This month graduating high school students sought college advice from UNCF (United Negro College Fund) who provided students of color assistance connecting the dots for post-graduation.

Serving over 800 Milwaukee Public School students and awarding over five million in scholarships during last year’s stop in Wisconsin, UNCF was excited to return this fall. The 2024 Milwaukee College Readiness Fair took place at Baird Center on Thursday, Oct. 24. The prior day, the UNCF EMT hosted a “How To Pay For College Workshop” for all future parents sending their scholars to universities. This workshop helped equip parents with the tools and necessities needed to help their children attend college. This workshop took place at Milwaukee Public Schools, 5225 W. Vliet St, Milwaukee, WI 53208.

Created over 15 years ago by founding sponsor Wells Fargo, EMT was designed to inspire students to take control of their futures by pursuing a four-year college degree and graduating with an education that prepares them for robust life engagement and successful careers. EMT was created to educate students and parents on financial literacy and help them understand how to financially support their college education.

“The Empower Me Tour (EMT) is a wonderful program that Wells Fargo is proud to be the founding sponsor of,” said Gigi Dixon, head of External Engagement for Diverse Segments, Representation and Inclusion. “For more than 16 years, Wells Fargo employees across the country have supported thousands of deserving students. Our company’s leaders and recruiting team look forward to engaging with students during EMT and providing resources and information to help each of them define and pursue their college goals.”

High school students who attended EMT events received expert tips on college preparation, the HBCU experience, and personal finances in addition to empowerment and personal branding advice. They also had the opportunity to interview on-site during the event with select colleges for admissions and scholarships at different colleges and universities.

“The UNCF Empower Me Tour (EMT) is one of our signature programs as it travels to regions in the United States where there are no HBCU’s. At EMT, UNCF brings HBCU’s to students who do not have access to, are not aware of, and/or not considering attending HBCU’s. For UNCF, it is extremely rewarding to see the excitement in students as they receive on-site scholarships and admissions to attend a HBCU of their choice. We are happy to bring our resources and institutions into this market to further educational opportunities for high school students,” said Maurice E. Jenkins, Jr., executive vice president and chief development officer, UNCF.

UNCF’s Empower Me Tour was sponsored by Wells Fargo, Proctor & Gamble, The Coca-Cola Company, Best Buy, FedEx, Cox Communications and Paul Mitchel Schools. Since its inception, UNCF EMT has offered more than $25 million in scholarships and impacted thousands of students.

For more information on the UNCF Empower Me Tour and to register for free, visit www.EmpowerMeTour.org. Follow the conversation on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook: @UNCF #EmpowerMeTour.

About UNCF

UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. While totaling only 3% of all colleges and universities, UNCF institutions and other historically Black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 15% of bachelor’s degrees, 5% of master’s degrees, 10% of doctoral degrees and 19% of all STEM degrees earned by Black students in higher education. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 50,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized trademark, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.

About Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a leading financial services company that has approximately $1.9 trillion in assets, proudly serves one in three U.S. households and more than 10% of small businesses in the U.S., and is a leading middle market banking provider in the U.S. We provide a diversified set of banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through our four reportable operating segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management. Wells Fargo ranked No. 41 on Fortune’s 2022 rankings of America’s largest corporations. In the communities we serve, the company focuses its social impact on building a sustainable, inclusive future for all by supporting housing affordability, small business growth, financial health, and a low-carbon economy.

News, insights, and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories.

Additional information may be found at www.wellsfargo.com | Twitter: @WellsFargo

Photos cred: courtesy of UNCF