Scholarships Provide More Than $110,000 to Support Graduate and Undergraduate Education
NEW YORK; Oct. 24, 2005 - Eleven American Indian students from across the United States will continue their education with the help of scholarship funding from Accenture’s American Indian Scholarship Fund.
More than 100 students applied for this first annual Accenture scholarship program, which sought out the highest-achieving American Indian and Alaska Native students seeking degrees and careers in technology, professional and business fields. Candidates were evaluated based on academic excellence, demonstrated leadership ability, and a commitment to the American Indian culture and community. Candidates were also required to provide proof of enrollment in a federally recognized American Indian/ Alaskan Native tribe.
"Accenture is delighted to contribute to the higher education of these exceptional women and men," said Kedrick Adkins, Accenture’s Chief Diversity Officer. "While there were many deserving candidates, these 11 students stood out as future leaders in the American Indian community."
Three Accenture Scholars will receive undergraduate scholarships toward completing four-year baccalaureate degrees:
- Samuel Kohn, (Crow Tribe) of Billings, Montana, will attend Dartmouth College
- James Lays Bad, (Oglala Lakota Tribe) of Porcupine, South Dakota, will attend the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
- Cassandra Toledo, (Jemez Pueblo Tribe) of Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico, will attend the University of Arizona
Three Accenture Fellows will receive graduate scholarships towards completing advanced or professional degrees:
- Wizipan Garriott, (Sicangu Lakota Tribe) of Washington, DC, will attend the University of Arizona
- Melissa Holder, (Winnebago Tribe) of Lawrence, Kansas, will attend the University of Kansas
- Jarrid Whitney, (Six Nations Cayuga Tribe) of Redwood, California, will attend Harvard University
Accenture named five finalists as part of the program. These finalists will also receive funding toward their undergraduate and graduate degrees. Undergraduate finalist award recipients are:
- Clinton Morgan, (Choctaw Tribe) of Poteau, Oklahoma, attending Washington University
- Seth Pearman, (Cheyenne River Lakota Tribe) of Eagle Butte, South Dakota, attending University of South Dakota
- Kelsey Young, (Miami Tribe) of Claremore, Oklahoma, attending Miami University
Graduate finalist award recipients are:
- Glenna Stumblingbear, (Kiowa Tribe) of Anadarko, Oklahoma, attending Oklahoma State University
- Delvin Yazzie, (Navajo Tribe) of Tucson, Arizona, attending the University of Arizona
In addition to the scholarships, these recipients will be eligible for summer internships with Accenture as first-year graduate students or junior-year undergraduate students.
Accenture partnered with the American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC) to administer the Accenture American Indian Scholarship Fund. "Accenture is helping us develop and empower American Indian citizens - preparing them to participate in the constructive revitalization of their respective American Indian communities," said Norbert S. Hill, Jr., AIGC executive director.
These scholarships are one part of Accenture’s commitment to the American Indian community in the United States and part of its global corporate citizenship program. Accenture’s American Indian Scholarship Fund was created in September 2004, at the same time that Accenture played a role in the opening of Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC. Accenture acts as a management consultant and information technology services advisor to the museum.
About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. Committed to delivering innovation, Accenture collaborates with its clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. With deep industry and business process expertise, broad global resources and a proven track record, Accenture can mobilize the right people, skills, and technologies to help clients improve their performance. With more than 123,000 people in 48 countries, the company generated net revenues of US $15.55 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2005. Its home page is www.accenture.com.
About the American Indian Graduate Center
The American Indian Graduate Center was founded in 1969 as American Indian Scholarships, Inc. The American Indian Graduate Center is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to aiding Native Americans pursuing graduate and professional degrees in all fields of study at all colleges. In 2001, the American Indian Graduate Center created the American Indian Graduate Center Scholars organization to administer the American Indian/Alaska Native component of the Gates Millennium Scholars Program (GMSP), which selects 150 incoming freshmen, per year, who are pursuing undergraduate degree and funding a total of 600 students each year. The 2004-2005 academic year, the two programs and the AIGC private scholarship endowments and funds will award more than 1,000 scholarships, totaling more than $7,000,000 to both graduate and undergraduate students. Visit www.aigcs.org for more information.