PepsiCo Invests In Westchester Community College Equity Programs

Press release from Westchester Community College:

April 6, 2021

Westchester Community College (WCC)has been selected as a partner by PepsiCoand its philanthropic arm, The PepsiCo Foundation, in a new scholarship and professional mentoring programthat will address the issue of minority underrepresentation in high-demand fields.

As part of its commitment to lift up Black and Hispanic businesses and communities in the U.S. to address issues of inequality and create opportunity, PepsiCo is launching a $40 million program to provide financial support, mentoring, and opportunities for work experience to aspiring and graduating community college students. Westchester Community College is one of only a handful of community colleges in the nation to receive grants as part of this program in support of two scholarship programs specifically for Black and Hispanic students attending WCC.

A scholarship grant of $600,000 over two years supports the PepsiCo Foundation Uplift Scholarships. Eighty Black and Hispanic current and prospective students at WCC will be awarded up to $2,500 annually to help cover the costs of tuition and other expenses related to obtaining degrees and/or professional certifications in Information Technology.

• Forty scholarships are reserved for full-time matriculating students earning Associate Degrees in Cybersecurity, Computer Information Systems or Interactive Technologies.

• Forty additional scholarships are reserved for students pursuing professional credentials in WCC’s short-term workforce development programs.

Scholarship recipients will receive additional support services from faculty coaches and navigators, as well as have access to emergency funds and other student support services to ensure success.

To learn more about these opportunities, please visit:
https://www.sunywcc.edu/admiss...

The PepsiCo Foundation S.M.I.L.E. Scholarship (Success Matters in Life & Education) will award two year grants of up to $25,000 per year ($50,000 total) to ten Black and Hispanic WCC students in each of the next five years. To qualify, students must be transferring to complete their Bachelor’s degree in full time undergraduate study at an accredited four-year college or university in the U.S.

WCC is one of only four community colleges across the country to be selected as a partner by PepsiCofor this opportunity. The first 10 WCC students to be selected as S.M.I.L.E.Scholarship recipients will be announced this spring.

To learn more about this opportunity, please visit:
https://www.sunywcc.edu/admiss...

Both Uplift and S.M.I.L.E. Scholarship recipients will also receive mentorship and leadership training from PepsiCo employees and will have the opportunity to apply for internships and jobs at PepsiCo.

”Westchester Community College and PepsiCo are both committed to diversity and taking visible actions to remove barriers to access and advancement that adversely affect individuals from marginalized communities,” said Dr. Belinda S. Miles, President at Westchester Community College. “These scholarship programs will enable many students who might otherwise have faced insurmountable financial hurdles to pursue their academic goals. Collectively, these programs will also benefit our community and our economic re-emergence by increasing our pool of qualified workers in high-demand fields.”

“Education is a great equalizer that enables economic growth, upward mobility and helps build generational wealth that lifts up communities over the long-term,” said PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Ramon Laguarta. “With this program, we are creating a differentiated experience for students that goes beyond scholarships by providing critical training, support and other services that will put them on the path to success. Last year, PepsiCo committed to using our resources to combat deep-rooted economic disparities that have long impacted Black and Hispanic communities. We’re proud to announce this community college program today as a key part of that effort.”

This press release was produced by Westchester Community College. The views expressed here are the author's own.