Vincentian Jonte Myers of Layou, who attends Florida Memorial University in Florida, is among 75 Students from 62 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the United States named 2014 HBCU All-Stars.
The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (WHIHBCU) on Monday announced its first class of HBCU All-Stars, recognizing 75 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students for their accomplishments in academics, leadership, and civic engagement.
Myers, who is 31 and a graduate of St. Vincent Grammar School, taught science in the British Virgin Island for a number of years.
The All-Stars were selected from 445 students who submitted completed applications that included a transcript, resume, essay, and recommendation.
“Engaging with the next generation of leaders who will graduate from HBCUs and go on to make meaningful contributions to society is crucial to the success of our community, our country and our global competitiveness,” said George Cooper, executive director of the WHIHBCUs.
“It is a privilege to announce these 75 students who have demonstrated a commitment to both their own academic achievement and making a difference in their communities, and we look forward to working with them as partners in advancing President Obama’s college completion goal.”
Over the course of the next year, the HBCU All-Stars will serve as ambassadors of the White House Initiative by provide outreach and communication with their fellow students about the value of education and the Initiative as a networking resource.
Through social media and their relationships with community-based organizations, the All-Stars will share promising and proven practices that support opportunities for all young people to achieve their educational and career potential.
In addition, the 45 female and 30 male All-Stars will participate in regional events and web chats with Ivory Toldson, deputy director of the WHIHBCUs, other Initiative staff and professionals from a wide range of disciplines. They will also have opportunities to engage with other scholars to showcase individual and collective talent across the HBCU community.
This is Myers’ second national award in the United States. In the fall of 2011, he was one of eight Educational Testing Services (ETS) HBCU Presidential Scholars in the entire nation.
This scholarship is awarded annually to scholars who have an exemplary academic record, actively participate in co-curricular activities, and receive excel-lent recommendations from the president and a faculty member at the student’s university.
ETS is a non-profit agency that develops, administers and scores more than 50 million tests annually including the GRE and the Praxis Series, in more than 180 countries.