The Organization of Black Maritime Graduates (OBMG) was founded in 1994, and has granted over 80 maritime scholarships since its inception. The nonprofit organization was formed by Captain Robert Cook and five other SUNY Maritime College graduates to help minority students at Maritime College fund their higher education.

The scholarships are awarded each year at a dinner held in February, in honor of Black History Month. Awardees are selected based on their academic merit and financial need. OBMG also provides these students with guidance and mentoring, both during college and after graduation.

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The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race that is the most well-known and prestigious of the cycling tournaments known as the “Grand Tours.” The other two Grand Tours are the Giro d’Italia, held annually in May, and the Vuelta a Espana, held in August and September annually in Spain.

The Tour de France lasts three weeks and covers approximately 2,200 miles (3,600 kilometers) throughout France and some bordering countries.

The race is divided into day-long stages and the individual finish times from each stage are totaled to determine the overall winner at the conclusion of the race. The last leg of the race, since 1975, has been along the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Read the rest of this entry »

Western Governors University is hosting a video scholarship contest.

I personally think the WGU’s, “A Smarter Way to Learn” television advertisement is really funny, especially when the woman in the desk knocks over everything at the dinner table.  Have a look:

But maybe you believe you could produce an advertisement that is better.

Well here is your shot.

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It’s not often that you come across scholarships that one would consider easy to get. There are usually endless applications to fill out, test scores to submit and transcripts to send when trying to be considered for a scholarship. Then there are essays to write and mail in and many times in-person interviews to be conducted. All of this for a chance at free money to get an education. With many of the scholarships available there are also strict rules on what the money must be used for and guidelines for keeping the scholarship with a certain GPA or performance level. All that red tape can make scholarship hunting seem to be more trouble than it’s worth. Throw in the everyday responsibilities that come along with being a dad, and you’ve got quite the task on your hands.

There are some simpler scholarships available out there. Scholarships4Dads offers a $10,000 scholarship drawing several times per year. You can use the money for any school-related expense that you choose. Being eligible for the scholarship is also much simpler than many other scholarships. You must simply be a US citizen and 18 years of age or older. Read the rest of this entry »

UPDATE: On July 20, 2010, USC president Nikias announced that the university would return Reggie Bush’s Heisman to the Heisman Trophy Trust, as well as remove his and OJ Mayo’s murals and jerseys from the campus.

If you follow college sports, you’re probably aware that the University of Southern California was recently hit with a series of punishments by the NCAA.

“The NCAA has ruled that the University of Southern California athletic department exhibited a lack of institutional control from 2004 to 2009 for a wide array of rules violations committed in its football, men’s basketball and women’s tennis programs,” per Rivals.com.

The main penalties were doled out to the football team and include a two-year ban from Bowl games and a loss of 30 scholarships over three years. What’s interesting to me is the part where USC was ordered to vacate victories in football for the time period in which tailback Reggie Bush was deemed ineligible.

With rare exceptions, I find vacating wins to be a pointless endeavor. Does it send a message? I guess. But is there any tangible harm done to the school? Read the rest of this entry »

For years, Walmart has been criticized for not offering its employees the benefits they deserve. Luckily, it seems like the mega-store that specializes in everything from kitchen dishes to lawn care equipment is taking a step in the right direction.

According to the New York Times, Walmart has partnered with American Public University, an online school with about 70,000 students currently enrolled. Although Walmart scholarshipshave been offered to students in the past, this new partnership will allow some of Walmart’s employees to earn college credits in fields such as retail management or logistics, just by working their jobs. Walmart employees will also receive a 15 percent discount on tuition, while Walmart has pledged to invest another $50 million in tuition assistance for those employees who participate.

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Anna Wintour

Vogue magazine’s editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, headlined the sixteenth annual president’s lecture series at the Pratt Institute on Monday, April 19, 2010. President Thomas F. Schutte described the event as “a rare opportunity to see and hear from one of the industry’s most influential and renowned figures.”

Wintour presented a lecture on the contributions the late Irving Penn’s photographs gave to the legendary iconic fashion magazine over the last few decades. Wintour advised students to not disregard arts’ importance and influence on their articles. She noted that photographs can transform a simple media piece into a canvas of a much more influential presentation.

Fashion, journalism and design students gawked in awe as one of the most influential media and fashion iconic legends passed along her personal antecdotes of her experience of working with Penn and her advice on how to establish a balance of professionalism and creativity.

Following Wintour’s presentation, Vogue European editor-at-large, Hamish Bowles, held a question and answer session from students. Questions ranged from advice on how to acquire internships to Wintour’s opinion of the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s (CFDA) efforts on education and professional development.
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There is no argument that students work exceptionally hard on a day-to-day basis, from their scholastic workload, to extracurricular sports and clubs, to part time jobs and somehow, they even manage to find time to actively volunteer in their local communities.

That’s a lot! And one company has found a way to motivate students to keep working hard so that their minds and bodies are healthy, fit and strong.

No Excuses Wear athletic workout apparel specializes in creating workout clothes that brazenly motivates you to get in shape. Recently known for their support from current and former NBC’s Biggest Loser contestants, the company is now seeking to generate college scholarships, one purchase at a time, all in the name of healthy and active living.

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Dion Thomas, 30, a recipient of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation program. Image via The Associated Press

It has already been 15 years since the tragedy of the Oklahoma City bombing, which destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal building on April 19, 1995.

According to the Associated Press, more than 200 children had parents killed or disabled when an anti-government conspirator’s truck bomb launched the largest domestic-incurred terrorist attack in the country’s history.

In an effort to remember and honor the victims that were killed on that day, and to provide support for those children whose parents died in the attack, administrators of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation created a scholarship program for the children affected by tragedy. To date, the foundation has provided almost $6 million for tuition, housing and other educational costs.

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Image Via Seinfeld Family Foundation

It’s better to give than to receive, and for these well-to-do celebrities, giving back to their alma maters or other deserving college students is one way they’re spending their money. It’s not as glitzy as a new Rolls, a yacht in St. Tropez, or a closet larger than most homes, but it is often greatly needed by students hard at work to pursue their own dreams.

David Letterman

Eligibility: Available at his alma mater, Ball State University in Indiana, to telecommunications juniors and seniors.

Requirements: Submit a written, audio or video project. Creativity is valued over academics; no GPA requirements.

Scholarship Amount: $10,000 for first prize

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