Washington Afro American Newspaper February 14 2015

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Volume 123 No. 28

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FEBRUARY 14, 2015 - FEBRUARY 20, 2015

Barry-UDC Bill Draws Support and Criticism

Orange Proposes Free Community College for Residents

By James Wright Special to the AFRO The death of former fourtime mayor and D.C. Council member Marion S. Barry Jr. last year has generated discussion on how his legacy should be honored. D.C. Council member Vincent Orange (D-At Large) has an idea for remembering the

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The “Marion S. Barry Jr. University of the District of Columbia Redesignation Act of 2015” would rename the UDC. political icon. On Feb. 3 Orange, with D.C. Council member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), introduced the “Marion AFRO File Photo S. Barry Jr. University of The late Marion Barry served the District of Columbia as District mayor and on the Redesignation Act of D.C. Council. 2015,” which would rename the UDC as E. Washington Convention the Marion S. Barry Jr. Center after the city’s first University of the District mayor and I think Marion of Columbia (MDUDC). Barry deserves an honor that “We named the new Continued on A4 convention center the Walter

D.C. Council member Vincent Orange (D-At Large) on Feb. 3 introduced the Community College for All Scholarship Act. The legislation establishes a program to provide free tuition and fees at the University of the District of Columbia Community College, informally known as UDC-CC. Orange’s bill mirrors President Obama’s Jan. 9 proposal offering free community college to students maintaining a 2.5 grade point average and studying at least half-time. “President Obama has already made the goal of a community college education a national agenda,” the council member said. “Access to a quality education should be inclusive, not exclusive. All District residents should have access to a quality college education.” The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) is the only public higher education institution in the city. The university consists of the community college,

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D.C. Council member Vincent Orange (D-At Large) recently introduced the Community College for All Scholarship Act.

undergraduate, graduate, and the David A. Clarke School of Law, educating approximately 5,500 students. Orange’s bill states that students could attend UDC-CC free if they maintain a 2.0 GPA, complete their studies in two years, and engage in community service and mentoring. Tennessee, under its Continued on A4

DC-CAP Offers Financial Opportunities for College Bound Students By Christina Sturdivant Special to the AFRO February is a critical month for college bound high school seniors. While waiting to hear back from college admission offices, students must also secure funding. In addition to completing the free application for federal student aid, students in the District are able to apply for funding through the DC Tuition Assistance Grant (DC TAG) program, which opened Feb. 2. DC TAG provides up to $10,000 DC CAP students. toward tuition depending upon the cost and type of institution. While the program’s deadline is June 30, funds may be exhausted before then, according to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education’s website, so students must act quickly. “The cost of college can be daunting and we put college counselors into high schools who help make that process a lot less daunting,” said Ted Leonsis, DC College Access Program (DC-CAP)’s chairman of the board on Jan. 28. DC-CAP’s advisors are located in every public and charter high school in

the city and have become trusted advisors for students. They guide students through the journey of enrolling, being accepted, and attending college. “[DC-Cap advisors] also teach young people and their families the economic benefits of putting off working for the four years you go to college,” says Leonsis. “They can show what your earning capacity is if you go to college, graduate, and then enter a certain field, versus if you don’t go to college and go right to work.” Photo by courtesy of www.dccap.org The D.C. Public School system is made up of nearly 80 percent African-American students. Like many of them, Leonsis was the first in his family to attend college. “I had an option in front of me which was to work in a local grocery store chain where I worked bagging groceries and then in produce department,” he said. Instead of spending years climbing the ranks in the grocery store business, Leonsis navigated his way through the college admissions process and attended Georgetown University. While in school, he was motivated to own his own Continued on A8

BEYA STEM Conference Draws Huge Crowd from Across the Country By Shantella Y. Sherman Special to the AFRO Despite the push among American high schools and colleges to engage students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics

(STEM), a recent study, funded by Cisco Systems, found a shortage was expected for the U.S. STEM workforce by 2018. In addition to the U.S. shortage, African Americans are expected to stall in

acquiring STEM positions, making up less than 10 percent in each field (Science - 6 percent, Technology - 8.5 percent, Engineering - 9.8 percent; and Math - 1.9 percent) by 2016. The BEYA (Becoming Everything You

Are) STEM Conference, an annual mentoring and networking seminar, however, stands poised to answer that underrepresentation through direct mentoring and providing necessary leadership from among

the ranks of existing Black professionals. This year’s conference, Exceeding Expectations: Path to the Future, brought more than 8,000 attendees including students, college Continued on A8

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Many sessions at the BEYA STEM 2015 conference boasted near-capacity attendance of college students and newly graduated technology professionals.

Copyright © 2015 by the Afro-American Company


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