Meeting the Needs of the Village

Stories of Impact

As one-time UC Riverside students themselves, members of the Black Alumni Chapter (BAC) have a true sense of what it takes to graduate from college and what a difference community support means. That experience influenced the chapter to start the Black Alumni Chapter Endowed Scholarship in 2020 to benefit new generations of scholars at UCR.

"When I was a student, there were a lot of things to pay for - tuition, food, gas, rent, LSAT, MCAT," said Keona Henderson '08, immediate past president of the BAC. "This scholarship makes a world of difference, not only because of the monetary value, but because it's coming from their village, and it helps students feel valued."

Establishing the scholarship was a community effort with funds raised at the annual UCR Black Alumni Chapter Preserving Black Brilliance Scholarship Gala (which will next be hosted in February 2025), and through donations made by chapter members and others within the Highlander family who relate to the challenges students face.

"I remember not being able to apply for law school and take the LSAT because I didn't have the money, then receiving a Tilga Scholarship from UCR that enabled me to pay for my application materials," said Jo Gbujama '18, attorney and co-founder of the Bridging the Gap Scholarship, Inc. "Without scholarships, I wouldn't be where I am today, so contributing to the Black Alumni Chapter Endowed Scholarship is one of the ways I try to pay it forward."

For recipients, knowing who the scholarship comes from makes it more meaningful.

"The support of the donors and alumni is what keeps me and every other Black scholar going," said George Duru Jr. '24, who received the scholarship during the '22-'23 academic year. "Taking time out of their day to attend events and taking money out of their accounts to support scholars, it's the little things they do that we appreciate."

Black Alumni Chapter Endowed Scholarship recipient George Duru Jr. '24.

The BAC worked closely with African Student Programs (ASP) to launch the scholarship and relies on the office to help promote it to students, as well as to participate in applicant reviews. For more than 50 years, ASP has served as a homebase for prospective and current Black students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community members at UCR.

"One of the things I've heard people ask is what does African Student Programs do?" said Jamal J. Myrick, director of ASP. "We get Black scholars here, we keep Black scholars here, and we graduate Black scholars. I think the Black Alumni Chapter Endowed Scholarship definitely helps us meet the goal of keeping Black scholars at UCR."

Past and present members of the Black Alumni Chapter board.

Providing this scholarship is just one of the ways the BAC is connecting with and supporting Black students at UCR. The chapter links students to resources, provides mentoring, hosts events, and partners with ASP to present programming for current and incoming students.

"UCR Black alumni have a proud tradition of giving back and uplifting the Black community," said Jorge Ancona assistant vice chancellor, Alumni Engagement. "The chapter has now taken giving back to another level by donating their personal resources in order to provide financial support to our students. We are proud of how the group has come together to establish an endowment for student scholarships and are inspired by their support for our next generation of Highlanders."

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