Empowering collegiate success – UNCF Empower Me Tour

"The Empower Me Tour gave me hope. I never knew someone like me would go this far in life. When I won the EMT Merit Scholarship, I was motivated to keep applying for scholarships; and weeks later, "ding, ding, ding, we have a winner." As the first student to get called and the first student at my school to win the scholarship, it was the happiest moment of my life!" That is how Dealon Adaway describes his experience at Empower Me Tour© (EMT) event last spring.

That’s exactly the kind of experience organizers want all participants to have at these events which are part of the UNCF’s many programs  designed to bridge barriers facing historically underrepresented students.

The EMT© College Readiness Program is a traveling road show where high school and college students can learn just about everything having to do with college -  from searching for the right school, to the admissions process, to navigating financial aid resources.  Attendees can even get a glimpse into what student life is like on campus.  

Attendees also have the unique opportunity to take advantage of on-site scholarship offers and earn college acceptance into one or more of UNCF's member historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).  This tour season UNCF awarded over $11M in scholarships, and 808 students were offered admission to college.

For college students, the EMT© Career Readiness Program offers workshops and panel discussions delivered by executives and industry experts.  The focus is on preparing students for intern and early career opportunities, resume writing/review, interviewing and creating online profiles, and workplace culture.  Students and alumni have an opportunity to engage and interview with participating Fortune 500 companies, graduate schools, EMT© sponsors, and nonprofit organizations and government agencies.

FedEx has been a proud supporter of UNCF for 20 years, and for the last twelve of those years, that support has included our work with the Empower Me Tour© to serve students and families across the country.

We’re proud to be part of a program that’s helping thousands of students like Dealon Adaway achieve their educational goals -  helping them realize how far they can go in life.

For more information about UNCF, please click here.

***Photo courtesy of UNCF