Keith Wilson, a junior at the University of Colorado at Boulder, was recently awarded a $5,000 scholarship from The Lagrant Foundation of Los Angeles.
Wilson is a graduate of Rangeview High School in Aurora. He was one of only 10 students from around the country to receive the prestigious award, presented at a June 14 reception hosted by the Times Mirror Foundation and held at the headquarters of the Los Angeles Times.
Lagrant is the only non-profit organization in the nation that provides scholarships to ethnic minorities pursuing careers in advertising, marketing and public relations. The announcement of the foundation聮s 1999-2000 scholarship awards culminates a rigorous nationwide competition in which 515 African American, Asian/Pacific Islander American, Hispanic and American Indian applicants submitted their academic transcripts and essays for consideration.
According to Kim L. Hunter, president and founder of Lagrant, the foundation聮s mission is to support the goals of qualified ethnic minorities by funding their dreams into reality.
"Thanks to the support of our corporate partners, who share my concern that we need to increase the numbers of ethnic minorities in our field, we were able to more than double our financial support this year for our scholarship recipients," Hunter said.
Prior to the scholarship reception, the students participated in a half-day career seminar, featuring presentations by several leading national business leaders. Topics included resume preparation, interviewing techniques, networking, career planning and dressing for success.
Wilson, an African American, said that receiving the scholarship was an honor and came at a time in his college career when he needed the money the most.
"I feel fortunate to receive the scholarship. It provides a great opportunity to broaden my career goals and college expectations," he said.
Hunter established The Lagrant Foundation in 1998. This year it presented $50,000 in scholarships, more than twice the amount given last year. The foundation also provides additional educational support for scholarship recipients, including career advisement, mentors and internships.
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