The National Black MBA Association Atlanta Chapter (NBMBAA) presented $20,000 in scholarships at their annual luncheon held Friday, November 9. Keynote speaker, film producer Will Packer encouraged the students to follow their dreams, reach for the stars, and control their own destiny.
“Too often self- imposed limits keep us back,’ Packer, Co-Founder of Rainforest Films and producer of mega box office hits Act like a Lady, Think Like A Man, Takers, Stomp the Yard and This Christmas told the crowd at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta Hotel. Sharing the story of how he and his Rainforest Co-Founder Rob Hardy “never gave up” while pursuing film careers as students at Florida A &M University. Packer who majored in engineering said “We controlled our own destiny…. So often we own our destiny but give it away. We never gave up and took control of our destiny. Define your own success.”
“Impact Education… One Student at a Time” was the theme of the 28th annual scholarship luncheon. Since 1982, the NBMBAA’s Scholarship Program has awarded more than $100,000 in scholarships.
“The NBMBAA, Atlanta Chapter thrives on preparing our young people for careers in business. Education is an important piece of the process and we are truly excited that we are able to assist in their journey to success,” said Charmaine Ward, President of the chapter.
Scholarship winners in the high school, undergraduate, Ph.D. and MBA categories are:
Marcus Bellamy, Ph.D. candidate, Georgia Tech College of Management, $2,500
Thomas Cox, Morehouse College, $1,000
Chloe Castleberry, Holy Spirit Prep School, Leaders of Tomorrow, $1,000
Shermika Dunner, MBA candidate, Clark Atlanta University, $2,500
Lauren Deon Hawkins, Spelman College, $1,000
Bryant Johnson, Georgia State University, $2,500
Rachel Stewart, McIntosh High School, Leaders of Tomorrow, $1,000
Gregory Payne, MBA candidate, University of Georgia, Terry College of Business, $2,500
April Payton, MBA candidate, Emory University Goizueta Business School, $2,500
Uriyah Robinson, MBA candidate, Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business $2,500
Valerie Williams, MBA candidate, Emory University Goizueta Business School, $2,500
Sponsors for the NBMBAA Scholarship Luncheon included: AT&T, Bank of America, Chick-Fil-A, Fifth Third Bank, Georgia Power, Georgia-Pacific, Google, McKesson, Mesirow Financial, Nationwide, and United Healthcare.
