CHICAGO, IL.— Local multicultural college students
from the Chicagoland area will have a chance to win scholarships and
internship opportunities in the financial services field as part of a
newly-expanded scholarship program sponsored by Water Tower Financial
Partners, a general agency of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co.
(MassMutual).
Students of African-American/Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, or
Hispanic descent who reside in the Chicagoland area can apply for one
of three $5,000 college scholarships. Applicants must meet certain
academic criteria, such as having concentrations in the fields of
business, economics, finance, financial planning, management,
marketing or sales.
Nationally, MassMutual is making $135,000 in scholarships available in
nine metropolitan areas as part of the program.
“We’ve always been committed to attracting talented professionals to
the field of financial services, and in particular to supporting
people of diverse backgrounds, both as agents and as clients,” said
Ric Alfonso, CEO of Water Tower Financial Partners. “These
scholarships will ultimately help us better serve Chicago’s
increasingly diverse community.”
This year, MassMutual is expanding the scholarship program, which
began in 2009 with four metropolitan areas, to nine.
“Our scholarship program is a very important part of our commitment to
diversity and education, and because of it and our other efforts,
we’re already making a big difference in the lives of the communities
we serve,” said Nick Fyntrilakis, assistant vice president of
Community Responsibility for MassMutual.
The scholarship program’s application deadline is May 30, and winners
will be notified in late summer.
To be eligible, applicants must:
— Be of African American/Black, Asian/Pacific Islander or Hispanic
decent.
— Be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident with a permanent
resident card or passport stamped I-551 (not expired).
— Have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0
scale.
— Have plans to attend FULL-TIME, a degree-seeking program at a U.S.
accredited institution in the U.S., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands
or Guam during the 2010-2011 academic year.
— Be entering their sophomore, junior, senior or 5th year senior year at
a four-year university or be a community college student.
— Reside or plan to attend an institution in one of the following
metropolitan areas: Atlanta, GA; Denver, CO; Houston, TX; Los Angeles,
CA; San Francisco, CA; Central New Jersey; Chicago, IL; Miami, FL; or
San Antonio, TX.
— Be majoring in business, economics, finance, financial planning,
management, marketing or sales.
— Demonstrate leadership and extra curricular activities.
— Must apply for federal financial aid by completing the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)