative focuses on three programmatic components: 

• Leadership – students identified as leaders at each institution, by the university President, and engaged in social issues in their communities; 
• Internship – To provide progressive learning experiences to prepare students for the 21st-century workforce;
• Scholarship – Support students and families to break down the financial barriers to allow for persistence and completion.

Scholarship funding is intended to be used for: 

• Internship stipends 
• Leadership development programming 
• Administrative support for the Strada HBCU Initiative

“Strada has initiated this partnership with and in support of our HBCU community to provide resources and engagement as they develop the next generation of leaders,” said Daryl Graham, Strada SVP of HBCU Initiative & Engagement. “The HBCU community has proven they develop leaders exceptionally well. Through a listening tour, Presidents along with their leadership teams shared how and where they needed additional resources for support. Those areas identified were scholarship, internship, and augment their leadership development programs on campus and administrative support. We are pleased the partnerships are working well.” According to Graham, Strada recognizes the importance of HBCUs in providing economic and social mobility to America’s next generation of leaders and is undertaking this initiative to provide institutional and systemic improvements for the participating institutions and the students they serve. 

Dr. Paulette Dillard, President of Shaw University, said, “This partnership between Shaw University and Strada Education Network will showcase the successes of our students in particular and our HBCU community in general by demonstrating how our students are excelling and emphasizing the leadership development instruction received, which is necessary to become civic-minded, engaged, solution-driven and positioned to take on leadership roles nationally.”  

Shaw University, located in Raleigh, North Carolina, is the first historically Black institution of higher education founded in North Carolina and is among the oldest in the nation. The University was founded in 1865 by Henry Martin Tupper. Dr. Paulette Dillard currently serves as the University’s 18th President. For more information, visit: www.shawu.edu