College Bound, Inc. celebrated its 21st Annual End of the Year Celebration on Thursday, May 17, 2012 at Howard University’s Blackburn Ballroom with over 500 supporters. The annual event recognizes students in College Bound’s Academic Mentoring Program, which has an outstanding rate of 100% high school completion and 100% college acceptance. The event also recognizes the programs community partners and volunteers. Angel Brock ’12 (Jack Donaldson Memorial Scholarship for Journalism Recipient) and Chelsey Swan ’13 served as emcees for the event. Alumna Inatimi Oguara, recent graduate from the University of Pittsburgh (at the age of 20), brought greetings from the program’s alumni. This year, College Bound presented its Community Leadership Award to Mr. Lonnie Bunch, Smithsonian’s Founding Director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation received College Bound’s Hall of Fame award for their unyielding support of College Bound’s scholarship program. Entrepreneur and restauranteur, Mr. Andy Shallal delivered an impassioned keynote address challenging the seniors to use their education to help create a better society. After awarding over $60,000 in scholarships, College Bound’s Executive Director Kenneth Ward was presented a check for $100,000 from Ellen Kay of Many Hands to develop College Bound’s Virtual Mentoring Program (VMP). The VMP will support and track College Bound alumni through college. Mr. Ward presented a special “Inspiration Scholarship” to Diamond Brooks for her tenacity and positive attitude while battling stage III Hodgkins Lymphoma. He closed the evening charging the graduating seniors to commit to finishing college and to vigorously pursue their dreams.
To support their mission or for more information about College Bound , please visit their website at www.collegebound.org or call Kenneth Ward at 202-842-0858.
