MLB hosts 'the best and the brightest' in JRF scholars

April 15th, 2023
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      Jackie Robinson’s impact on the world continues to leave a mark on today’s future leaders.

      Alana Mensah is one of them.

      “The Jackie Robinson Foundation has created so many opportunities for me that I wouldn’t have had without it,” said Mensah, a JRF scholar who attends Howard University. “I’m just so grateful to be here and take advantage of all the opportunities presented to me.”

      Fifty years ago, the Jackie Robinson Foundation was established not only to honor the legacy of the baseball icon but to provide educational opportunities through the awarding of scholarships, mentoring, job placement and leadership development opportunities to aspiring college students with financial need. Since then, JRF has raised over $100 million and sent 1,800-plus students to 250 colleges with a 98 percent graduation rate.

      MLB has been a partner of the Jackie Robinson Foundation since the inception of the program and has partnered up with its scholars since 2012. On March 13, MLB hosted 31 scholars from the foundation at its central office in New York.

      Each year, 30 scholars are paired to work with an MLB team, and one is paired with the league office.

      “We make sure they have access to talk to us year-round to get mentoring and professional development advice,” said MLB vice president of social responsibility April Brown. “We highlight them all throughout the year but especially around Jackie Robinson Day. We help set them to be successful in the future in whatever career they choose to enter.”

      The event was part of the scholars' annual Mentoring and Leadership Conference. At the sponsored luncheon, the scholars were able to hone their skills in professional development, which included establishing a professional social media presence, résumé and cover letter writing, and job interview preparation.

      The scholars obtain $35,000 over four years by completing community service and complying with the core values that reflect the life and legacy of Robinson: discipline, integrity, humility, compassion and courage.

      “The foundation has changed my life over the course of my academic career,” said JRF scholar and University of Texas student Jordan Cochran. “I feel like the Jackie Robinson Foundation saw something in myself that I always believed I’ve had. Having that validation really makes me believe that I can go anywhere in life.”

      The Jackie Robinson Museum opened in New York in August 2022. MLB is the largest donor to the museum and aims to educate young people about Robinson’s history as a player and civil rights activist.

      The museum has artifacts, videos and interactive experiences to illustrate Robinson’s impact on equal opportunity through activism, civic engagement and economic empowerment efforts.

      “It’s important to partner with the Jackie Robinson Foundation for many reasons,” MLB director of community affairs Kevin Moss said. “One of them is to close the equity gap ... as it relates to education. It just makes so much sense because of our relationship, and because Jackie Robinson was so important to MLB’s legacy.”

      Sonya Pankey, the Robinsons’ first granddaughter and board director, was at the event and praised the students for their eagerness to succeed in life.

      “Having that strong foundation that you can learn [from] here,” Pankey said, “whether it is leadership skills or one of those critical skills necessary for anyone in life to move on, I think if you have that strong foundation, it can take you anywhere in life.

      “Seeing this next generation and their capabilities in the future warms my heart. These kids are the best and the brightest. I think we can also learn from them and see what they will contribute to in the future to society.”

      The Jackie Robinson Foundation scholars invited to this year’s event are as follows:

      Autumn Adeyan
      Saint Mary’s College of California
      Biology/Pre-Medicine Studies
      Class of 2024

      Emmanuella Alawode
      University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine
      Biology/Pre-Medicine Studies
      Class of 2024

      Allison Alston
      University of Virginia
      Global Studies
      Class of 2024

      Olusola Babalola
      Harvard University
      Human Developmental & Regenerative Biology/Pre-Medicine Studies
      Class of 2024

      Justin Banks
      University of Illinois at Chicago
      Integrated Health Studies/Pre-Medicine Studies
      Class of 2024

      Chase Brown
      Rice University
      Political Science and Spanish
      Class of 2024

      Isaiah Clark
      University of California, Los Angeles
      Sociology
      Class of 2024

      Arielle Clarke
      Columbia University
      Neuroscience/Pre-Medicine Studies
      Class of 2024

      Vashti Claybrook
      Cornell University
      Human Biology, Health and Society
      Class of 2024

      Jordan Cochran
      University of Texas at Austin
      Economics
      Class of 2024

      Raven DeLora
      University of Washington
      Public Health and Psychology
      Class of 2025

      Ella Elbeck
      Cornell University
      Biological Sciences
      Class of 2024

      Julius Ewungkem
      Harvard University
      Integrative Biology
      Class of 2024

      Rhea Goodwyn
      Xavier University
      Political Science
      Class of 2024

      Kristen Harriott
      Harvard University
      Neurobiology & Neurosciences
      Class of 2024

      Kaija Harlow
      Towson University
      Biology and Animal Behavior
      Class of 2024

      Germaine Harvey
      Case Western Reserve University
      Biochemistry/Pre-Medicine Studies
      Class of 2024

      Kenyon Hill
      Vanderbilt University
      Political Science and Human & Organization
      Class of 2024

      Dylan Johnson
      Tufts University
      Sociology
      Class of 2024

      Kailen Mayfield
      University of Virginia
      Youth & Social Innovation
      Class of 2023

      Alana Mensah
      Howard University
      Psychology
      Class of 2024

      Tagwa Salih
      Arizona State University
      Global Health/Pre-Medicine Studies
      Class of 2024

      Jersie Thomas
      Miami University
      Information Technology
      Class of 2024

      Emerson Wright
      University of California, Santa Cruz
      Biology
      Class of 2024

      Imani Robinson
      University of California, Los Angeles
      Political Science
      Class of 2024

      Innua Robinson
      The Cooper Union
      Fine Arts -- Painting and Printmaking
      Class of 2024

      Roman Scott
      Stanford University
      Management Science & Engineering
      Class of 2025

      Imaan Stephens
      University of South Florida
      Biomedical Sciences/Pre-Medicine Studies
      Class of 2024

      Natural Taylor
      Harvard University
      Environmental Engineering and Computer Science
      Class of 2024

      Mikayla Tillery
      Stanford University
      Urban Studies and African & African American Studies
      Class of 2025

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