Denny’s has donated $25,000 to the Tom Joyner Foundation to help students pursuing food science and hospitality management degrees at several Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) achieve their educational goals.
“I’m really thrilled that Denny’s has gone beyond just stepping up to the plate to help these students fulfill their dreams of completing a college education – and majoring in a subject they love,” said Tom Joyner, chairman of the 14-year-old Foundation and host of the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show aired in more than 100 markets reaching 8 million listeners. “This is a great opportunity for these students and for my Foundation that’s been grounded in my love for black colleges.”
John Miller, president and chief executive officer of Denny’s, said, “Denny’s has been a longtime supporter of the Tom Joyner Foundation and an advocate for African American students working toward their educational goals. We are proud to provide $25,000 to these ambitious students who are the future leaders of our industry.”
Of the donation, $10,000 will be divided equally amongst four students majoring in food science and hospitality management at the current HBCU they are attending. The winners are:
* Kelsey Brumfield of Newport News, Va., a junior majoring in recreation and tourism at Hampton University, Hampton, Va.
* Chase Davis of Conyers, Ga., a junior majoring in food and nutrition management at South Carolina State University, Orangeburg, S.C.
* Britteny Junious of Charlotte, N.C., a junior majoring in food science at North Carolina A&T University, Greensboro, N.C.
* Lillian Mosley of Macon, Ga., a junior majoring in food and nutrition at Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, Ga.
Each of the students already has big plans after graduation. Davis of South Carolina State says, “While I am attending culinary school, my plan is to develop a curriculum and run a series of Youth Culinary Cooking Camps.” Mosley of Fort Valley State, a single mom of two daughters who has been a licensed cosmetologist, wants to stop the cycle of hypertension, diabetes and heart disease in her family and the African American community. “I plan to teach community members how to eat healthier and to live more productive lives,” she says.
Junious of Fort Valley State says she is planning to head to graduate school to become a food chemist. “I want to study the microbiology of food and explore ways to make food healthier with fewer preservatives and additives, which I believe may be harmful to some people,” she says. Blumfield of Hampton says after graduate school she is planning to become a director of youth development programs.
The additional $15,000 will be used to provide scholarships to selected students at Florida Memorial University (FMU).
“We are very pleased to learn of Denny’s renewed commitment to students at HBCUs across the nation,” said FMU President Henry Lewis III. “We are especially pleased that Denny’s gift will provide assistance to our single-parent students and those who are dually enrolled in the hospitality management program. Many thanks to Denny’s.”
