SPRINGFIELD — The Whitney M. Young Graduate Fellowship Program at the University of Illinois at Springfield will host a spring symposium, showcasing the work of current Fellows, from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 17, in Public Affairs Center conference rooms C/D on the UIS campus. The event is free and open to the public; prospective students who are interested in becoming Fellows are especially encouraged to attend.
Symposium speakers will include UIS Provost Harry Berman, as well as a number of Fellows who will discuss their academic work, participation in community service efforts, and how they are following in the footsteps of earlier activists and leaders who wanted to expand opportunities for all Americans to achieve their dreams.
Young Fellows comprise a variety of academic backgrounds and their public service over the past year has ranged from providing free help with income tax preparation to mentoring other students -- from elementary school to undergraduates in college. Several Fellows also participated in the Springfield Urban League's efforts to update its 1994 "Achieving the Dream" report by contributing articles to the revised document.
The Young Fellowship program is designed for highly motivated students who are traditionally underrepresented in graduate study, which includes, but is not limited to, ethnic/racial minorities, first-generation college students, and students from disadvantaged backgrounds. It honors the late Whitney M. Young, Jr., former executive director of the National Urban League, educator, and social activist.
For more information, contact Young Fellowship director Cecilia Cornell at 206-7430, or go to www.uis.edu/whitneymyounggraduatefellowship/.
