Today, The Walt Disney Company and UNCF (the United Negro College Fund) announced the 2023 Disney UNCF Corporate Scholars, representing students from four-year institutions across the country, including many Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
- The 2023 scholars will be awarded annual scholarships, with several having applied and been placed in paid internships for the summer at Disney.
- The scholarship recipients are juniors and seniors pursuing degrees in business, communications, creative writing, journalism, film/media and science who will also receive mentorship opportunities and consideration for possible full-time roles with Disney upon graduation.
- The Disney UNCF Corporate Scholars program builds on Disney’s longstanding history of supporting aspiring storytellers and innovators in collaboration with UNCF and is part of the Disney Future Storytellers initiative.
- Disney’s support of UNCF scholars includes scholarships, mentorship, internship opportunities, professional development, and career exploration workshops.
- In an effort to inspire future storytellers, Disney frequently provides guest speakers for UNCF events and invites UNCF scholars and staff to advanced screenings of Disney films.
FX Storytelling Legacy Scholarship
- Just announced with this year’s cohort is a series of FX-supported college scholarships within the Disney UNCF Corporate Scholars program. These new scholarships will honor the legacy of acclaimed director and producer John Singleton.
- John’s relationship with FX began in 2016 when he scored an Emmy Award nomination for the award-winning and acclaimed hit limited series, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. He then Co-Created and was Executive Producer on FX’s acclaimed hit drama series Snowfall.
- Singleton is the youngest and first Black person to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Director. The intention is for these scholarships to encourage and empower the next generation of Black artists following in John’s footsteps as part of the Disney UNCF Corporate Scholars program.
Andscape’s Rhoden Fellows
- For the first time, Andscape’s Rhoden Fellows will also be part of the Disney UNCF Corporate Scholars program.
- Rhoden Fellows is a training program for the next generation of sports journalists from HBCUs, founded and headed by Andscape editor-at-large and former New York Times award-winning columnist William C. Rhoden.
- The year-long fellowship aims to develop new voices and serve as an incubator for future multicultural journalists. Scholars will receive scholarships and are currently summer interns at Andscape.
- The fellowship’s learning curriculum includes writing from various onsite events, producing weekly podcasts, pitching creative storytelling ideas and contributing content published on the Andscape digital hub, plus continued learning, professional development, and journalism projects throughout the upcoming school year.
- Following a 10-week, intensive summer immersion program with Andscape and ESPN, the fellows return to serve on-campus as local correspondents for Andscape throughout the academic year.
National Geographic Content HBCU Scholarship
- Additionally, the National Geographic Content HBCU Scholarship program will become part of the Disney UNCF Corporate Scholars program going forward.
- Since 2021, National Geographic’s program has offered scholars real-world experience to help gain access and exposure to the factual entertainment industry.
- Scholars receive scholarship funding, participate in a multi-day immersive experience on the National Geographic campus in Washington, D.C., and are part of a six-month mentorship program with a National Geographic executive.
The 2023 Disney UNCF Corporate Scholars are:
What they’re saying:
- Damson Idris, actor, Snowfall: “Every artist has that person, the one that makes it over the hill so they could tell you everything is ok. Mine was John Singleton.”
- John Landgraf, chairman, FX Content & FX Productions: “It was a rare honor to work with the legendary John Singleton on several iconic FX series and to see him in action as a leader, mentor, and friend to so many. John was generous to a fault with his time and wisdom, having never forgotten where he came from and the hard work it took to break barriers. FX is proud to endow these scholarships in John’s name so that his legacy will inspire the next generation and offer meaningful assistance as they follow the trail he blazed.”
- Raina Kelley, vice president and editor-in-chief, Andscape: “We are thrilled to welcome the seventh class of Rhoden Fellows! They reflect the future of journalism and the vision of Andscape. We embrace their diverse experiences and boundless curiosity. We look forward to nurturing them and providing the platform for them to shine brighter.”
- Karen Greenfield, senior vice president, Content, Diversity & Inclusion, National Geographic: “At National Geographic, the power, influence, and reach that our stories have around the world is unparalleled. We want to ensure that the stories we tell are not only impactful and relevant, but are also authentic, diverse, and reflective of our global audience and experiences. Through the Nat Geo Content HBCU Scholarship program, we hope to inspire and cultivate the next generation of factual storytellers.”