Austin Williams, marketing partner and brand agency of record for St. Joseph’s College, established a new scholarship program to help SJC students of color pursue careers in the fields of marketing and advertising.
The $50,000 Austin Williams Opportunity Scholarship in Marketing/Communications at St. Joseph’s College will provide four full-time students at SJC with a $2,500 tuition scholarship for each of four years. Along with financial support, the program will offer recipients paid internships at Austin Williams to gain valuable professional experience during their junior and senior years. In addition, Austin Williams’ team members will serve as mentors to the students, assessing their course work and offering guidance as they work toward their careers.
The media agency, with offices in Hauppauge and Manhattan, created the scholarship program in response to the Black Lives Matter movement, which identified educational and employment inequities throughout the U.S. economy.
Scholarship Program Encourages Diversity
SJC President Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D., said he is proud to welcome a scholarship initiative that encourages diversity and inclusion — themes that have been an integral part of the College’s mission since its founding in 1916.
“Now more than ever, it is time to live out our mission and ensure that we are providing all of our students with the opportunities they need to succeed,” Dr. Boomgaarden said. “We are grateful to Austin Williams for this scholarship program. Through their generosity, future SJC students will receive invaluable mentorship in their studies, career preparation and a hands-on experience that will point them in the direction of their future.”
Eva LaMere, president of Austin Williams, said she is looking forward to seeing the positive affects the scholarship will have on student’s lives.
“Our longstanding partnership with St. Joseph’s College is one that we are so proud of,” LaMere said. “With the need for diversity in the marketing and advertising industry, this scholarship program seemed like a natural next step in working toward a solution. SJC students of color who will benefit from this opportunity will be welcomed as interns at our agency and mentored by professionals as they work toward their career goals.”
