Student Profiles: 2008 Rockefeller Brothers Fellows

Three Juniors Receive Rockefeller Brothers Fellowships

English major Lauren Williams, and child development majors Malika Davis and Brittany Leonard, all class of 2009, have received the Rockefeller Brothers Fund's 2008 Fellowships for Aspiring Teachers of Color. The RBF fellowship seeks outstanding students of color from selected U.S. colleges and universities to pursue graduate studies and begin teaching in public schools.

Each fellow receives up to $22,100 for a summer project, graduate school and loan repayment over a five-year period beginning this summer and ending after three years of public school teaching.

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund awards fellowships to students of color who are majoring in the arts and sciences and who wish to pursue a master’s degree in education, become certified, and teach in public elementary and secondary schools. Fellowships for Aspiring Teachers of Color are awarded on the basis of merit to students who, at the time of application, are juniors at a participating institution.

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund names up to 25 fellows annually. Colleges and universities were invited to nominate up to three candidates to the national competition, and Spelman College and Brown University are the only institutions where all three candidates were selected as fellows.

During the summer between the junior and senior year, Fellows receive a grant of $2500 for a seven-week project of their own choosing that is related to teaching. After graduation, Fellows are expected to enroll full time for a master’s degree in teacher education or a related field, leading to certification. They are awarded up to $16,000 for a one- or two-year program.

After completing graduate work, Fellows are expected to begin teaching in a public elementary or secondary school. For each of the first three continuous years in the classroom, Fellows receive $1,200 for loan repayments.

For more information, visit: http://www.rbf.org/resources/resources_show.htm?cat_id=1668&doc_id=679475